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Love it or hate it, but there is no way to avoid the time-consuming and laborious task of cleaning your home. For those who can afford it, relying on a cleaning service (find out more here) is the obvious choice, but many households simply don’t have the budget to do so. The good news is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, giving you the freedom to find what works best for you.
Depending on the size of your home and the amount of dust and dirt your household accumulates, investing in quality cleaning appliances and tools can only contribute to a more efficient job. To get the best bang for your buck, explore Black Friday vacuum deals for top-quality products at fantastic prices.
Have A System
The first step to cutting down your cleaning time without sacrificing a tidy home is to create a cleaning system. This primarily involves cleaning your home in the same order every time, working on one room at a time, and starting and finishing in the same place in said room to avoid wasting time jumping from place to place.
It simply comes down to being consistent. By creating a routine that you stick to every single time you clean, it becomes a familiar method. This familiarity allows you to cut down on your time because you know what is going to be needed before you even begin, allowing for more efficiency and less time-wasting.
Along with setting a weekly schedule that you can realistically stick to and that ensures you don’t accidentally skip a room or area in your home, you need to clean a room in such a way that it doesn’t cause you to repeat tasks you may have already completed.
Don’t start a room by wiping down all the surfaces first before tackling blinds, hanging frames, or cabinets above your head, as you will quickly find this newly disturbed dust settling on the surfaces you have just cleaned.
Experts recommend starting from the top of the room, like light fixtures and ceiling fans, and working your way down to the ground. Similarly, it is worth working from left to right to guarantee you have covered the entire room. Leave vacuuming for last to clean up any dust or residue that may be left behind once you are finished.
Declutter First
Before you wipe or dust a single surface, it is important to declutter your living spaces first to make the entire process less overwhelming. A tidy space makes the process much quicker because you don’t have to constantly stop to move things out of the way. If you have left your cleaning jobs for longer than you may have intended, it will also feel less overwhelming to tackle as a whole.
Additionally, by packing things away first, you will be able to see every surface and area of the ground that requires cleaning, helping you build a more effective cleaning plan before you even begin.
Supplies On-Hand
It is worthwhile creating a designated cleaning station to keep all your supplies in one central spot, either in your kitchen or laundry room. This will help you find your supplies much easier as you need them and give you an opportunity to regularly take stock of what you have and what you might need.
To prevent yourself from walking back and forth between your cleaning area and your supplies, it is helpful to wear an apron with a large pocket, a tool belt, or carry a shower caddy with everything you need inside. Supplies can easily be stored in these same caddies to grab and go as needed.
You can check out a recipe here for making your own multipurpose surface cleaner, with that you can tackle a big chunk of the cleaning jobs
Dry Dust
Feather dusters do a fantastic job tackling blinds, pictures, awkward nooks, and other large surfaces or hard-to-reach areas. Many cleaning experts recommend using quality ostrich feather dusters, as they are relatively cheap to purchase and the feathers are designed to tackle the dust without shedding or falling apart completely.
Dusters work well during weekly routine dusting, but heavy buildup will require a vacuum or damp cloth to dislodge. After that, you can use a duster every two weeks or so to maintain the area.
Vacuum in Rows
Vacuuming in rows is a practical and sensible way to clean any room in your home. Start at one end of the room and move the machine over the entire length of the space in one straight row, then move over and start the process again.
Not only does this ensure you cover every inch of the floor, but it also allows you to put the cord over your shoulder, taking it out of your way and preventing you from tripping or getting it tangled in the vacuum itself. High-traffic areas should be vacuumed at least once a week.
Speed-Clean Regularly
The truth is, if you truly want to stay on top of your cleaning and reduce the amount of time it takes to maintain your home, you need to clean more frequently than you may already. Once you have completed a thorough deep clean of the entire household, it is important to give it a weekly once-over to maintain your hard work.
This keeps your home looking clean and tidy more regularly and prevents you from having to dedicate an entire weekend to tackling the monumental task of completing several months of cleaning at one time. By building a steady routine, you create a maintenance cleaning schedule for yourself instead of constantly having to play catch-up.