House is just a mess and needs some help? If so, then this blog post is for you!
Whether it's because of company coming over or just from the stress of life getting in the way, sometimes all we need is some help to get our home cleaned up fast. In this blog post, I will give you tips on how to speed clean your house without even having to spend much time at all.
I'll break down how to clean your house fast (speed cleaning), room by room. The goal is to spend less than an hour a day on cleaning, then you don't have to spend hours on it all at once. I'll share a few of my favorite time-saving cleaning shortcuts that make housekeeping a breeze!
I'll also be sharing my favorite cleaners and tools that make the job easier. Most of the cleaners I use are environmentally friendly and safe for the whole family including the furry family members.
Cleaning your home is a chore, but it doesn't have to be. If you can get into the habit of speed cleaning each morning, you'll be free to enjoy your clean house for the rest of the day!
*This post contains affiliate links to products. I may receive commission for purchases through these links.*
Why clean your house fast?
The goal of this method is the following: spend the same amount of time per day on one area of your house, and focus on a particular area for 5-15 minutes at a time. This makes daily quick clean periods easier, while also increasing annual deep clean intervals.
Alongside many other benefits, a clean house will give you a good mood to start your day. A tidy home is always very beneficial for your well-being and it can really affect the way you feel throughout the rest of your tasks in the day or even that week.
I recommend starting with the kitchen because it is such an important room in our home and also has many surfaces that need to be cleaned. Since most of us spend a lot of time here, why not get it looking great right away?
First, let's get started with cleaning your kitchen:
The kitchen is an important room in your home. If the floor, counters, faucet handles are dirty it can be difficult to keep positive about coming into that space for something as small as cleaning the countertop. Before starting on that, start with smaller tasks like inside the walls or under any cabinets and drawers.
Next, clean the floor with a natural, all-purpose cleaner on your hands and knees. Then use paper towels to wipe up any messes on counters or table tops. Why paper towels? They're disposable and easy to use. They also don't harbor bacteria or leave behind any residual germs because you toss them when you're done with them!
Lastly, clean your sink with a spray nozzle or scrub brush dipped in the all-purpose cleaner. If you have a porcelain sink, bleach will make it sparkle. If you have a stainless steel sink, an ammonia-free cleaner will work just fine too!
If you really need to deep clean and organize your kitchen, use our best kitchen organization tips. Then, speed cleaning it every morning will be a piece of cake!
Now let's move to the bathroom:
Your goal in this room is to target areas that are prone to dirt and grime, like your tub/shower wall and toilet bowl. You can use a natural, all-purpose cleaner with an antibacterial property such as Thieves® Household Cleaner or make your own with vinegar, essential oils and water.
It is also important to clean your mirrors which are often neglected in bathroom cleaning routines. I make my own window and mirror cleaner out of vinegar and water. Safe and effective along with being cost effective. **Tip: coffee filters are great for cleaning mirrors and windows because they don't leave fibers behind!
If your bathroom needs some organization, tame the bathroom beast with the tips found in my bathroom organization post!
Now on to speed cleaning your living room, dining room and office:
Let's start by vacuuming up any dust bunnies and pet hair that has settled around furniture. I have hardwood floors and a long haired dog, so her hair gets everywhere. If you have floors like mine, a stick vacuum with a removable, washable filter like this works great! If you have carpets, you're going to want a more substantial vacuum to do the job.
Give all of the tables, TV stand and shelves a quick wipe down. I love Swiffer Dusters for this. They really do grab a lot of the dust and are so easy to use.
Pick up anything that doesn't belong and put it away. Throw the cushions on your couch outside to air them out, then vacuum underneath to get all those dust bunnies that like to hide in there! **Tip: Sprinkle cornstarch over fabric couches and on carpeted floors to help absorb odors and freshen them up. Leave it sit for about 15 minutes, then vacuum it up.
Tidy desk area and make sure all paperwork & mail is filed & sorted in its proper spots.
On to the bedrooms
Pick up any clothes that are laying on the floor and put them away. You'll be amazed at how much time you save by doing this!
Clean your closet shelves with a quick wipe down. Grab the Swiffer Dusters for this- seconds with one in your hand instead of minutes with spray and a dust cloth!
Make your bed. This is one thing you should focus on doing every single day. It doesn't take long, and you'll feel so much better about your home! There's an old quote ‘If you want to change the world, start by making your bed.' William H McRaven, a former Navy SEAL, made this point in his graduation speech to the University of Texas's class of 2014.
If you're finding that your closet is in a bit of disarray or you have too much for the closet you have, declutter your wardrobe or consider a capsule wardrobe to help you keep it organized and up to date.
Don't forget about the animals
When cleaning, we can sometimes overlook the areas our animals frequent. For instance, the dog bed in the corner of the living room may need a deep clean in order to freshen up the whole room. Or the litter box, which tends to smell of ammonia if not kept clean.
I recommend considering elevated dog beds, like this Coolaroo bed, if you have pups in your house. Not only are they kinder to the dog's joints, but they don't harbor a lot of the hair and dander like plush dog beds. You can also take them outside to hose them down and that makes them much easier to keep clean.
If you have a cat box try using a product like Skout's Honor to regularly deodorize the box. I love this product because it's safe for the cats and everyone in the household, they donate to Rescue Bank and their product can be sprayed on anything your cat lays on as well as in the air.
With my pup's elevated bed and Skout's Honor, even the animal areas are included in my speed cleaning routine!
Let's Recap!
As you can see, my speed cleaning routine isn't too hectic and is easily accomplished in about an hour each day. This helps start my day out on a good note and makes my deep cleaning a lot easier. The tips here can be tweaked to fit your household because we all know that every household is different. But you can see how doing these tasks every day will help keep your house clean and lessen the stress on you in the long run.
Key Points to help you clean your house fast:
- Do your speed cleaning room by room
- Focus on target areas – the areas that collect the dirt and grime
- Give everything visible a once over
- Pick up anything that doesn't belong and put it away
- MAKE YOUR BED (this is a big one!)
- Don't forget about the animal areas, if you have animals
What are you waiting for?
Speed cleaning is often done to make it easier for you to do other tasks around the house. It'll make it easier for you to clean up after yourself and keep your home organized so you can spend more time on your hobbies and interests. There are tons of things you can do to speed clean your house, with the tips I've given in this post, you'll be able to knock out most of them in no time.
Now that you know what speed cleaning is, you can tackle your whole house by picking a room at a time and focusing on one until you get it clean.
Once everything in that particular area is spick-and-span, take care of any laundry or dishes that may have accumulated while you were busy tidying up. This will help keep things from piling up as they usually do when we're all over our home at once! You'll clean your house fast and your whole place shine without taking hours out of your day.
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Ready to get started? Start speed cleaning today!
