Getting your cleaning done well and fast, so you can get on with life, doesn't come by running the 50-yard dash with your vacuum cleaner in tow. If you've ever cut a finger washing dishes in a hurry, you already know that, as they say, haste makes waste. Speed really comes from using your noggin about how you clean.

 

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Developing smart habits, like the following from Laura Dellutri, will spring free time you never knew you had — and maybe get your house cleaner than it's ever been before:

 

Carry tools that will save you time and energy.

1. Use a whisk broom to save you vacuum edging time along the carpets and baseboards.
   
2. Have damp cloths over your shoulder to save you the time you would spend running to the sink to saturate your cloths. Damp cloths can be used to clean 90% of the surfaces in your home safely.
   
3. Hang supplies from your belt or vacuum, or put them in your pockets, to save time by keeping everything you need at your fingertips.
   
4. Keep glass cleaner near you all the time because you can use it to clean so many things.
   
5. Use extension dusters to save a lot of time when cleaning ceiling fans and high cobwebs. Forget going to get the ladder, setting it up, climbing up it to clean and then putting it away! (What a waste of time that is!)

Let the tools and chemicals do the work!

1. Read product labels and leave the product on the surface as directed to get the best results. (You would be surprised how many people rush this step and don’t get as much from the product as they could.)
   
2. Buy scrub brushes on a pole (from a janitorial supplier). No more bending in tubs and showers. They will reach far, so you don’t have to!
   
3. Stay away from old fashioned “home remedy” cleaning solutions that take forever to work.
   
4. Buy one product that can clean several different things.

Analyze the job and do two things at once.

1. While a chemical is working on the bathroom tile, shine the glass mirror.
   
2. Clean the microwave (by microwaving a cup of hot water until it boils inside the microwave. The steam will work on any spills inside. Then you can wipe the microwave clean with a cloth) while you spot clean the kitchen cabinets.
   
3. Bring two cloths, one for dusting and one to clean glass, to work on wood and glass surfaces at the same time (at least on the same trip).
   
4. Bring one big trash bag to collect all the household trash, instead of running back and forth to empty each wastebasket into the garbage.

Excerpted from Laura Dellutri’s Speed Cleaning 101: Cut Your Cleaning Time in Half! For more information, visit HealthyHousekeeper.com

 

About Laura Dellutri

Laura Dellutri, The Healthy Housekeeper, is an author, cleaning expert, speed cleaning consultant, radio and television personality, and entrepreneur and owner of the professional janitorial firm America's Cleaning. For more information, visit www.HealthyHousekeeper.com.