Time

Soil build-up is inevitable, just like death and taxes. That makes cleaning a never-ending job, even if you’re organized and work effectively. The amount of time your family devotes to housecleaning is a mutual decision that depends on the answers to several questions, including:

• How much of a tolerance do you and yours have for dust and clutter?
• Do you have a busy family?
• When it’s time to clean, how effectively do you work?

HousekeepingChannel.com is devoted to helping you work quickly and effectively. Cleaning seems a lot less like drudgery when it’s done well and finished in as little time as possible.

Good habits on the part of everyone in the household will help cut down on the amount of work that needs to be done on “cleaning day.” Accidents and spills happen, and in most cases, the resulting spots should be cleaned up immediately. If you wait, a small problem that’s easy to resolve right away may become a stain that could take a long time to remove — or be impossible to remove without causing further damage.

Other techniques may not save much time in the moment, but they pay off in greatly reduced effort when it’s time for deep cleaning. For example, wiping or squeegeeing water droplets off shower stalls and tubs takes only a couple of minutes after each shower or bath, but doing it removes soap scum and mineral stains — two stubborn types of soil that guarantee a long, hard job if allowed to build up. Clean the surface immediately after use, and you may only need to “deep-clean” the tub or shower two or three times a year, instead of eight to 10 times.

If your family is just too busy with other endeavors and has the means, you may wish to hire a contractor to perform regular cleaning services (also known as maid services). Contractors are available in every market for weekly, bi-weekly and monthly service visits.

Bear in mind, however, that while many contractors clean homes well, they’re not there to save you from your own clutter. To get the most value from the service, you’ll still have to organize the house before the cleaning crew arrives each time. If they can’t find the surface, they can’t clean it!