Inside Tricks to Speed Cleaning Your Home By Mary Findley copyright@2003

Time is tight, kids want attention, dinner simmers on stove and house needs cleaning. Did someone mention housework? Most people would rather darn socks than clean their home. Consequently those annoying chores get tucked on back burner where they sit simmering until pot boils dry. That once 30-minute job has now turned into a half-day nightmare.

Rather than ignoring those chores let?s explore some time savings tips professionals use to clean a home. Start by hiring yourself to clean your home. If a professional comes to clean they will insist that dishes be put in dishwasher, clothes hung up, papers picked up and house tidy. You cannot speed clean a home with clutter anywhere let alone everywhere.

Here are a few shortcuts to help you declutter your home.

? If clutter in your home seems a bit overwhelming, start with big stuff. We live in a time when everyone thrives on instant success. Picking up large size items like clothing means fast results. That spurs you on to tackle smaller piles. ? Never leave a room without taking something with you. Put it where it belongs so you don?t waste time looking for it later. ? Clean up your dishes after every meal. Instruct each family member to rinse and put away their own dishes. This goes for cups or glasses used during day too. ? Learn to multitask. If you head in direction of washing machine, take a load of clothes with you. When you pull meat out of freezer in garage, get enough for 3 days. Leaving for grocery store? Take garbage out with you. ? Purchase a spare pair of needle nose pliers, regular pliers, a hammer and one of those screwdrivers with all four heads in one handle. Tuck them in a kitchen drawer so they are handy when you need them.

Organize then organize again. Experts encourage people to organize their lives. They know disorganization robs you of valuable time among other things. Follow this outline to organize your cleaning supplies.

Head to hardware store for following items: * Tote tray with dividers ? do not waste your money with aprons designed to hold bottles of cleaners, etc. The weight of so many full bottles slows you down. Talk about an achy breaky back! * White nylon scrub pad found in cleaning section. Use it for stubborn spots or water spots on glass shower doors. Use only white. Other colors may scratch. * Stiff bristle brush that looks like a toothbrush. It is ideal for scrubbing around faucets. * 1 ½ inch paint brush. Use it to dust cobwebs along window frames and doorways etc.

At grocery store pick up following: * Window cleaner * Concentrated orange cleaner without petroleum distillates * Bar Keepers Friend * Toilet bowl cleaner * Toilet bowl brush without metal rings * Rubber Gloves

Next stock a plastic bag with old but clean terry cloth towels and a few lint free towels for dusting. Tuck in a second plastic bag to store soiled towels as you clean. Then add a large trash bag for emptying trash.

Speed Cleaning Essentials

In today?s world of quick fixes people want fast results. They buy fastest computer and instant dinners. The single most important thing you can do to speed clean your home has no quick fix - exercise. A regular, consistent exercise program gives you strength and stamina to rocket you through not only your house cleaning chores but everything you do.

Clean like pros. You never see a professional enter a home and heat up a cup of coffee, flip on TV or send an email. Do not allow distractions to pull you away from task at hand. Let answering machine handle your phone calls and wait to retrieve mail until you finish. Distractions turn a 15-minute job into an hour?s worth of time.

A key point to remember: You build speed as you clean. Every time you stop it takes time to rebuild your momentum costing you valuable time. Give yourself gift of time by staying focused on task at hand.

Speed cleaning usually entails cleaning your entire home all in one day. For many people this does not work due to busy schedules. Should this be your case, dust your home one day, tackle bathrooms next etc. Whichever job you do complete entire task. Dust entire house or clean all bathrooms. It takes time to pull out your cleaning equipment so keep going until you finish.

Divide and conquer. Many people become overwhelmed at thought of cleaning their entire home at one time. A professional breaks a home into sections cleaning one section then moving to next. Here is a basic outline to follow. Adjust sections according to layout of your home.