Unless you love a messy house, cleaning is a necessary evil. It’s one of those tasks that no matter how much you clean and scrub, there’s always more to do. Plus, if you have kids? You’re on a never-ending cycle.
That said, why shouldn’t you employ some time-saving hacks that will have your house clean and still give you time to binge-watch your favorite shows guilt-free? The best part is that these hacks don’t skimp on the actual cleaning; they just make it easier to manage. And let’s face it, today, we could all use a little “easier” in our lives.
We’ve spoken with a few cleaning and organizing experts who have some tips on cleaning tasks to do now that will save you time later.
Set Up a Daily Schedule
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This might seem like a silly thing to do, but having a set schedule can help you stay on top of your cleaning, according to expert Aby Gavey in an article from Better Homes & Gardens.
I always make a list of things that need to be done on a whiteboard in my kitchen and set specific times during the day to complete them. Since I’m a single mom, the easiest time for me to do so is right after the kids go to school in the morning, when the house is nice and quiet. Yours might be at night or mid-day, depending on your schedule.
Clean as You Go
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Ahmed Mezil of Hellamaid, a professional cleaning company in the United States and Canada, suggests the clean-as-you-go method, especially when you’re cooking. He says to “[w]ipe counters and appliances immediately after spills to avoid scrubbing later.”
Food splatters dry and harden to your surfaces, and you’ll spend 10 minutes scrubbing it down instead of two. This is true of anything, really. Cleaning as you go can save valuable time in the long run.
Wash Dishes After Meals
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Speaking of remnants drying, after you eat, it’s best to wash the dishes right away to avoid food getting stuck on the plates, bowls, or utensils. You can also quickly rinse the dishes under running water and then place them in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
In the end, you’ll spend less time scrubbing away, freeing up your time to do other tasks, or, dare we say it, relax.
Regularly Decluttering
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Have you ever looked at a room and thought, “Man, this is messy?” Oftentimes, those little piles of clutter do us in. That’s why Mezil recommends doing a five-minute reset at night. He recommends setting a timer for that amount of time and using it to “tackle small messes, put away clutter, wipe counters, and tidy up.”
That way, you wake up to a clean house in the morning, and there’s less stress and pressure on you to clean.
Keep Microfiber Cloths Handy
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Shara Ryan, a professional organizer and blogger at Simply Renewed Living, loves to use microfiber cloths to clean, especially in the bathroom, where she says she uses one to “wipe [the sink] out after every use.”
Patriot Maids Cleaning Services founder Bryan Griffin agrees with having one in the bathroom but for shower doors and walls. As to the why, he says the cloth is a multitasker that “doesn’t just move water around.” It helps prevent hard water stains, absorb moisture, and remove particles that can cause mildew growth.
Follow the Two-Minute Rule
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Mezil suggests following the two-minute rule, where if a task takes two minutes or less, “do it immediately [because] small actions prevent big messes.”
Some tasks he says you could easily do in this timeframe include “wiping down a sink, dusting a surface, [and] putting dishes away.”
Employ the Nightly “Sweep-and-Trap” Routine
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If you have a robotic vacuum, Griffin recommends employing a nightly “sweep-and-trap” routine over sweeping.
His pro tip is to automate your nightly cleaning routine by “[s]cheduling your robot vacuum to start each evening after dinner.” That way, “you’ll always wake up to a tidy space with minimal effort.”
Set Up Cleaning Stations Around Your Home
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For the longest time, I would store my cleaning supplies in one central location, but it got tiring, always traveling to get the supplies and then putting them away afterward. Often, they got left in the space, and I would frantically search for it next time.
Griffin makes a point when he says it’s a time-saving endeavor to “set up small, strategically placed cleaning stations around your home” and stock them with the essentials you’ll need for that space. If you’re worried about people seeing them, he has an idea for that, too: “Use decorative baskets or containers that blend with your decor.” That way, nobody’s the wiser.
Keep Stain Remover Handy
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Spills happen, and sometimes, time is of the essence when it comes to cleaning your clothes, lest you get stuck with that stain for life (cleaning rags, anyone?). Ryan says she “keep[s] a small bottle of stain remover in the bedroom or bathroom.”
That way, she doesn’t have to remember to treat the spot before throwing her clothes in the washer. It’s already done.
