Way back when, spring cleaning was mandatory. Families washed windows, laundered and starched curtains, scrubbed floors, and hung rugs over clotheslines to beat the dust out of them.
Sounds like a lot of work for the modern household, especially since many of us don’t have clotheslines. Here’s an alternative: Speed cleaning. It’s efficient, it’s effective, it will probably save you money, and it will definitely change your life.
Best of all: It’s easy! Instead of letting dust and grime pile up, you keep it at bay with a few 20-minute bursts of activity per week. No more thinking, “I have to clean the whole house this weekend” or “How am I going to find money in my budget for a house cleaner?”
Speed cleaning saved my sanity as a midlife college student with several part-time jobs and a long commute. Living in a clean place was non-negotiable, but I didn’t have much time. Turns out I didn’t need much time to create a comfortable environment where I felt truly at home.
Here’s how speed cleaning can change your life, too.
Step 1: Pick a Room
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Which room? That’s up to you. I suggest starting with the one you see most often, because the changes will be so gratifying.
You could even pick part of a room, such as the cluttered entryway or just the sink and toilet in your sadly neglected bathroom. Start small and build on your successes.
Step 2: Choose the Music
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You don’t expect to clean without a soundtrack, do you? Put on music that gets your blood pumping, whether that’s hip-hop or grand opera.
Blast your favorites for all to hear, or wear headphones if some household members don’t appreciate your choice of tunes. Speaking of the household…
Step 3. Assemble Your Team
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Spouses, roommates, kids – everyone who lives there needs to be part of this. Even preschoolers can do things like fold towels or put junk mail into the recycling bin.
No excuses. No, not even a teenager whining, “But I have homework!” We’re talking a 20-minute time frame. Your young scholars probably spend that much time deciding what to wear tomorrow, or texting their friends to get opinions on what they should wear.
Time management is something everyone needs to learn, and the younger, the better. As for the adults, “I had a hard day – can’t I skip it just this once?” shouldn’t work as an excuse, either. Everyone has hard days sometimes. It doesn’t mean you can quit adulting, especially since we’re talking about a 20-minute commitment.
Step 4. Set an Alarm
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I use a kitchen timer with an obnoxiously loud BEEP-BEEP-BEEP pattern. It sounds like the noise that a bomb timer makes in the movies, right before the explosion. Impossible to ignore, and satisfying to hear because it means I’m all done.
You might not want that. Maybe you’ll just use the alarm on your phone. If so, have all household members synchronize their phone alarms and then prepare to…
Step 5. Clean Like Mad!
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Each of you (or just you, if you live alone) has a job to do. Get to it! Sweep, scrub, de-clutter, or do whatever you’re supposed to do – and do it at a furious pace.
Think of it as a challenge: How much can I get done before that timer goes off?
When the timer does go off, stop. Or don’t – if you’re loving how much better the entryway looks, then keep going for another five or 10 minutes.
Step 6: Congratulate Yourself
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See how much nicer everything looks? You did that!
Alternate version: “High fives, gang – we did it! Doesn’t the kitchen/living room/kid’s bedroom look great?”
Step 7: Calculate Your Savings
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The average cost of a house cleaner in the U.S. is $20.85 per hour, according to Care.com. That money is still in your pocket. Go you!
You’ll likely save more than just a cleaner’s salary, though. Ever lived in such clutter that you couldn’t find your reading glasses or your kid’s water bottle? Replacement costs can add up.
Then there’s the contentment of living in a place that doesn’t smell like mildewed towels or a neglected litter box. A tidy, comfortable home is a place you want to be – and if you’re relaxing at home, that means you’re not spending money in a coffee shop, brewpub, or restaurant.
More Pro Tips
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Not sure how to start the speed-clean habit? Try this: “Okay, everybody, we’re cleaning only on days with a ‘T’ in them.” That means three days’ worth of cleaning per week, and it lets you off the hook on rough Mondays or on Fridays that were clearly meant for movie nights or going out with friends.
If you’ve got a robot vacuum, program it to run daily or at least every other day. This cuts down on how long you’ll spend sweeping tile or wood floors.
Buy specialized tools to make certain chores easier: Disinfectant wipes to clean under the toilet seat, say, or microfiber cloths that trap dust instead of spreading it around
Keep all cleaning supplies together, so you can grab what you need, instead of wasting time hunting down the dustpan or the cleanser.
Keep costs down by hitting the dollar store for supplies like sponges, scrub brushes, and those microfiber cloths.
Multitask! For example, the washing machine or dishwasher could run while you’re cleaning. Bonus awesome points if you throw the laundry into the dryer or put the clean dishes away later.
Or single-task. Some days you really are exhausted or overwhelmed, especially if you have kids. Give yourself permission to do just one thing, such as scooping the litter box or folding the laundry that’s been in the dryer for several days. Be sure to pat yourself on the back for having done something to make your life better.
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