The Fundamentals of Speed Cleaning

I think we have all been there at least once in our lives, the inevitable need to speed clean. Your mother-in-law just called and said she was in the neighborhood and will be at your house in ten minutes. How in the world are you going to get your house presentable before she gets there?

Here are some things to keep in mind if you want your housework duties less work and less stressful. Here are some strategies to try to help you to keep your house cleaner on a day-to-day basis so you won't need to speed clean when someone announces that they are coming over. These tips will help you to save time and save your scrubbing arm when it is time to do household chores.

Prevention Is Key

When it comes to many things in life, ignoring something usually means that there will be more of it coming in the future. Like dirt, you ignore it and it won't go away. It will just be that much harder to clean it. A half inch of dust on your bedroom dresser will take a lot more time to clean than just taking a duster to it. The dirtier it is, the longer it will take and the more effort it will take. Caked-on food splatter on the stove top is a lot harder to clean than just wiping it up when it happens.

Dirt Attracts Dirt

Your house starts out clean. Then one day you leave a used napkin on the coffee table, thinking to yourself you will pick it up later. Then later on in the day, you find a jacket on the family room floor. Next you will find coffee cups half full on the coffee table, magazines and toys on the floor, and newspapers strewn all over on the side table. Before you know it, the house is a total wreck and you have a huge mess to deal with. How did this happen?

The used napkin on the coffee table started a downward spiral. Other family members see the disarray and probably felt free to add to all the mess and chaos.

Clean As You Go

Picking up that used napkin and throwing it in the trash right then, and keeping things tidy will show your respect for your home and others will follow suit and show the same respect. Squeegee the shower doors after showering, and that will keep a handle on soap scum. Make a habit of scrubbing the food of plates, pots, and pans right away after dinner and putting them into the dishwasher means less dishes piling up in the kitchen sink. Make a habit of wiping down the dinner table right after dinner means less scrubbing in the morning before the breakfast meal.

Tip: Freshen Up the Air

This is a great trick to help freshen up the air in your home quickly without using air fresheners. Open a few windows in your home and put a pot of hot water on the stove. Put some cinnamon sticks into the pot to simmer.
Don't have cinnamon sticks? You can use a little bit of ground cinnamon, or some other spices, such as nutmeg or cloves. Your house will smell like you have just baked a pie instead of last night's dinner or smelling like dog.

Just remember to clean as you go and it will be a lot easier and faster when it is time to clean house.

Sources: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning book