How to Make Cleaning Your House Faster and More Efficient

Cleaning is one of those things that we all have to do, but rarely enjoy. So if you can find a way to make it faster and more efficient, it’ll instantly become less of a burden. Thankfully, it’s often as simple as coming up with a plan and sticking to it.

Set a Cleaning Schedule. Grab your calendar and plan out a cleaning schedule for the rest of the year. It could be the first of the month, the last Sunday of the month, or every Tuesday morning while the kids are at school. The exact time of day isn’t as important as the consistency. Find something that works for you and put it on your calendar just like you would a dentist appointment or parent-teacher meeting. Once a year you should consider deep cleaning services in Plymouth, MA or somewhere local to you.

Have a Plan. Debbie Sardone owns her own maid service and is often referred to as a speed-cleaning expert. Her secret? Create a system and clean the house in the same order every single time – starting at the same point in each room and finishing at the same point. 

“To get the time down, you have to be consistent—that’s the whole premise,” she says. “You do the same thing every time you clean, so it is a routine. The routine is the method, and that is an inherently better way to clean because the speed comes from the method instead of from hurrying. You really can clean your house in half the time. It’s not a gimmick.”

As part of that plan, you should clean top to bottom and left to right. By starting at the top (rather than the other way around), you ensure that any dust or particles that fall from above don’t dirty your newly cleaned coffee table or recently swept floor. Going left to right is just a logical preference that most people have that helps you remember what you’ve already done.

Clean as You Go. While you should definitely have one day per week or month that you deep clean the house, you can make things much easier by adopting the habit of cleaning as you go on a daily basis. 

As a general rule of thumb, every item in your house should have a place where it lives. (And for 90 percent of items, this place should be out of sight – like in a cabinet, drawer, or closet.) As soon as you finish using an item, it goes back into its place. 

Keep the Right Supplies on Hand. If you don’t have the proper cleaning supplies and products on hand, you’re unlikely to clean as well as you should. You’ll either put it off for another day, or you’ll do a poor job and fail to thoroughly clean. 

Every household is different, but it’s a good idea to have an assortment of reusable spray bottles, several large bottles of concentrated cleaning solution, and plenty of rags and paper towels. 

Also, here’s a pro tip: always keep plenty of vacuum bags on hand. This is something most homeowners never think about. But when you need one – you need one! And because every vacuum is so unique, you can’t always hop in the car and grab one at the closest supermarket. That’s why we suggest you order vacuum bags online so that you’re never caught without one.

Involve the Entire Family. Cleaning shouldn’t fall on one person’s shoulders. Anyone who lives in the home and is old enough to walk should have age-appropriate tasks. Toddlers can even get in the mix by cleaning baseboards. 

When the entire family helps, cleaning becomes less burdensome. You can even make it a fun and friendly competition. If nothing else, it helps everyone feel an increased sense of ownership.

Set Boundaries With Pets. The final tip is to set very specific boundaries with pets. While we love our little furry friends, they can create huge messes. From shedding hair to muddy paws, they can easily undo all of your hard work. 

To lessen pet messes, try keeping them to only certain rooms in the home. (For example, the dog stays downstairs and never goes upstairs.) You could also create a rule that the dog’s paws must be wiped before coming in from outside. Small policies like this go a long way toward keeping your home clean.

Cleaning House Doesn’t Have to Be a Pain

Cleaning your house might not be something that you find fun and exciting, but it doesn’t have to be a major point of frustration and contention either. If you come up with a plan and implement tips like the ones mentioned above, it actually becomes quite easy and effortless. The key is to plan ahead and be disciplined. Small actions taken regularly will yield impressive results.