Quick Cleaning Hacks (For Moms In A Hurry)
Quick Cleaning Hacks (For Moms In A Hurry)
It’s game-time, moms! We know you don’t wake up in the morning and look forward to scrubbing the toilet, scraping dried food off of last night’s dishes, cleaning toothpaste out of the sinks, or organizing the endless piles of dirty clothes that have accumulated over the weekend. However, you’ve got this! Taking a few minutes out of the day to do a little bit at a time will pay off and the next time you need to make your home presentable, you’ll be able to do it quickly.
We get it. You don’t have all day to clean. Somedays, you don’t even have an extra minute. You have a job. You also have children who shadow your every move. They need you each time you sit down. Josie needs help with her homework. Alex needs help with his broken toy. They need a snack or dinner. Permission slips need to be signed. Dishes. Garbage. Laundry. Additional chores. The track plays on repeat each day. You’ve resorted to locking yourself in the bathroom to eat a piece of chocolate and enjoy a moment of peace. Factor all of this in, and who has time to clean a house, right?
You! You do have what it takes to keep your living space in tip-top shape and you’ll still have time to cater to your loved ones. Trust us. We have prepared a list to help you tackle even the most undesirable tasks and keep your mood upbeat in the process. Let’s get started! Read on to see some cleaning hacks that can be done in a hurry. Get your clean on!
Top 10 Quick Cleaning Hacks
10- Gather Supplies
Dig out your cleaning products. If it helps, put them in a little caddy so that you can carry around the house with you. It will save you time to have everything in one place. You won’t have to keep running around looking for everything once you organize your products. In fact, while you’re at it, grab a couple of garbage bags and designate some old rags to be used solely for cleaning.
9- Set A Timer
Because you don’t have all day to clean, it’s important to set a timer. Figure out how much time you have at the moment, and get that timer started. It helps know how much time you have in advance. This way, you’re likely going to tackle as much as possible to essentially ‘beat the clock’. It’s a way to set a goal and work to get as much done in a short amount of time.
8- Begin A Load Of Laundry
Find an empty laundry basket or whatever you have on hand. Scurry around your home to gather all the dirty clothes, towels, or other things that need to be washed. Immediately begin a load of laundry. If you have a quick wash setting on your washing machine, use it. This load will be washed in no time and can be placed in the dryer as you work on some of your cleaning.
7- Focus On One Task
Sometimes, we think it’s easier to clean one room at a time. The plan of attack today, though, is to pick a task and do that one thing one room at a time. For example, if you’re going to dust, dust everything needing to be dusted from the living room to the bedrooms, to the den. Get the dusting out of the way and move to the next thing. Clean all the sinks and tubs and toilets. Move to the windows in each room. End with all the floors. If you can be task-oriented, you’ll realize that you can accomplish a lot more in a shorter amount of time.
6- Declutter Surfaces
We know. Counters and other spaces like desks and tables tend to be a dumping station for all things miscellaneous. The good news is that most of this clutter can be placed in organized spaces, and sometimes, thrown out. Quickly assess the spaces and begin by throwing away anything that isn’t needed. If you have an office space with files, put paperwork in the proper place. Clean up the office supplies by giving writing utensils a home and put the scissors, paper clips, stapler, and tape in a drawer. Do a quick wipe down of all these spaces.
5 -Make Beds
It seems mundane, but the slightest things can make a huge difference in the appearance of a clean home. Besides, making beds and folding blankets can give you a sense of cleanliness. Tidy up the extra blankets and fluff the pillows. Move to the next room and voila! Just look at how much better that looks and feels.
4- Put Wash In Dryer
Did you hear your washing machine? It has notified you that one load of dirty laundry is now clean. Head to that laundry room and put the wet clothes into the dryer. Give yourself some new tasks to do while your dryer helps you out with this task. We have found that most times, dryers work quickly, especially if you don’t have a very large load of laundry. It may be helpful to check in on the dryer instead of waiting the full timed cycle. If you can take a break from a task to fold the clean laundry, they’ll be less wrinkled and you’ll have a greater sense of accomplishment. Fold or hang clothes accordingly and go ahead and put it all away as soon as you’re able. Note: Depending on how long you have to clean, you may be able to start a second load immediately.
3- Focus On Floors
It’s tedious, we know. It’s also one of the last things that should be done. After you’ve busied yourself with all of the other quick tasks, including picking up toys and other items, clean floors put the cherry on top of your cleaning frenzy. Trust us, this is a must step, and one that needn’t be done every day or every clean. Do it as needed, but stay on top of it. If you have hardwood or laminate floors, sweep and then mop or steam them. Of course, you can vacuum them if you are also working on your carpets. Don’t forget about the rugs, especially in the entryway or foyer.
2- Set out New Towels
Isn’t it odd that we get into the habit of using the same linens all the time? Dirty a towel, wash that towel, put it back out to be used again. How about taking a few minutes to set out some towels that you have buried over time. Dig to the back of that linen closet and pull out some fresh, clean towels. Do the same thing in the kitchen. You’ll have freed up some space to put the newly washed towels after you fold them in a little while.
1- Final Touch Ups
Take a quick glance at all your rooms. If you need to, take out the garbage and add new trash bags to the baskets. Freshen up your garbage disposal if you have one. Straighten out the chairs around your table and counter. If you have a favorite room spray, use it. If you diffuse essential oils, pick a clean and refreshing scent.
What we like about this list is that you can spend very little time on it. You can even do some of it while your children are present (just give them a fun game to play while you clean or include them in the cleaning by making a game of it). Of course, if you’re alone, you may want to turn on some music for some background noise. Make it fun. Make it quick. You’ll be glad that you did.
The things we have discussed can be done on a time crunch. In fact, as you get more familiar with cleaning, it’ll take you less and less time. You’ll then be able to add other tasks to your list, like cleaning ceiling fans or baseboards. The key is, figure out a routine that works for you and stick with it. You’ve got this. The next time someone shows up at your door unexpectedly, or you want to invite a friend or two last minute, you’ll welcome the company and your home will be tidy and inviting!
Pitter patter! Go get at ‘er!
Lyric Anders, Writer
TIME
IS TIME MONEY?
Not literally. Time is an asset and a spendable one. When it's gone, it's gone. You can learn to use it more effectively but you can't get it back and it seems to speed up, the older you get.
STEP ONE
Get control over your activities. If you have a schedule, use it. If you don't have a planner or calendar, such as the free one on Google, get one. Use it. Learn to say no when necessary. You are not available 24/7 for most things. Since you cannot control time, you must control your activities within time. Then you have done the best you can.
EFFICIENCY
There are efficiency experts who come into a workplace to figure out how to get more production happening faster. It doesn't turn the workers into what used to be called a "sweat shop", but it does get things done more quickly and when they take the extra breaks, to reward their speed, they also feel a rise in their self-esteem. The thing I'm about to share is simple. It cost thousands of dollars, though.
- Compartment the time for each task.
- First focus on speeding up the task without sacrificing quality or safety.
- Note the time doing nothing, between tasks.
- Try shortening that between time but, without causing yourself stress.
- Repeat steps 1-4 and tweak the process
- Notice if there are similar steps in a task
- Try to do similar actions as a task. You don't chop some carrots and then peel potatoes, then chop carrots, then peel more potatoes. If you've cooked, you get the picture.