“First is the 10-minute speed clean in each room. It helps when I actually set a timer and try to beat it. Basically, you work as fast as you can to put away or clean up as much as you can,” said Heather Ross, Beavercreek mother of three.
Cynthia Townley Ewer of OrganizedHome.com states in her book, House Works, that every move you make is important.
“Professional cleaners don’t circle a room more than once. Taking their place before the bathroom sink, they’ll spray and wipe the mirror, scrub the sink, wipe down counters and polish fixtures before they move 1 inch to the right or left,” wrote Townley Ewer.
Laura Dellutri of healthyhousekeeper.com, outlines four basic principles to get you ready to speed clean in her book, “Speed Cleaning 101.”
According to Dellutri, the first step is be prepared with all needed supplies and plan a checklist of your chores; the second step is to clean from top to bottom, which forces you to notice often ignored areas like door and window frames, high corners and ceilings; the third step is to focus on one room at a time and clean the room in a circular pattern; and the fourth step is to clean only what is dirty.
Just by doing a little extra in your day-to-day routine can produce eye pleasing results and make your to-do list less daunting.
“When you are done with taking your shower or bath, use that towel to quickly wipe down the shower, the sink, the floor and the outside of the toilet and seat. It keeps the bathroom looking clean in between regular “serious” cleanings,” Ross said.
“I just try to do a little everyday so it does not become overwhelming,” said Michele Pucciani, Beavercreek mother of three.
When under a serious time crunch with multiple areas to cover, employ a 10-minute speed clean, according to Anna Shepard and DK Publishing, authors of “Express Housekeeping,” which recommends this approach: focus only on the areas you want to look clean; take out the trash; get rid of paperwork, books and magazines on tables, counters and the coffee table; empty the sink by putting away or washing dishes; clean up any crumbs on furniture and on rugs; wipe around the sink and ensure the toilet is clean in the bathroom; pick up in the entryway by hanging up coats and putting away shoes; and close the doors to the rooms that don’t fit in the 10-minute speed clean.
The success of a speed cleaning routine depends on the efforts of everyone in the house, especially the kids.
“For the boys, I have made a dry erase chart that reminds them what they need to do to their room each night before they go to bed. They use a dry erase marker to check off the boxes and each night I double check to see that everything is done.
“If so, they get a star. After seven days worth of stars, they earn something little like more computer time or a small pack of Pokemon cards,” Ross said. According to Ross, this system is working.
“Now that their rooms are staying clean each day, it hardly takes any time for them to maintain it,” Ross said.
“As for the kids’ clutter, bins to keep things in and have the playroom in the basement; the less I see the mess, the less stress I incur,” Pucciani said.
Townley Ewer recommends a family room rule that allows everyone to do homework or crafts in the family room only if the projects and paperwork can be collected and “carried” away at the end of the day in portable containers like laundry baskets, shopping bags or other storage baskets.
Immediate attention is also a great way to get a handle on potential clutter.
“For kids’ clutter and mail clutter, I try to look in backpacks as soon as the boys walk in the door.
“I try to get rid of their homework papers as soon as we go over them, and process flyers and notes right away,” Ross said.
“I will write down what I need to know and recycle or shred everything right then. Otherwise, they end up on my counter forever.”
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