Time-Saving Cleaning Tips

Young woman using wireless headphones to listen to a podcast while vacuuming and cleaning her home
Cleaning tip: Concentrate on one room at a time; don't run all over your house or apartment pushing dirt around. cream_ph / Getty Images

We all know how time consuming -- and, let's face it, boring -- cleaning can be. Here are some great tips on how to clean your house faster and maybe even better!

  • Each week, give special attention to one room in the house. This will save you time on fall and spring cleaning, because you've been cleaning more thoroughly throughout the year.
  • Make an efficient cleaning apron from a compartmented shoe bag by attaching strings and filling the pockets with rags, polishes, brushes, and other objects.
  • Put small decorative items into a basket and out of harm's way. Put the dirty items that you want to clean in a separate box or basket, and take them to the kitchen. Don't redistribute anything until you have finished cleaning the room. Get a Vacuum That Works Read Vacuum and Steam Cleaner Reviews and compare prices at Consumer Guide Products before you buy.
  • Pull all furniture away from the walls. Turn back rugs at the edges, and take up small rugs to make vacuuming the floor easier.
  • Dust settles downward, so avoid dirtying what you have just cleaned by working from top to bottom. Clean the floor last.
  • Sweep, vacuum, and dust before cleaning with a liquid cleaning solution to avoid making mud.
  • Go easy on cleaners. Soap or wax used sparingly cleans and beautifies surfaces. If you use too much, you will have to spend time removing the buildup.
  • When you are cleaning something up high, don't stand on tiptoe. Grab a stepladder. If you are cleaning down low, sit on the floor. Straining up or down is tiring, inefficient, and bad for your back.
  • Concentrate on one room at a time; don't run all over your house or apartment pushing dirt around.
  • To clean your radiators, hang a damp cloth or damp newspapers behind the radiator. Blow on the radiator with a hair dryer to force hidden dirt and dust onto the damp cloth. © 2006 Publications International, Ltd.Use a hair dryer to remove hard-to-reach dirt from a radiator.
  • To clean a dust mop without making a mess, slip a large paper bag over the head of the mop, secure the top, and shake so the dust falls into the bag.

©Publications International, Ltd.

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