Looking to speed up your cleaning routine so you have more time for the things you enjoy doing? Here are 8 of my favorite tips that work well for me… I know a few will work for you too!
While cleaning isn’t my most favorite pastime, it’s not my least favorite either. I suppose I enjoy the end result of a clean home enough to motivate myself to clean fairly thoroughly every Monday morning.
That said, I’m not willing to spend longer than necessary just to say my house is clean, and I’m always looking for big and little ways to speed up my weekly cleaning routine and work more efficiently.
Here are a few tips that have worked well for me for almost 2 decades now!
1. Declutter first.
This is first on my list for a reason — however, it might not necessarily be a cleaning tip as much as a “way of life” that ends up making cleaning go SO much faster and less arduous.
If you can keep your home relatively picked-up and clutter-free in-between cleaning sessions, the time you spend cleaning could be cut in half (no, I’m not exaggerating!)
So before I start cleaning, I usually take 15 minutes to quickly walk through the rooms in my home to pick up and put away (or throw away) anything that’s sitting out.
2. Only clean what’s dirty enough to bother you.
Yes, I realize that after a week of living your entire home is probably “dirty” in some sense of the word. However, I try to focus the bulk of my time and energy on the areas that are “dirty enough” to bother me.
For example, I don’t dust every week because our home doesn’t seem to get overly dusty (my opinion) and dust doesn’t bother me nearly as much as crumbs on the floor, clutter on surfaces, or pee on the toilets. 🤣
Bathrooms, kitchen counters, and floors are MY main concerns — if those areas stay relatively neat and clean, I don’t feel like I need to spend nearly as much time in other areas of the home.
3. Give yourself a deadline.
For the last 5+ years, I’ve done almost all my cleaning and laundry on Monday mornings.
I know a full morning of cleaning might not work for everyone, but this routine works well for me as I rarely have other commitments on Mondays, and I just love starting my week off by “re-grouping” after the weekend, checking off so many to-dos, and listening to all my saved podcasts or audiobooks while I clean.
My goal is always to be finished with everything by noon — at which point I eat lunch and then pick up groceries or run other errands before the kids get home from school.
If you prefer to do a little cleaning each day, you could simply set a timer for 20 minutes and work on one area every night after dinner.
Or, you could invite friends over on the weekend and give yourself the deadline of having things clean, neat, and orderly before they arrive!
4. Use fewer cleaning supplies.
I know it’s all the rage to have fun cleaning gadgets and special cleaning products for every nook and cranny of your home… but I’m all about simplicity and practicality.
I honestly use water + vinegar to clean most areas in my home — but if you like a nice-smelling cleaner, find something that works for most of the rooms in your home and buy that (I love the Pink Grapefruit scent from Method).
We have 3 bathrooms in our home, and I keep a toilet brush, toilet bowl cleaner, all purpose spray, and hand soap refill in each bathroom. This allows me to quickly clean the space without running all over the house looking for supplies.
I keep a few extra cleaning supplies in our half-bathroom, but for the most part, I don’t waste money on cleaning supplies, which helps me save time while cleaning.
5. Do one activity at a time (instead of one room).
I find that I often like the sense of satisfaction that comes from cleaning one room top-to-bottom.
However, sometimes it’s actually a lot faster and more efficient to do one task throughout your entire home instead of starting and stopping at each new room.
For example, when I dust, I dust the entire house. Then I vacuum the entire house, shake out all the rugs, and mop all the floors.
It feels more efficient to me b/c I’m using the same tools and doing the same thing over and over again (plus, my house isn’t THAT big so I don’t “waste” much time walking from room to room).
If you can’t clean your whole house in one day:
When my kids were younger and I couldn’t clean the entire house in one morning, I would vacuum one day, clean bathrooms one day, sweep and mop the hard floors one day, etc.
6. Use overnight hours.
I know there is some controversy about letting appliances run while you’re gone or while you’re sleeping, but I almost always use overnight hours to help speed up my cleaning routine.
I regularly set the washing machine on a delayed run cycle so the clothing is ready for the dryer when I wake up — this gives me a good productivity boost as I feel like I’ve accomplished something before I even wake up!
You could also set the dishwasher to run overnight so you can wake up to already-washed dishes.
7. Ask for help.
If you don’t particularly love cleaning but don’t want to shell out the money to pay someone, you could enlist your older kids to help (with the promise of a fun snack or reward) or trade responsibilities with a friend, relative, or neighbor.
Cleaning is more fun with a friend, and you could treat yourself to lunch together afterward.
Another option that we do is occasionally hire help for some of the bigger deep-cleaning projects.
We have carpet cleaners come in once a year to professionally deep clean all our carpeting. We also hire someone to power wash the exterior of our home, garage, and outbuilding every spring. And every few years, we have a company clean our roof.
You certainly don’t need to let all the housework fall on your shoulders if it feels like too much of a burden.
8. Remember… it’s JUST dirt and dust.
While I certainly don’t want to provide more excuses for anyone to put off necessary cleaning, I do want to point out that (for the most part) a little dirt and dust won’t hurt anyone.
Of course, letting the laundry and cleaning pile up week after week is not a beneficial home-management strategy. However, you most likely won’t run into any major problems if you put off dusting behind the furniture, scrubbing the shower, or washing the sheets for a few extra days.
While I’m greatly in favor of “doing it now” versus waiting until later, I’m also aware that “life happens” and sometimes things don’t go according to plan. During a crazy busy season of life, it just might make sense to skip a cleaning task for a week or two in favor of making more time for something else.
Do you have any other quick-cleaning tips?
Jenny says
Do you have an updated post on how you keep your shower clean with 4 kids? i struggle with this, 5 kids here and geesh, I cannot keep it clean.
Andrea says
Good question!
We only have 2 showers now and they are both white tile with grey grout (so I think it hides some of the dirtiness!)
I honestly don’t spend much time cleaning either shower — maybe once a month or so. Neither shower has a glass door to clean (just curtains I toss in the wash).
Also, Dave and my shower stays quite clean since it’s just us, and I think I probably don’t care as much about the kids’ shower. 🙂 I just spray it with shower cleaner and scrub it about once a month. It seems clean enough in between (maybe I’m super gross though!)
DONNA says
Nice idea!!!
Shirley says
I am a senior so I have less energy than I used to; I hired out house cleaning but only once a month, then i clean in between times. A large part of my decision to hire out the once a month cleaning is that my husband is a clutter person, so he most likely doesn’t get around to putting his things away for me but he does a good decluttering once a month for the cleaning person. I also just hired a local company to clean windows since we have a very tall house, 2 stories on top of a basement / garage, I’m finding that hiring out these occasional jobs is well worthwhile.
I always appreciate your tips.
Andrea says
sounds like a great idea — never feel ashamed of hiring something out. You’re helping that person/people to make a living and support their own families too!
DONNA says
You do well!!!
Emily says
Great tips! I made a bathroom caddy for each of our bathrooms (we have three levels with multiple bathrooms). It makes it so convenient to have the cleaning supplies right there if I have a few minutes to clean. I can also assign a bathroom to a couple of my children and they don’t have to share cleaning supplies.
Andrea says
yes, we had a bathroom caddy for years too. I just recently stopped using it as much and now keep a container of sanitizing wipes in every bathroom for all the quick cleanups we need these days 🙂
Chris says
I want to pass along an idea that might benefit some readers. I used to be a work-at-home mom who also homeschooled my son. When he was about 15, I hired him to clean the house, do almost all the laundry, and do the ironing. I paid him $100 a month to do it. He was able to eventually buy an inexpensive truck with cash when he was older.
Andrea says
great idea! Thanks Chris!
Chris says
Yes, yes, yes! to the decluttering. I cleaned my mother-in-law’s once and it took an hour to dust the living room because of all the knick knacks.
Alicia says
I always clean one task at a time, too!
One of the most revolutionary tips I heard once, and have done ever since, is to clean the bathroom while the kids are taking a bath! It was one of those “oh, duh!” Moments for me. Lol!
Brenda says
I do this all the time! It works great. I’ve even washed the walls when they are taking a steamy bath and the walls get kind of damp. Or I’ll wash the toilet while they brush their teeth in the evening and do the sink quick after they are done brushing. Then usually, I clean the tub/shower right before I take a bath/shower so I get the fresh clean bath!
Andrea says
yes, I do this when I don’t have a baby — right now, Clara requires me to sit right there with her the whole time or she’ll slip right down into the water. In a few more months, I’ll be able to start cleaning during bath time again 🙂
Andrea says
yes… great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Ann says
This post us dated today—5.10.18, but the comments are from 2016?? Why is this?
Chris says
Sometimes, Andrea uses an old posts and updates it. 🙂
Andrea says
yup, exactly! At least once a month, I update a post from the Archives. This is one of those!
Amy says
Hi Andrea,
I love your idea of having a Friday deadline to finish cleaning to keep the weekend free. Weekends are meant for relaxing! 🙂
Evangelina Montgomery says
Hey great encourage words will apply some of what I read
Emily says
I think I may have already shared this but I implemented a home blessing day every Friday at our house. We set aside the schoolwork and assign specific cleaning tasks (bathrooms, floors, toy pick up, put away laundry Etc) to each child and myself. Sometimes I’ll pair up kids (my older girls each help a younger sibling put away their laundry) or they’ll work independently. Like you said, it’s so nice to go into a weekend with a clean house. It also takes the pressure off during the rest of the week (we still pick up things and do little cleaning jobs as needed) and I can get other tasks done knowing that the house will get a good scrub down on Friday. I’m trying to teach my children the why behind having a clean home and a big part of that is to bless each other as a family and others who may come into our home with a home that is a delight to be in. Thus the reason for the title “home blessing day!”
PS we have an old dishwasher so we use it as white noise at night 😉 you literally cannot hear each other speak if you’re in the kitchen while it’s running!
JoDi says
Oh my goodnes, I almost forgot my favorite quick cleaning trick! I clean the shower when I’m showering. I keep an extra mesh scrubbie in the shower just to clean it. I squeeze a bit of my body wash on it and wipe down the walls and floor, then spray rinse them with the shower head. (I have the removable type of shower head on the long hose so it’s easy to rinse everything down.) I do it once every week or two, and there’s never any need to do more than that or use harsh cleaners to keep the shower clean!
Andrea says
Thanks JoDi! I actually do the same thing — I clean the shower while I’m in it! Someone once told me I should be ashamed of myself for “wasting” water while cleaning the shower — but it honestly goes so much faster this way!
JoDi says
You’ve come a long way baby!
Your cleaning bucket looks very similar to mine. I have a couple of extra things in mine that I don’t use weekly but that come in handy from time to time like a magic eraser for marks on walls and an old toothbrush for crevices. I’m a “one task at a time” cleaner too. I do bathrooms first, then dust, then vacuum and clean the foors. The kitchen is sort of its own zone that gets cleaned constantly as I’m cooking and cleaning up each day.
The only other tip I can think of that makes cleaning quicker for me is to have a long-handled lambswool duster for dusting where the walls meet the ceilngs, above the door jambs, window trim, curtain rods, and anthing else up high. It takes less than a minute to swipe everything that’s up high in the room once a month or so and keeps the dust from building up and turning to grime.
Jenny says
I live in a fairly small space (650 square feet) and clean on Thursday night. That way the place is nice and clean when I get home from work Friday night and I don’t have anything to do on the weekend. I also find that I’m less likely to decide I need takeout on Friday night if my place is clean vs. if its a mess takeout seems like the best option.
Andrea says
Love this Jenny — and yes, I totally agree that cleaning before the weekend make the weekends seem that much more enjoyable!
Lou says
Amazing how we can loosen up a bit with each additional child, isn’t it?!
I love your wit and wisdom, Andrea! So much common sense, (that seems not common these days), in your writings! I’m enjoying watching you parent and your babies grow. Keep up the good work!
Andrea says
Thanks for your kind words Lou!
Katie says
I grew up in an area where electricity rates were discounted at night so it’s second nature to me to turn the dishwasher on as I go to bed – it also keeps the noise down if you don’t have one of the super nice silent ones! We also had our hot water heater on a timer so it was only on at night – makes you double think how long your hot showers are, and reconsider if you really need hot water for that load of laundry if you know you have a limited amount of hot water.
Andrea says
Wow — that’s cool. I’ve never heard of electricity rates being discounted at night, but that would definitley be an incentive to use those overnight hours!
Wilma says
my biggest tip would be to use the little bits of “waiting” time: wipe the counter while on the phone, clean the bathroom while the kids are in the tub (and then clean the tub when you are in the shower), etc. and don’t go for perfect–i do 80% of the job in 20% of the time, most of the time.
i do not have a cleaning day. i don’t spend much time cleaning, but i do little bits all the time. it seems to work. i also am an *aspiring* minimalist (with three young kids), so i do not have a lot of clutter.
and i splurged and bought a dyson slim vacuum (a rechargeable one). one or twice a day, i use the six minutes on maximum charge to vacuum 1/3-1/2 the house (usually the main ares). seriously, in six minutes i can vacuum most of the main floor! (we have a bungalow w/ a full basement).
so my advice would be to use the little minutes you have to clean/tidy, and not to sweat making the house perfectly clean, because usually good enough really is good enough 🙂
and finally, my goal in life is no carpets ever. floors are so much easier to clean 🙂
Andrea says
YES! It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in small chunks of time here and there! Also, I hear you on the “no carpets ever” — but Dave insists on some carpet when we have crawling babies 🙂 Someday, I’ll get all hardwood floors!
kathy w says
Your house always looks so clean and straightened. I was wondering if you have a vacum sweeper you would recommend. I have a Kirby and it is such a hassle changing from out the different tools on it, that I just dread using it. Thanks for a another great article.
Andrea says
Thanks Kathy — I have a relatively inexpensive Hoover vacuum that I like. They don’t last as long as the more expensive Dyson (at least not in my opinion) but they do work well and come with lots of easy-to-use attachments.
We actually used to have a Kirby but sold it because I didn’t like how heavy and clunky it was to take around (so yes, I can relate to why you dread using it)
Shelley says
Hey, my mom cleans houses professionally and she has said for years that the shark actually beats out the dyson in cleaning and long lasting, plus it is cheaper:)
Atlas, someone gifted me a Kirby 22 years ago when I got married-still going strong:(
Andrea says
good to know — I’ve contemplated trying a shark vacuum for a while now. I’ve heard they are really good quality!
Debbie says
I often have cleaning and laundry as part of my To Do list for Saturday. Last week I cleaned all the toilets and sinks on a Friday night as soon as I came home from work and eaten my dinner. This little thing freed up my Saturday so much (at least in my mind) because then I only had our master shower to clean. I do agree that this probably wouldn’t work every Friday but when our Friday nights are free I’m making sure to get some things done that evening instead of doing it on Saturday. I also discovered Norwex cleaning cloths and I definitely love using it to dust and clean mirrors and windows. I didn’t have to use any cleaning sprays at all and they were sparkling clean. I could also use the cloths for the kitchen counter but I still have a hard time accepting the fact that I can use the same cloth to wipe the counter, dust, and wipe windows without rinsing it with soap. So I’ve been using it just to do dusting and mirrors/windows.
I like your one cleaning bucket idea. I thought about doing this but I don’t know if I’ll like the idea of carrying the bucket upstairs or downstairs to do the cleaning. Instead, I have a cleaning bucket in the downstairs bath, and the two upstairs bath. This way if I see something needs to be wiped or cleaned I can just do it without having to get the cleaning bucket where its being stored.
Andrea says
It’s it crazy how something as simple as cleaning the bathrooms one day earlier can make such a difference in your weekend!
Also, I actually do keep a container of sanitizing wipes in every bathroom for quick clean-ups, spills, pee on the seat incidents, etc. I use those in between the regular cleanings when I use my bucket 🙂
Amy says
I too implement the overnight hours tip! Dishwasher and washer/dryer! It really does save time. It’s taken me alt of years to realize my home doesn’t have to look like no one lives in it! I’ve made peace with a bit of clutter or dust here and there, but one thing I cannot stand is crumbs on the floor! My husband, on the other hand sometimes can’t let go of the fact that we do not live in a model home. What’s funny about that is that he will “straighten up” OVER the dust/dirt! I’m the opposite. Give me a bit of clutter rather than dirty any day! He’s gotten better about it, but I refuse to spend my entire life cleaning rather that living! One huge reason why we downsized our home to just 1400 square feet 2 years ago!
Andrea says
haha! I’m in the same camp with your husband — I’ll take a little dirt and dust as long as it’s clutter-free (although I really can’t stand a dirty floor!) 🙂
I’m sure it felt great to downsize your home and your cleaning needs!
Kellie says
Love these tips, Andrea! Thank you! Just wanted to express my love for Norwex too. i don’t sell it or anything – I just love them! It’s the easiest, most minimal cleaning system – and no chemicals! Andrea you would love them – check them out.
Andrea says
I know, my sister also loves Norwex and I’m sure their products are fabulous! I have so many friends and family members who swear by their clothes — I just haven’t switched over yet. I feel like they are so over-priced and just “trendy” right now — which makes me want to boycott them (I know, it’s ridiculous, but I’m stubborn like that!) Also, I really dislike any products and companies where you have to have a “party” to order something. Just let me go online and buy it whenever I want without needing to invite friends to try to earn free stuff!
Sorry!
I know their stuff is amazing because everyone tells me. Someday, I will switch over 🙂
wilma says
Actually…and I don’t mean to be contrary :), but you CAN just go online and order Norwex stuff. That’s how I do it. I also don’t like trendy stuff, but the glass cloth works like magic (I have the glass cloth, the cleaning cloth, and the mop; the mop was a gift). Even if you would not get anything else, I would also recommend the glass cloth–you can use whatever cloth to clean the mirror/glass (no cleaners required), and a few swipes of the glass cloth gets it smudge free!!
Andrea says
well OK then! I did not know you could buy Norwex without a party 🙂
That said, I already have a glass cleaning cloth (not Norwex brand) that I use to wipe over windows and glass to get the streak free. I’m not sure what brand it is but I got it as a wedding gift and have been using it for 10 years now! I’m guessing the Norwex brand is just as good (if not better) then my cloth — so yes, it is amazing!
wilma says
any cloth that’s worked well for 10 years is an amazing cloth 🙂
Stephanie says
After doing a little research, I switched to microfiber cloths for all cleaning. I checked out Norwex but also thought it seemed too expensive. I wonder if someone has used microfiber and Norwex and can compare.
Christine @ The (mostly) Simple Life says
I like these tips! Since I work outside the home, I try to not have extra chores to do on weeknights when I’m tired. My deadline is to have laundry and dishes done and groceries bought by the end of the weekend.
Martha Landon says
Hi, I just discovered a way to refill my automatic scrubbing bubbles shower spray cleaner with my home made shower cleaner. I had an old turkey baster in which the bulb has a tiny hole in and I was getting ready to toss it. I had also taken down an empty Scrubbing bubbles shower spray cleaner bottle and was trying to figure out how to unscrew the top so I could refill with vinegar and Dawn or vinegar and Simple Pine. I happened to have an “ah haa” moment. I took out a cup and poured some vinegar into it, picked up the vinegar into the turkey baster and placed over the hole in the screw on cap of the Scrubbing bubbles solution. I squezzed gently and lost very little vinegar. I then put some Simple Green into the cup and did the same thing when I had the bottle about 2/3 full I then added some water to fill the bottle and went to spray clean my bathroom walk in shower. It works better than the solution in the bottle originally in my opinion. Just thought I would share a turkey baster recycle reuse tip.
Sarah Burnes Heiner says
I love your cleaning tips. I am excited to start implementing them into my daily routine.
Annie says
We have laws in Qld Australia that require the installation of smoke detectors in all homes, which does provide some peace of mind. Apparantly the sense of smell is absent in most people during sleep.
I run my washing machine at night, too, Andrea, and hang up in the morning.
I have a rectangular bucket with a handle which I take from room-to-room with all of the required cleaning products.
Amie says
I would not run the dishwasher or washing machine over night. I’ve had several friends with disaster stories….dishwasher overflowed and they had to rip up the floors, another friend had the washer never stop running water for several hours, they had to repair floors and walls, so much water damage, they had to live in a hotel with two toddlers for two months. NEVER leave those machines running unattended!
Amy says
I have first-hand experience with that. My family and I were living at my mom’s while we were renovating our house, and one night we turned on her washing machine before we went to bed. I will never forget the feeling of that wet squishy carpet on my feet as soon as I stepped foot in the living room the next morning. Ooooohhhh, it was awful. The hose had disconnected from the washer during the filling cycle so water poured out ALL night. Fans and dehumidifiers everywhere. Those next few months I said, “Never again will I run the washer OR dishwasher unless I’m home and awake!” But do I do it now 2 years later? Absolutely! All the time. It’s too convenient not to. I’ll just keep saying a little prayer…
Lori says
I have discovered Norwex cloths. They anti-bacterial and awesome. I clean my whole house with the enviro-cloth and the window cloth is amazing on windows, chrome,mirrors, etc. Only use water, no more chemicals. Actually enjoy cleaning now. Check out their website. Worth every penny!
Living the Balanced Life says
Sometimes I think one of the hardest things is just to get started. If I can get started, I will usually keep going, but taking that first step can be the hardest! I do agree you need to declutter first, but if that will delay you actaully cleaning, then just start cleaning!
Bernice
The weekend edition of Living the Balanced Life
Lauren says
scary note about running the dishwasher and dryer overnight…recently a reader of another blog sent in a picture of how her dishwasher caught fire overnight. thankfully she was up late but still a scary reminder that we probably should run these appliances overnight.
Heather says
Very good reminder. My parents had the same problem. My mom had started the dishwasher first thing in the morning and went back to bed for a few minutes. When she got up an hour or so later, the hallways were filled with smoke and she found her dishwasher on fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt but there was extensive smoke damage throughout the house and the kitchen counter was scortched, had it happend in the middle of the night, it could have been much worse.
Lacey says
I saw that on Young House Love too. I’m too paranoid to run it overnight now — but it sure was convenient!
Andrea says
Yikes — you guys are freaking me out now!!
I ALWAYS run my dishwasher over night and have never had a problem. Maybe I’ll have to be a little more careful now!
Catherine says
I get my kids to help load the dishwasher (and straighten up the kitchen) immediately after dinner and run it then. That way the dishwasher is finished by the time I go to bed and I empty it in the morning as well. Well, on most days this happens…… 🙂
Patty Gardner says
I did an article on my blog about the dishwasher issue. There have been lots of reports of dishwashers catching fire – all brands. I used to run mine at night but I don’t anymore. I’m okay with running the washer except I don’t have a timer – but never the dishwasher.
Stephanie says
Wow, I have never thought of the danger of running the dishwasher and washing machine overnight or while we are gone. I always turn off the dryer but not the other appliances. Something to consider!
Kelly says
Sorry, I commented in the wrong place before! I have a question about your supplies pictured — what do you use the cornstarch and the alcohol for? Never seen those items in cleaning supplies, so I’m wondering what I’m missing! 🙂
Andrea says
Hey Kelly, I use the cornstartch and rubbing alcohol for my homemade window cleaner — you can find the recipe here. Also, rubbing alcohol can work good as a disinfectant.
Kelly says
Thanks, Andrea! I will give that a try. I have used rubbing alcohol for getting sticker residue off of mirrors (I have three girls that love putting stickers on their mirrors). So I’ll add these to my cleaning supplies. Thanks again!
Heather says
Great ideas! I love streamlining my cleaning routine. I have 4 bathrooms, when I clean them, I clean all the toilets, then all the sinks, counters, etcs. I have found that it is much quicker than cleaning one bathroom top to bottom and then the next. I agree with the idea of only cleaning it if it is dirty. It seems that the toilets ALWAYS need to be cleaned, but the shower in the seldom used basement bathroom can be neglected for months at a time and still looks great!
Kelly says
I have to admit I’ve never tried this approach. I always do each room and move on. I’ll have to give it a shot!