by Nanette Piotrowski

Created on: August 05, 2008   Last Updated: January 20, 2010

As an everyday time-saving solution, one of the things that I hate to do the most is housework. I would rather be reading, writing, golfing or just plain horseing around than to be dusting, vacuuming, mopping and laundry. If I had my way it would never get done, but then again, my family and friends would never visit either.

I decided that 'time' seemed to be the biggest culprit. One of the things I found myself doing wrong was when I would grab the Windex and paper towels and went to each room. Then I'd put that away and reach for the furniture polish and a rag and repeat that same process. That's how I did everything; one chore at a time, going from room to room. I thought that was crazy and there had to be a better way of doing everything in each room at one time.

I realized that I had to find something to carry all the supplies in, that I could just tote from one room to the next. I ransacked the garage and found an old tool-carrying tote that was square with a handle up the middle. I imagine you could find something similar at your favorite shopping center or hardware store. In it I put the Windex, furiture polish, paper towels, a rag, 1 trash bag, and a container of multi-purpose cleaner. I grabbed the vacuum and my tote and headed to one end of the house.

I windexed the windows and the mirror, polished the end-tables, head and footboard of the bed and the dresser. I made the bed and grabbed the laundry hamper (which I put out in the hallway), vacuumed and viola; one room done. The guest bathroom was next (thank goodness for smaller, more unused area).

I took the multi-purpose cleaner and sprayed down the tub, sink and toilet. While that was doing its magic, I windexed the mirror and refilled the soap dispenser, toilet tissue, hung fresh towels and wash cloths. I then wiped up all the porcelain areas, vacuumed, and I was done with room #2.

The office was next, so I cleaned the windows, mirror, computer screen, polished the desk and vacuumed. Done. The hallway leading up to those three rooms got vacuumed and the laundry hamper got moved to the edge of the living room. Ah, yes, the living room. There always seems to be so much more to that room for some reason but just follow the same procedure as you did in the other rooms.

My least favorite room of the house (and probably yours too), is the kitchen. No need to fear, it's probably not as bad as you think it is; unless you haven't cleaned it in a month of Sundays. Windex any windows and if you haven't done the dishes yet, do them now. If you have a dishwasher, load it up and use the all-purpose cleaner to wipe down the counters, stove and hood, cabinet fronts and the table. Give a quick swipe to the other appliances and mop the floor. If 'you' are the dishwasher, run your hot, soapy water and use that to wipe down counters, stove, hood, cabinet fronts and the table; then wash the dishes and drain.

My final two rooms are the master bedroom and bath with a small laundry room between the kitchen and the master bedroom. Since you moved the laundry hamper to the living room, go ahead and start a load of wash while you are doing the bedroom and the bath in the same fashion as you did earlier with the other rooms. By the time you are finished with these rooms, you can throw the first load of clothes into the dryer and start another load of wash if necessary.

I like to keep my cleaning kit in the laundry room for easy accessibility. All totalled, it took me only 45 minutes to clean the entire house. With time-saving solutions like that, I may not have to do it everyday, maybe just a couple of times per week should do the trick. A clean house 'and' time to spare; imagine that!

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