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Would you like to clean your house more quickly and efficiently? Read on for getting the job done, room-by-room, using earth-friendly products, and ending up with time, energy, and money to spare.

Things To Have On Hand:

A caddy with a handle on top to hold your cleaning supplies, which can be carried from one room to another

An all-purpose "green" cleaner that works on glass, wood, and counter tops (Baking soda and vinegar make good, economical substitutes for all but wood surfaces)

A clean waste basket for placing things that do not belong in a particular room

A paper garbage bag to hold throw-aways

Washable rags for dusting and wiping things down (more earth-friendly than paper towels)

An all-purpose bathroom cleaner

Washable cloth laundry bags for dirty clothes (These can be hung on hooks in closets, bathroom, and laundry room, or kept in the wire frames that come with some of them) Easier to handle and store than conventional plastic or wicker baskets

Broom, mop, pail, and vacuum all stored in one handy place

Develop A System That You Can Use Each Time

1. In the kitchen, clear counter tops and load dish-washer. Spray counter tops, appliances, and fixtures in kitchen and bathrooms. Let cleaner sit and do the hard work for you as you move on.

2. Pick up all things that don't belong in each room and put them where they do belong-laundry in hampers, books and toys on shelves, etc. Put throw-aways in the trash bag.

3. Do the dusting next. room by room. Any extra dust that falls to the floor will be picked up when you vacuum/sweep.

4. Use your all-purpose surface cleanser to do any mirrors in the room where you are dusting. Just surface wipe pictures and frames so that no liquid leaks in and ruins pictures.

5. Move on to wiping down counter tops, appliances, and fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms. You'll find that this job will be faster and easier for having sprayed them earlier.

6. Broom-sweep hard surfaced floors, and mop if needed.

7. Vacuum rugs last

Alternative tips:

If pressed for time or energy, save sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming for another day.

Enlist the help of family members, and if you can afford it, hire help for larger projects and deep-cleaning once every month, or as needed.

Completely do one room each day. Spread it over the entire week.

Do the downstairs one day, and the upstairs a different day.

Completely clean one room and then move to another. Experiment to find which is quickest and easiest for you.

Have a "swap day" with friends. Take turns gathering at your mutual homes on different days to help each other clean.

Once you develop a system, turn on some good music, shop and clean green, you might actually love housework!

Learn more about this author, Karen Chaffee.
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