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Let's face it: people these days have lots of "stuff". If your stuff is all over the place it will take longer to clean your home. However, if you already have a tidy home, doing chores will be easier and faster, because you don't have to clean around a mess or clean up the clutter first. That's why I recommend decluttering as a first step.

If you have a lot of clutter and can't seem to manage it, (it can be an overwhelming task) check out www.flylady.com. This is a great site for support and help with cleaning routines and decluttering projects. There are also a number of books on how to best conquer the clutter monster at our house. Check your local library for some of these.

The second step to faster cleaning has got to be developing a routine. Again, www.flylady.com is a great site for this. They have routines already set up for you to follow, or you can learn how to get into your own unique groove. A routine really helps clean much faster. My own routine involves doing certain tasks each and every day, some every few days, some weekly, some monthly, and some as needed.

Use that "minute here and minute there" to your advantage. With a litle preparation, you can use "extra" time to keep your home reasonably clean.
Start with these ideas:

Take about 1-2 minutes in the morning (while the shower water warms up) to wipe down the bathroom fixtures. Then they never get totally gross. Do a more thorough cleaning as often as you feel necessary.

Get a quickbroom. . . you know, one of those rechargeable electric sweeper thingys. You can pick up a mess in a minute, instead of dragging out the vacuum all the time or living with the mess until its "time" to vacuum. An electric broom is seriously worth the investment. Keep it in your kitchen to make it quick to use.

Clean as you go. When cooking, fill the sink with hot soapy water and throw the used pots into it as soon as you are done. Then load the dishwasher or wash the pots before you eat.

Use spray cleaner. I use a bit of bleach (maybe 2 tbsps) in a 32 ounce bottle I got at the dollar store. Be sure to label the bottle with the contents. I spray down my counters and granite table before I go to bed - it only takes a few seconds to wipe it down, and it kills the germs and destroys stains.

Keep necessary cleaners in the rooms for which they are intended, and also papertowels or sponges. It saves time if you have all the supplies at your fingertips. I have multiple bottles of the same kind of cleaner so I can clean up without having to gather my supplies first. If I only have 2 minutes to clean up an area, I can actually DO it if I have the stuff right there.

The most important thing is not to get stressed out about all of this. It really doesn't have to be spotless to be reasonably clean, and you can do it with the time you have!

Learn more about this author, Jeanne Winn.
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