House Cleaning Intensive
When it has to be clean in one day!
If you have left things until the last minute, here is the fastest way to do a “good enough” clean.
In this case, you need to keep moving. Shut the phone off, put some energizing music on, and keep moving!
The goal today is clean enough, not perfection.
It is also helpful if you have cleaning supplies on each floor. Otherwise, grab a bucket to cart your supplies around with you.
Make everyone pitch in. Kids can be responsible for at least getting their rooms picked up and beds made. Use them as gophers to put stuff away and get you things. I know, that sounds cruel – but these are dire circumstances! You can make a game out of it and see who is the fastest, who has the cleanest room, etc. and give them prizes for helping.
Keep the feather duster in your back pocket. It will save you a lot of time.
You will need –
- A decent feather duster
- 1 foot square pieces of old t-shirts. Depending on how dusty things are, you may need 2 or 3.
- Furniture polish
- Plain white paper towels. Brawny or Bold work best with the least lint and streaking.
- Glass cleaner
- Toilet cleaner
- Bath cleaner
- Dish soap
- Scotch Brite Sponges (with the scrubby side)
- 4 or 5 terry or microfiber rags
- Vacuum
- Mop (you can do hand wash, but it takes longer.)
- Something to wash the floors with. If you are reading this, I am assuming the floors are dirty and you don’t have time for scrubbing today! You can use something like PineSol, or Mr. Clean, or even Dawn dish soap on the tile floors. On wood floors you want to stick to Murphys or vinegar. Or if you have special cleaners for your wood floors, use those.
OK, let’s get this show on the road!
Start in the kitchen
- If you have ceiling fans or light fixtures, look up. Make sure there isn’t stuff hanging from them. If there is, knock it off with a feather duster.
- Feather dust any blinds or window treatments. It will have to do for now.
- Clear the sink.
- If you have grates on your stove, put them in hot soapy water to soak.
- Clean the stove, including the range hood. I use a Scotch Brite sponge with hot soapy water (preferably use Dawn to cut grease faster.) Be careful not to scrub too hard. Even Scotch Brite will scratch if you are not careful.
- Use glass cleaner and paper towels to shine it all up.
- Clean the grates – keep the water.
- Dry grates and put back on stove.
- Put microwave plate in sink to soak.
- Put a cup of water in microwave and run for one minute.
- Wipe out microwave.
- Clean microwave plate and put back.
- Wipe down counters, including behind everything.
- Wipe down refrigerator. Don’t forget the top.
- If you have time, wipe down your cabinets with water and Murphy’s.
- Wipe down table, chairs, and any other furniture. Don’t forget the legs.
- Leave the floor for now.
Move on to the bathroom –
- Start with the bathroom that most people will see.
- Feather dust light fixtures before they get hot.
- Feather dust any blinds and window treatments.
- Spray toilet bowl cleaner in toilet under the rim.
- Spray bath cleaner on shower walls and floor.
- Clean toilet.
- Clean shower walls with wet rag.
- Clean sink using bath cleaner.
- Clean mirror with glass cleaner.
- With the same paper towel, do a quick dust/shine on the towel holders, toilet paper holders, any knick knacks, shelves, etc.
- Now do a quick shine on the shower and fixtures with glass cleaner. Then sink, and finally toilet tank and seat.
Good enough!
Leave floor for now.
Repeat in your other bathrooms.
Now usually you would start upstairs and work down, but since we are in a time crunch, you want to make sure to get the rooms that people will see the cleanest. So today you are going to get the living room, dining room, and family room done first.
- Pick up all the stuff that needs to be put away. If its too much, throw it in a laundry basket and hide for now.
- In each room start with feather dusting fans, light fixtures, blinds and window treatments.
- Also check wall hangings, pictures, and silk arrangements.
- Clean all glass with glass cleaner.
- For a quick dust on your wood furniture, spray polish on a piece of old t-shirt. Pick up each item on the shelves or tables, wipe underneath, put it back down. Keep going until done. If figures or lamps are dusty, feather dust before you start wiping. Yes, we are cutting corners today.
- If you’re really running short on time, just feather dust everything.
- Don’t forget legs.
- Vacuum furniture if needed.
- Spot clean windows.
- Vacuum carpets.
- Take your floor piece and vacuum wood and tile floors, including your kitchen and bathroom floors.
- Mop all of the floors that need it
In this case, I have left the bedrooms for last. People don’t really see your bedrooms unless you are showing them off. You should at least make sure they are picked up and beds made. If you are running out of time, just do a quick feather dusting and vacuum.
Whew! Its clean enough.
Now don’t do this again!
Enjoy your party,
Carole