We all know that cleaning the house is a necessary evil. 

We’ve all been there, you have to clean your home for guests coming over but it’s just not fun or easy to do. It takes too long and you can’t get it done in time. You’re tired from work and don’t feel like doing any more than absolutely necessary.

In this post “How To Clean A House” I share some neat tricks I have up my sleeves that will help you get your entire home cleaned in no time flat! I’ll share my best tips on how to clean everything – fast! This includes things like the bathroom, kitchen counters, floors, windows and mirrors… even dusting! And once I show you these great ways to speed through cleaning chores then you’ll be able to keep your house cleaner without having to spend so much of your precious free time doing it!

1. Declutter

I can’t stress enough how important it is to declutter your home, not just once a year but daily. And don’t get me wrong, I slip up too. However, if you declutter as you go every day, you’re going to drastically cut the time you spend cleaning at weekends and evenings. 

On the daily, open your mail and deal with it right there and then. If it’s a bill, pay it and mark it paid, then file it away.

If it’s an appointment you have to make, make it and mark it on the letter and file it away.

Kids toys. It’s so easy to let the toys pile up in rooms they aren’t supposed to be in but if you keep on top of this daily then by the weekend you’re only going to need a quick sweep of the house to get things back in the right places.

Clothes. Throw out old, tatty clothes every time you do the laundry. Keep a bag in a closet or wardrobe that will be for donation when it’s full. This is something I haven’t done in the past but I am doing it now because to be honest, the clutter gives me anxiety, and that’s never a good thing.

Send back clothes that don’t fit. The chances are they’ll never fit, so there’s no point in keeping them. Send them back and get your money, it’s better off in your pocket than theirs.

2.Take Cleaning Tools To Central Location

So the first thing you want to do when you’re cleaning is bring all of your tools into a central location in the building so that you can easily access them when you need them. 

This reduces the amount of time spent, walking backwards and forwards looking for tools and cleaners that you might have forgotten to take with you.

3. Let The Product Do The Hardwork 

An important side note when cleaning is the dwell time on the product you’re using to clean with. Dwell time is the manufacturer’s specified amount of time that particular product needs to be left to actually clean the surface it’s on. Most products take a few minutes to 10 minutes to be fully effective.

4. Clean a House The Right Way

When you walk into the room the first thing you’re going to do is work left to right and top to bottom. Remove all cobwebs and dust from the walls and higher surfaces. Moving the dirt down as you go. A long handled duster is best for this job.

Once you are happy that you have dusted down everywhere with your long handle duster or something just to reach the cobwebs you can move onto the lower surfaces. 

Now, when you’re cleaning surfaces it is important that you use an S-shape for cleaning this is the same way the NHS cleans because when you’re using an S shape you’re ensuring every inch of the space has been cleaned and disinfected. 

Start at the back of the desk and dust from the back to the front in “The S Shape”, take the next section of the desk and move down towards the front. 

Another reason we clean this way is because it reduces the risk of cross contamination.

This is how we want our staff to clean here at Purple Cleaning and that’s how I want people to clean when they’re cleaning their own homes because it’s a more sanitary process and reduces the risks of germs spreading significantly.

5. Speed Vacuum to Clean a House

The quickest way to vacuum a room is to start at the farthest left hand point of the room, work your way across to the right, move back a step and vacuum in the other direction, left to right.

Moving backwards towards the exit as you go. 

The end result is perfect vacuum lines, all lined up and symmetrical, which is just an added bonus for the OCD among us.

6. Speed Mopping a House

Just as we covered with vacuuming. Mopping or speed mopping works with the same principle. Move left to right, right to left, at the farthest point away from the exit. Use the S-shape to ensure you’ve cleaned every inch and work your backwards towards the entrance-exit. Do not go back into the room until the floor is dry.

7. Clean Shower Glass Doors Fast

I’ve included glass shower doors because I find a lot of our cleanest clients don’t do these between our visits and I think the reason being is because of the time and effort they have to put into it. However, my method is much faster and easier. 

I developed this way of cleaning over many years cleaning many many houses and it is my fastest and best tip or hack for cleaning glass shower doors.

Use both hands……. It really is that simple.

Spray down the glass with a good glass cleaner or my dish soap recipe for glass and leave it to dwell for 10 minutes. You might need to re-wet the glass a couple of times and right before you clean.

When you’re ready to start cleaning, take two microfiber cloths and use the S-shape for cleaning as above. Use both hands to clean 2 sections at the same time. When you get to the bottom, where all the soap scum is, you might need to rub a little harder. 

Once cleaned, buff out any streaks with a dry microfiber cloth. The whole process should take no more than 5 minutes to complete and your shower doors will be gleaming when you finish.

8. Damp Dust a House

When you dust horizontal surfaces. Try to refrain from using a feather or artificial feather duster. These types of dusters only move dust around the home.

Has this ever happened to you?

You spend 20 minutes dusting a room only to go back 5 minutes later and all the dust is back again.

That’s because you should be using a damp microfiber cloth (mentioned in this article) to dust your horizontal surfaces. Not only does microfiber trap particles, but because it is damp, it has more sticking power when it comes to combating dust. 

I discovered this little cleaning hack from a client many moons ago.

9. House Clean Checklist

If you’re interested in a more in depth approach to cleaning your home, check out my Spring Clean Checklist. 

My Spring Cleaning Checklist is available here, or you can head to this page to download it.

A checklist can be a good starting point for someone who isn’t into cleaning that much. You can take as much or as little as you want from it.

Use it to devise a cleaning schedule. You can find a template of my Cleaning Schedules here or make your own.

10. Get Everyone Involved

Here we go. The controversial sticking point for a lot of parents. If you’re a parent who doesnt give your kids chores, then this isn’t a point you’re going to like.

However, for me, it’s super important. 

I get everyone to chip in to the housework. 

My 16 year old son cleans out the bath after he’s used it, loads and unloads the dishwasher and empties the bins. 

Now please don’t be disillusioned, he does not do this of his own accord, why would he? He’s 16 and has no common sense. BUT! If I tell him…………. 5 or 6 times to do these tasks, then he does them…. Eventually.

And he learns the importance of keeping a clean and organised home at the same time……. Life skills.

My 2 daughters are 8 and almost 3 also help out a lot, especially the 3 year old. They love to vacuum….ish, mop…..ish and help with the dusting and polishing. I can’t fault them, they are super helpful girls and just love to help….. Most of the time anyway.

We have set rules in our house too, if you dirty it, clean it, if you mess it up, tidy it up and if you piss off Mammy, you’re in for it. (Jokes).

It’s a pretty simple system to live by. 

Conclusion

These were my 10 super tips on how to clean a house fast and I hope you’ve found them super helpful. 

Cleaning does not have to be this massive chore that nobody likes, I take pride in my work when my house is cleaned and organised, it leaves me feeling harmonious and happy. 

I love having a nice home, I mean who wouldn’t? Many of the benefits of having a clean and organised home will filter down through into your work life and have a positive impact on your relationships within the household.

Keeping a clean home is just good f***ing sense, right?!

Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Sarah x

Here is my video on the same subject.