Our home is a reflection of who we are.  This is why we get all anxious when there are guests coming over, especially if it’s our mom or mom-in-law. We want to give our guests an idyllic ambience when they enter our home. But what if we just don’t have the time to clean or that we have a limited time to do it? We have all been there and we can’t ignore cleaning our home unless there’s a cleaning lady that we hire to mind it for us. There are numerous reputable cleaning companies in Minneapolis who can do this job for us and there are just so many benefits of cleaning your home that you can’t ignore cleaning.

So if you have limited time to clean and you still want your home to look decent, follow the tips that I outlined for you to make the most of your time and ultimately end up giving your home a spic-and-span look.

1.Put all of your cleaning Tools in a caddy

Having everything you need in one place will save you time and makes it much easier to do the job. You wouldn’t have to look for cleaning tools while you clean and you won’t have to worry about gathering them around after you clean.

2.Clear the clutter

Before cleaning, go into each area and pick up the clutter. Get everything that doesn’t belong there and put it in a container such as a laundry basket or hamper so you don’t have to go from one room to another trying to place the clutters where it belongs.

3.Clean from the top

Whenever you’re cleaning your home, start upstairs, more specifically in the bedrooms and work your way to the bathroom, kitchen and living room. Follow this cleaning schedule for a more organized cleaning:

Zone 1:Bedrooms

Approximate cleaning time: 10 mins per bedroom

Clean Sweep First

Start with stripping the dirty linens and toss them in the hamper.  Stash any garbage that lies around the room, dresser or nightstand. Make sure that surfaces are spotless to make the room look tidier.

Tidy up the bed

Take a tip from a cleaning company: lift up each corner of the mattress with one hand and tuck with the other instead of tucking the sheets under the end of the mattress. It's so much faster!

Dust. Dust. Dust

The best way to dust the bedroom is by starting with a piece of furniture in one corner, working your way around the room clockwise. Use a dry microfiber cloth as this is an effective tool in removing dusts.

Dust each surface and work back to front, dumping the dust right onto the floor. Don’t forget to dust lamp shades, wall arts and mirror.

Vacuum

Start vacuuming from the back corner and vacuum your way out the door, using long firm strokes. Don’t forget to run the vacuum over each strip of carpet once.

Zone 2:Bathroom

Approximate cleaning time: 9 mins

Do your Prep Work

Spray the sink, vanity, shower and tub with all-purpose cleaner and let it sit for minutes.

Mind the toilet

A good way to remove dirt on your toilet is to sprinkle baking soda into the bowl. Thoroughly scrub the toilet and then flush it. Don’t forget to clean the outside part of the toilet using a microfiber with all-purpose cleaner.

Wipe the mirror clean

Spray your mirror with a glass cleaner and then use a squeegee to wipe it clean. From the top corner, wipe your mirror in a circular motion to hit every smudge.

Back to the sink

Work back to front, starting in one corner, moving horizontally while wiping the counter, vanity, fixtures and handles with a paper towel. Use a toothbrush to scrub hard-to-reach-spots around the fixtures.

Wipe down the shower and tub

Give your tub a quick swipe using a dampened cloth. Pull the curtain shut afterwards.

Don’t forget the bathroom floor

Use a water-dampened microfiber mop and quickly scrub your way out of the bathroom.

Zone 3: Kitchen

Approximate cleaning time: 12 mins

Do the dishes

Gather all dirty dishes and load them to the dishwasher and start the cycle. Make sure that you covered the countertops and table and all dirty utensils are placed in the dishwasher.

Pretreat

Spray an all-purpose cleaner on hard to remove gunk on your stove and countertop and let it sit. Using an eraser sponge,  tackle stubborn stains and scrub it off until it’s gone.

Leave the counters clean

The trick is, the emptier the countertop the cleaner your kitchen will look like. Declutter it and then clean it with a microfiber cloth with all-purpose spray. Wipe the countertops back to front.

Clean the kitchen appliances

Wipe the exterior of your fridge, dishwasher, oven and kitchen cabinets with a damp cloth.

Mop the floor

Start in the far corner of the room and sweep your way out. Repeat this once again, working your way out the kitchen.

Zone 4: Living Room

Approximate cleaning time: 15 mins

Dust the living room

After decluttering the living room, you can now start dusting. Start in one corner of the room and follow the same system you used in the bedrooms. Swipe your blinds using a long-armed duster.

Make the glass sparkle!

Spray a microfiber cloth with glass cleaner and wipe in wide circular motions of glass surfaces, working from one back corner to the front.

Vacuum your way out

From the farthest corner of the room, speed-vacuum yourself out.

4.Routinely wash your cleaning tools

Maintaining a clean tool will save you time since you don’t have to spend time cleaning it before using it. Make it a habit to clean your cleaning tools and organize your supplies every after cleaning.

5. Make cleaning a group activity

Wanna have a more efficient and enjoyable cleaning experience? Involve the whole family and make it a group activity. It’s one one way to bond with the kids and teach them house chores and instill a sense of responsibility at an early age. You get to hit 2 birds in one stone: Clean home and happy family.

You don’t always need an immaculately cleaned house. A house that is clean enough to be healthy yet dirty enough to be happy is just fine. The main objective of cleaning is to feel happiness living in that environment.