I actually did a post on this a few weeks ago...so a lot of this is taken from that! I'm not a big cleaning fan...so any shortcuts are like gold for me. I've discovered a few in my couple of years of marriage.
-flylady.net is a GREAT resource for establishing a cleaning schedule. It is mostly geared towards women who work in the home, but you can tailor it to your schedule if you work outside the home. It basically breaks your house down into zones, and you clean a little bit per day/week. It works...if you follow it!
-One thing I have adopted from flylady...when I get home from work, not matter what (pretty much), I set the alarm on my phone for 15 minutes, and I clean. I don't get sidetracked, I don't start doing something else...I just de-clutter, straighten, and clean. You don't realize what a difference 15 minutes makes until you actually do it! You WILL notice a difference. And it doesn't take that long at all!
-Get a schedule for when you're going to do certain things (similar to flylady idea above). I always do laundry and vacuuming on the weekends, because they require extra electricity (and, the power plan we're on is cheaper during the weekends and nights). Besides that, I do all of the cleaning during the week...just a little bit a day. I might do kitchen on Mondays, living room on Tuesdays, bedrooms on Wednesdays, etc. It changes a little depending on my schedule, but if you stay on a routine, it is so much easier.
- As far as cleaning products, you can find good deals on them if you shop for them like you shop for groceries. However, I rarely buy a cleaning product. One part vinegar and 1 part water works for pretty much EVERYTHING! It is a great window/glass cleaner, cuts through grease like you wouldn't believe, and I've even heard that some hospitals have started using it during the recession because it works as a good (and cheap) disinfectant. And, even with the best sales, you can't find a cleaner that's cheaper. I bought the gallon sized vinegar jug from Wal-Mart this past summer (for I think $2?), and I've barely put a dent in it...in almost a year!
-The best thing I can recommend is to keep things clean before they have a chance to get dirty. One pit of no return in my house is the shower. We are SO bad about keeping it clean. So, a couple of weeks ago, I got an alice.com gift card from Swagbucks, and used part of it on spray-on shower cleaner. That, plus one of those window squeegees from The Dollar Tree, and voila! Clean shower. That's just an example though...just making sure something doesn't get too out of hand goes a long way.
Thanks for stopping by!
