Expert Advice: A Better And Cleaner Home In Only 15 Minutes A Day

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Editor’s Note: Beverly Jenkins from TheTidyMaids of Durham & Chapel Hill house cleaning services contributed to this article.

Cary, NC – Having a clean home is a day-to-day challenge but for many, it’s also calming and relaxing. Plus, you don’t have to worry about unannounced guests. But, do we always have enough time to spend in deep cleaning? In fact, the grueling task can go on for hours or even the whole day if you have a lot to deal with. Thankfully, there are tips you can apply to have a better and cleaner home in only 15 minutes a day. Here is expert advice on how to go about it.

1. Forget About Perfectionism

Clearly, you won’t be able to do the nitty-gritty cleaning and decluttering each day. But, you can always wipe down the counters, sweep the floor, get the trash out and sanitize the sensitive areas such as the bathroom sinks. So, don’t beat yourself up for the level of perfectionism you can’t achieve as long as you’ve dealt with the most uncomfortable mess.

Similarly, this applies to the days you are unable to handle a task you had planned for. If you are tired or running out of time, leave the task for another week. It won’t hurt or disorient your house as long as you don’t skip the same chore every other week.

2. Adopt A Maintenance Routine

You’ll have to stay abreast with picking up things around the house, handling spillage and sorting out paper mails or utility bills. Good idea is to have an assigned storage for each item like kids’ toys, paper bills, shoes and clothes. When a utility bill or mail arrives, go through them to pick the important information and put them away – either in a file or the dustbin.

Additionally, teach kids to collect their toys, shoes and clothes immediately after use and store them in the designated area.

When something spills, make sure you wipe it immediately. Do not leave wines on carpets, soups on the stovetop or on the refrigerator shelves for too long. It’ll be easier to remove them while still fresh rather than after they have dried. Each morning, you can splash the water on the walls of your bathroom to remove fresh soap marks before they dry and stick hard on the wall.

3. Create A Cleaning Schedule

A schedule is always a good idea, even when it comes to cleaning. It will help you out to use your time more efficiently. Otherwise, you may waste the few minutes wondering, “what do I do today?” Well, there may be no cast in the stone formula for a cleaning schedule. Each house has different needs depending on how big it is, the different areas that need cleaning and the number of residents in it. You can still follow some general tips for customizing your own schedule:

  • Monday: Dust/remove cobwebs around the house and sweep heavy traffic areas. For instance, food crumbs collect in the living room or dining area when people gather around there during the weekend.
  • Tuesday: Vacuum different rooms thoroughly. You can also include the vents and curtains in your vacuuming list. In case you have many rooms, you may consider dividing vacuuming into two days.
  • Wednesday: Wash bathrooms – may include scrubbing the tub, sinks, floor tiles and toilet bowl. Leave some tasks for the next day.
  • Thursday: Wash bathrooms – having scrubbed the floors the previous day, you can use this day to clean the mirrors, counters, the shower and everything else that’s left.
  • Friday: Tackle the kitchen – mop the floor, scrub the drip pans, wipe counters or stovetops and fridge exteriors.
  • Weekend: Do laundry, arrange your closet or cook yourself a nice meal in a clean kitchen!

Strive to follow your schedule and in no time you’ll never worry about a messy home. It can even make cleaning feel fancier.

Conclusion

With a cleaning routine, you may earn yourself some time to rest over the weekends – who doesn’t crave for that? The most important thing is to divide your cleaning chores into sub-tasks that can be done within 15 minutes. If you aren’t sure what to assign in a day, practice with different tasks to find out how much you can do.

Beverly Jenkins has 24 years of experience in house cleaning, customer service, and business operations at The Tidy Maids house cleaning service in Raleigh, NC. Photos by Tina Franklin and Jessica Spengler.