| You know how it goes....you have every | | | | while another one washes. Pre-treat surfaces |
| intention of getting some cleaning | | | | with cleaning product while you cart the kids |
| accomplished during the day, only to find | | | | around. And finally, if you are fortunate |
| that by the time the kids are in bed, your | | | | enough to have a Roomba or Scooba, clear the |
| house is no cleaner than when you woke up! | | | | floor and set up your virtual walls so that |
| How does time get away from us? | | | | your floors will be clean when you get home! |
| | | | |
| Here are five quick cleaning tips that any | | | | 4. Stash the right supplies in the right |
| busy mom (or dad!) can incorporate into their | | | | rooms. |
| day to clean their home a little bit each | | | | |
| day. | | | | Your bathrooms should all be stocked with a |
| | | | bottle of toilet cleaner, a toilet brush, |
| 1. Let the cleaning products do the work by | | | | paper towels, glass cleaner and all-purpose |
| pre-treating. | | | | anti-bacterial cleaner. Kitchens should have |
| | | | an anti-bacterial dishwashing soap, |
| Instead of trying to speed up the cleaning | | | | dishwasher-safe brush for scrubbing dishes |
| process by quickly spraying a cleaning | | | | (no sponges!), anti-bacterial all-purpose |
| product and scrubbing away, spray a generous | | | | cleaner for counters and surfaces and a |
| amount of cleaner onto the surface (tubs, | | | | standard glass cleaning product and paper |
| shower walls, countertops, toilet seats) and | | | | towels for the front of ovens and diswashers. |
| walk away for five minutes while the cleaning | | | | Instead of storing all of your cleaning |
| product does the work. Most products work | | | | products in one place in your home, assemble |
| best when allowed to penetrate the stain and | | | | these cleaning kits in each room so you |
| break down the grime and surface dirt. Take | | | | always have access to the appropriate tools. |
| those five minutes to throw a load of laundry | | | | |
| in the washer, change a diaper or wash some | | | | 5. Keep laundry going all day. |
| baby bottles. At the end of those five | | | | |
| minutes, wipe the surface clean with paper | | | | Too often, laundry is left to pile up until |
| towels and admire your work! You just | | | | no one can find a clean pair of socks! Head |
| completed two tasks in the time it takes to | | | | off these laundry crises by maintaining the |
| complete one! | | | | laundry pile everyday, all day....yes, all |
| | | | day! Start first thing in the morning by |
| 2. Chunk like projects together. | | | | switching the laundry and starting a new |
| | | | load. Set up baskets for each person in the |
| As long as you have that bottle of glass | | | | home who is old enough to fold and put away |
| cleaner and roll of paper towels in your | | | | their own laundry and sort clean laundry as |
| hands, why not do all of the mirrors in the | | | | it comes out of the dryer. Let each person |
| house one after the other. By not switching | | | | match their own socks and put away their own |
| between cleaning products and cleaning tasks, | | | | clothing. In the evening, put baskets outside |
| you will actually save time because you will | | | | each bedroom and have everyone load them up |
| already have all of the necessary tools at | | | | with dirty clothes and bed linens. Each |
| your disposal. Switching between tasks, even | | | | morning, collect the clothes, sort, wash and |
| in the same room, can sometimes take longer | | | | dry and let your kids (if they are old |
| than simply completing the same task in each | | | | enough) do the rest! |
| room in quick succession. | | | | |
| | | | In general, quick cleaning comes from setting |
| 3. Let machines and technology work for you. | | | | up systems that work in for your family. |
| | | | Setting up your environment for success is |
| You only have ten minutes to clean before | | | | the first step toward success in any area, |
| taking the kids to their playgroup? Use that | | | | and by establishing routines and stocking |
| time to set up your machines (i.e. | | | | rooms with the appropriate tools, you'll be |
| appliances) so they can work for you during | | | | able to take advantage of those precious few |
| the time you are en route with the kids. | | | | minutes every day to make a nice dent in your |
| Finish loading the dishwasher and turn it on. | | | | cleaning tasks! |
| Switch the laundry and get one load drying | | | | |