How To Speed Clean Your House

I will be real with you cleaning sucks and I like to clean! Cleaning takes time and energy. Most day’s time and energy are in short supply. Housework overwhelms many moms. And their housework is one of their biggest concerns and stressors. I know some moms whose other problems pale in comparison to housework. Speed cleaning for many people can be a real game changer and helps relieve stress.

Speed Cleaning is self explanatory. This method of cleaning became well known thanks to many YouTubers. Power hour or Dirty 30 videos can be inspiring. This is where we give ourselves a timer and speed clean the house. These are the speed cleaning sessions that seem to be the most popular on YouTube. Because who doesn’t like to watch someone else clean their house rather than clean theirs?

Speed Cleaning is setting a time limit and getting done what you can in that time. Last Thanksgiving was the first year I did not clean my house from top to bottom. Deep cleaning your home before the holidays adds to the stress. Once you start speed cleaning, you get far more done and your house stays clean.

Power hour changed the way I run my household. I read a great post once and I don’t remember who wrote it. The article explained what a tidy house and a clean house were. Clean and tidy are not the same.

In a clean home surfaces will pass the white glove test. A clean house has no rings in the toilet or the tub. Yet in a clean home toys are on the floor. Beds are unmade. 

In the tidy house, you won’t see toys lying around, but will find a ring in the bathtub, or it’s dusty. Tidy homes seem cleaner because they don’t mind the dirt as much. Tidiness is more important than the dirt or dust if that makes any sense.

Tidy means no clutter. Clean means no visible dirt or dust but you may see a little clutter.

It would seem my house was a pigsty because my family leaves things laying everywhere. But the surfaces of my home are immaculate.

I wipe down my kitchen and bathrooms every single day. My house may not appear to be clean but my home is cleaner than it appears.

Every home has a spot that catches clutter and adds to our stress!

A close relative of mine has what appears to be a spotless home until you look. You realize they have not cleaned the kitchen surfaces for a long time. The kitchen surfaces are dirty. For them tidiness is more important that cleanliness. 

Your home is likely not as dirty as you think. Many homes are a mixture of tidy and clean. If your house is a mess and you want to clean your house start with the power hour.

I was struggling to clean every day and spent hours on end cleaning. Then I did power hour a few times a week. It made keeping my home clean much easier, and I had more time for other tasks. 

You must have a good strategy to make the most of your speed cleaning session. Before you do anything head to the bathroom and spray your tubs, toilets, and sinks with a cleanser. Pick a powerful cleaner that works hard. This leaves you free to tackle other tasks while the cleanser penetrates the mess.

If you find something that does not belong set the item aside. I recommend getting a dollar store basket and putting misplaced items in that. You can sort misplaced clutter out later. It’s a waste of time putting things away. 

The kitchen is something you can clean fast. I like to use a multipurpose cleaner and wipe any clear surface like the kitchen counter. A multipurpose cleaner for any surface is a total game changer. Especially in the kitchen. Having one product that cleans everything means no lugging around cleaning supplies. Quickly wipe all surfaces. Once or twice a week move things and clean under them, unload the dishwasher and load it. Then wipe out the sink. 

To keep my floors clean, I sweep the floor with the Swiffer or use the vacuum on the bare floor mode. This will clean up the crumbs and spot clean spills when they happen. You will only mop once a week.

The living area is easy. Pick up items off the floor and put them in a basket. Baskets  are perfect for hiding kids toys. The living area is easier to clean for families because once the toys are picked up most of the mess is gone. I use a feather duster to dust then fluff the couch cushions. Vacuum if needed last. 

Return to the bathrooms wipe down everything. Wipe out the sinks and your bathtub but do not scrub them out. Power Hour is not about scrubbing or working hard. Power Hour is getting everything clean and after you do this for a while it will stay clean.

If your bathtub is bad, you don’t have to scrub hard use a Magic Eraser. They make ones for the bath if you run the hot water for a minute or two with the door closed it will loosen the dirt.

This Pinterest Miracle Cleaner can also melt the scum out of almost any tub. Spray your bathtub and come back later the word miracle is in the name for a reason.

When you clean daily at a good clip, you get faster at cleaning. If you need motivation, go to YouTube. The clean with me videos are popular for a reason.

I wake up early and because the kids are an in bed and won’t interrupt me while I clean. I can sleep for an extra hour but the clean house will make me happier. 

You can work around obstacles that prevent you from cleaning. Like clean before the kids wake in the morning or after bedtime. You could also enlist a significant other or older child to pitch in. 

People with a “perfect home” won’t enjoy hearing what I am about to say. I’m convinced they have a pile of laundry somewhere or a place they stash the clutter.

Compare no one else to you you’re an individual, and as they say, you do you. 

YouTube is your friend, and so is Pinterest. If you’re overwhelmed or uninspired, it can help so keep browsing. 

One of my biggest secrets is I use Denture Cleaner to clean things you can only hand wash or have to scrub. Is the sink full of dishes with caked on food? Fill the sink with water and drop in three tablets wait 15 to 20 minutes, the food will come right off.

Do your kids play with toys you can’t put in the dishwasher, and they’re disgusting? I put ours in a large mixing bowl with water and a dump in some denture tablets wait two minutes rinse them off. They’re sanitized and clean.

I use denture cleaner for a lot of stuff my kids don’t rinse their cups out, so I use denture tablets. When coffee leaves a ring in my mug, I use denture tablets. The toilet smells I use denture tablets. 

Vinegar is an excellent natural cleaner I use a lot of vinegar too. I love the Myers Clean Day vinegar gel because it will stay put and help dissolve build up.

Vinegar removes mineral buildup on your faucet and fixtures. You soak a towel in vinegar and leave it on the surface overnight. Inthe morning you wipe and the buildup comes right off. The Myers clean day cuts some of those steps out. Baking soda and vinegar can get your tub clean and help cleans the drain.

Dollar store baby wipes are fantastic you don’t need expensive cleaning wipes. I suggest you use dollar store baby wipes on your counters. It is fast. You can also use them to clean your baseboards, you can use them to spot clean doors and cabinets.

Microfiber cloths are a total game changer. They pick up and hold dirt, dust, and crumbs. They work better than paper towels. 

Magic erasers are cheap and clean almost anything with minimal effort. 

You may be between being clean and tidy. If you focus on one, the other will follow. Do not go on a declutter binge. Declutter tackle the smaller tasks first, and the rest will fall into place.

Let go of the idea your house must be perfect. No one has a perfect home. Some of us are better at hiding our junk. 

Tackle the Power hour or the Dirty Thirty you will get faster. One day I finished early, and I have two cabinets in my bathroom vanity and four drawers. I decluttered half, and I finished the next day.

Most clean people they’re not telling you this they have a cabinet drawer, basket, or a closet full of junk. So don’t feel you must be perfect and ready to be in Martha Stewart living.

Find out what works for you. That could mean getting a Swiffer with dry pads or buying the reusable microfiber ones. It is much faster than sweeping, and I can get my floors done in under 10 minutes. 

Focus on what needs the most help. Ignore the closet you don’t need right this second and declutter the kitchen table.

Speed Cleaning is about tackling a big task fast! Remember Speed Cleaning is about not letting housework take too much time. Power Hour was easier to stick with than I imagined. So if your house is messy do not give up hope.

Try doing power hour or dirty thirty a few times a week. Then on alternate days set the timer for 5,10, or 15 minutes to maintain the work you have already done. Or complete a task you did not have the time to do during another speed cleaning session.

Speed cleaning works well when you stick with it. Even if you think you need professional help. Speed cleaning for a few weeks will change that. You can download a free cleaning schedule here and this can help you stay on track.

I use the morning and night cleaning schedule. Which means I break up my speed cleaning sessions. This also means my kids are in bed. So no one can bother me. I do certain tasks in the morning and others at night. Which has changed my life and relieved a lot of stress. I have the time and energy to clean because I learned to do it quickly. My home is cleaner and easier to manage now.

Have you heard of speed cleaning before today? Does speed cleaning work well for you?  

Click here for time saving cleaning hacks. 

This post has more speed cleaning hacks.

Read here how I clean my tubs without scrubbing.