Photography: Alana Landsberry / Styling: Corina Koch
It’s not supposed to be fun, but cleaning your house shouldn’t take up your entire weekend. Here are 5 expert cleaning tips to cut down on the time you spend slaving over a mop and bucket. These will help get your home spick and span in half the time.
1. Rethink the challenge
Rather than trying to clean the whole house all at once, break it down room-by-room and focus on just one at a time, advises professional cleaner Henry Hoang from Simply Maid. “Don’t overwhelm yourself by dusting the entire house first; then vacuuming, mopping, and dusting,” Mr Hoang told news.com.au. “This way you’ll be cleaning in a more organised manner and hence, get the job done quicker.”
2. Top down
One of the best expert cleaning tips is to dust from top to bottom (when you’re not avoiding dusting) so everything falls to the lowest point for collection at the end. “Now you’ll be able to clean up your lower surfaces without worrying about more dust falling from higher surfaces,” says Mr Hoang.
“We have found that a room-by-room approach is the best and most efficient way to clean homes.”
Henry Hoang, Simply Maid
3. Start at the finish
Rather than starting in the the main thoroughfare area that you’ll continue to walk through and risk making dirty as you clean other areas, start from the rear of your room or furthest point of the house and work towards your end point. If you’re dusting, wiping, vacuuming or mopping, stick to this rule of thumb. “Our cleaners will always start from the back of the room and clean towards the exit, carrying all their tools and supplies with them,” says Mr Hoang.
4. Get your tools sorted out
Have the right cleaning products to get the job done in the most efficient way possible. “Certain surfaces require particular cleaners and tools to remove stains or dirt quicker and more efficiently,” says Mr Hoang.
“For example, instead of wiping (and re-wiping) a polished wooden table with an old, damp rag; we would suggest using a microfibre cloth to pick up dirt and dust because it clings to the material.”
“For stains, a little furniture polish will clean them right up with minimal effort and you won’t risk damaging the surface by vigorous scrubbing.”
Henry Hoang, Simply Maid
5. Spread your cleaning over the whole week
Rather than saving all of your cleaning tasks until the weekend, Mr Hoang suggests doing a little here and there as you move through the week. There are a bunch of ten minute cleaning jobs you can get done too. This expert cleaning tip will save lots of time when you begin cleaning in earnest on the weekend.
“Develop a good cleaning routine by setting aside 20 minutes each day to spend on cleaning, organising and de-cluttering your home,” he says.
