House Cleaning 101: Cleaning Girl Confessions

Friday, June 1, 2012

House Cleaning 101: Cleaning Girl Confessions

Happy Weekend!!! How are you??? Still no baby for me!! I was due today but nothing! I am going to have my stress test done tomorrow and I will probably get induced next week. I will keep you updated on Facebook.

We have another amazing guest poster!!! I am so excited about this one!!

Today, we have Claire from Claire's Healthy Home!

Claire is a wife and Mother, who owns her own cleaning company, works from home and is cancer survivor!

She has some amazing cleaning secrets with you so listen up!

Ever wonder how professional house cleaners get in and out so quick and efficient?

I owned and operated my own house cleaning business for over 8 years and I picked up a few tips and tricks along the way.

Lucky you…I am going to spill it all!

Since there is so much information this will be a 4 part series.

1. Routine

2. Tools

3. Products

4. Schedule

So today, I will share my cleaning routine and the way I do it to keep it fast and easy!

I am a busy mom of 3 boys and I work at home. So, just like you, finding the time (and the desire) to clean my house is a challenge.

Confession:

I actually do NOT like to clean! :0

This may sound strange since this was my business for 8 + years, but it is not my favorite thing to do. However, I am good at it and I will say it is much easier to clean other peoples’ homes than mine. In my own home, I get sidetracked easily by other projects that get in the way of my actually cleaning, therefore making it longer. Does this happen to any of you?

The other obvious reason is at a clients’ home, there are no children, husbands or other people to get in my way for the next 3 hours. As a mom, I am sure you can dream along with me of all the possibilities of 3 hours alone to get your work done! Pure heaven. This is the part I loved about my business. Time alone to actually complete a task and then walk away. Satisfaction.

Here is the routine I use when tackling a cleaning job or task.

1. Start in the bathroom

Why? Because I like to get the toughest job done first while I have my energy to do the best job.

2. Clean top to bottom

This means I dust first from the ceiling down. That way the dust falls to the floor which is the last part I clean including vacuuming.

3. Use as little water as possible.

I spray and wipe down/clean with lots of microfiber cleaning cloths. Trust me. This will save you loads of time! I spray and wipe down as I go around each room. Not only is this quick, but it is more sanitary. Water just moves the germs around. Plus when it dries it leaves water spots. Cleaning dry will give everything a nice shine.

[If your shower/tub has not been deep cleaned yet, go HERE to see how to do that.]

4. Move knickknacks one at a time.

I spray on the counter/shelf next to it, then use one hand to wipe with my cloth and the other to pick up each item as I go. Much faster than clearing it all once and then putting back.

That’s it!

Just 4 steps for a quick routine.

For those of us who actually live in our homes Winking smile

, we know that there are a few things that get in the way of quick cleaning. Stuff (clutter, toys, paper) and people. If this is running your household, try getting rid of some stuff. Seriously, the less you own, the easier it is to clean. As for people, well…don’t get rid of them! But we will talk about family in the schedule post. I am so excited for you all to try these few simple steps to getting your house under control.