[custom_adv] Speed-cleaning expert (and maid service owner) Debbie Sardone says that cutting your cleaning time in half starts with a system. [custom_adv] That means cleaning the house in the same order every time: Working one room at a time, starting and finishing at the same spot in a room so that you don't waste time running back and forth. [custom_adv] "To get the time down, you have to be consistent—that's the whole premise," Sardone says. "You do the same thing every time you clean, so it is a routine. [custom_adv] The routine is the method, and that is an inherently better way to clean because the speed comes from the method instead of from hurrying. You really can clean your house in half the time. It's not a gimmick." [custom_adv] Don't start a room by wiping the coffee table, then clean the blinds, and seeing the dust from the blinds coat your newly clean coffee table. Sardone says to start at the top of the room, such as dusting a ceiling fan, and work down to the floor to eliminate redundant work. [custom_adv] "Most people see something and clean it, then they look up and see something else and clean it, and the dirt falls down on what you just cleaned," Sardone says. "If you work top to bottom and left to right, you're working once instead of cleaning areas you've just cleaned." [custom_adv] Don't clean a window by rubbing in circles, which can leave streaks, and avoid wiping the glass with newspaper or paper towels, which leave a residue. [custom_adv] Having all the tools and cleaning products you need at arm's-reach means you won't waste time walking back and forth to the cabinet under the sink. Sardone recommends wearing an apron, or even a carpenter's tool belt, and filling the pockets. [custom_adv] Grease inevitably ends up on kitchen cabinets, especially those above or next to the range. You can buy a cleaner with orange oil to wipe off the grease, or you can use a standard grease-cutting dishwashing detergent.
