5 Tips for Speed-Cleaning Your Entire Kitchen in 20 Minutes or Less
While there are benefits to cleaning your kitchen project by project or getting really deep into a single cleaning task, sometimes what you really need to do is buckle down for 20 minutes and clean in a crazy flurry of activity to get it spic-and-span in no time. Here’s what to do in order to clean your entire kitchen in less than half an hour.
1. Gather your tools.
Do not waste precious minutes searching for the broom in the hall closet! Before you get started on your speed-cleaning binge, make sure you have all your cleaning products and tools at the ready, including any specialty cleaners, scrubbers, or less frequently used items like the mop that might be located outside of the kitchen. This way, you won’t lose momentum once you get started.
2. Dress the part.
Comfy clothes, rubber gloves, sneakers or non-skid slippers, and the rattiest fitness clothes will keep you working comfortably — even once you start working up a sweat. Also, get your hair back in a ponytail (’40s-style bandana optional!).
3. Consider multitaskting products.
To cut down on time wasted switching between products and tools, consider using the same multi-surface cleaner to tackle as many spaces as you can. Same with tools: If you can use one microfiber cloth to wipe down your counters and then your floors, do it.
4. Plan your attack.
Most cleaning experts suggest cleaning top to bottom, left to right, and from the deepest corner toward the door to avoid dirtying a space you’ve just cleaned, to save time moving from zone to zone, and keep track of what you’ve already cleaned. An additional suggestion: If you have any cleaning products that take time to work, like a degreaser, spritz them on first, then start the top-to-bottom deal.
5. Stay on task.
The key to the cleaning blitz is to work without distractions until it’s done. Decide which tasks you’re going to tackle — clearing counters, wiping down surfaces, and scrubbing the floor, for example — and don’t add on extra projects as you’re going (i.e., organizing that junk drawer). Put on music, set a timer, or cross things off a checklist to keep yourself motivated to get the job done.
What other things do you when you’re trying to start (and finish!) a quickie cleaning job in your kitchen?