15 tips to make weekend cleaning faster
Lots of cleaning routines assume that a person has time each day at home – but what about those of use who either work in another place or with commuting time means we don’t have time in the evening/morning to get things done?
Here are my top tips for the ‘weekly warrior’ or all at once in the weekend cleaning.
1.Order cleaning tasks to be efficient and for what’s important
Start with laundry. Why? Because laundry is the longest task in a once-a-week cleaning routine. Stripping beds and gathering towels and clothes to wash means the laundry ticking over while you do other tasks. Regularly pop back to change loads and load stuff into the dryer or hang on a line.
Another example, there is no point vacuuming and then dusting.
Doing a fridge check and quick clean before meal planning might help reduce waste.
Likewise, if you know you only have an hour - what’s really important to get done ? If time is short I lean towards the tasks like bathroom, toilet, kitchen counters and checking the fridge for anything that might be off.
2.Have a checklist to tick off tasks.
I have a cleaning checklist which I’ve laminated which I work through when doing my one-off cleaning. It helps keep me focused, ensures I get everything done, and it records when I’ve done tasks to avoid doing the fortnightly tasks each week! I tend to block tasks e.g., do all the kitchen type tasks together.
Click below for a free house hold tasks 8 weekly check list. It helps keep track of those regular tasks like changing sheets.
3.Make the cleaning consistent with how much time you are actually home
if you work long hours and are rarely home, you don’t need to clean the same as households who are home a lot. Does the vacuuming need to be done each week or can it be spot done? Do the appliances need a wipe down every week?
4.Lower your standards
Yes, this is likely to be a controversial one – but it is a strategy. I’m not saying don’t have a clean home or be unhygienic, but I’m saying that it might not hurt to leave the dusting to fortnightly if it means the difference between using your precious weekend for cleaning or going to a café with friends for brunch.
What are the things where it might not hurt if it isn’t done every week?
5.Allocate tasks
This might sound like for children but when a household is time poor – if everyone knows what’s theirs to do, then that removes the need to decide who does what and ensures things get done. If each week have to discuss who does what, then that takes time. Regularly tasks can always be swapped occasionally.
6.Declutter
The level of clutter in a home can affect how long it can take to clean and how easy or hard it is to manage your home. Moving around piles adds time to how long it takes to clean or can affect your motivation to clean an area.
7.Have systems in place
When you only have the weekend, its important to have systems in place to support the ‘warrior cleaning’ approach. For example, if low on a particular cleaning product you always use, add it to the grocery list to ensure that you don’t run out and then need to pop out for it or can’t do the cleaning when it suits you.
Other systems I find useful are I clean the fridge, check food, meal plan and put things on the grocery list. That way I don’t waste food, I’m organized for food for the week ahead and buy what I need.
8.Do as much two for one things as you can
If time is short in the evening, then making a double batch meal during your weekend (like using a slower cooker or instant pot) means there is heat and eat during the week with few dishes.
It also reduces needing to get take out on the way home.
9.Use small pockets of time
My tidy kitchen cupboards tend to get messy as they are well used. Sometimes when I am cooking something and I have 5 minutes, I just give them a quick tidy up.
Because I’ve done the decluttering and organising – it doesn’t take much to get them back into shape. It also helps remind me that I need to use that jar of sauce, or we are almost out of rice.
Wiping off the shower afterwards to prevent water scale on the glass each time its used with a wiper and a small hand towel means cleaning the shower is easier.
Another idea is giving the toilet a quick clean after using during the week to keep it clean - especially if it is used often!
Other tasks for small pockets of time during the week can help reduce the amount of effort at the weekend.
Small pockets of time cleaning during the week can reduce the weekend cleaning.
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10.Know quick ways of doing things
I put half a lemon in a glass container with water and put it in the microwave between 2 to 3 minutes. Then I leave it for 5 minutes and wipe out the microwave. The microwave gets steam with lemon which I wipe out and the lemon removes those pesky microwave smells.
Do the products you use say spray and leave for 5 minutes but you don’t? This can mean that you do more scrubbing than you need to.
Other ideas
· soaking dishes in sink after meals or even get a few done or stacked in dish washer while cooking
· cleaning shower after using it
For your regular tasks find out efficient ways of doing them.
11.Distraction!
I can’t recall the last time I cleaned the bathroom without listening to an audio book or something from YouTube. Some people find music motivates them, other might need silence. I find it I am listening to something where I am learning which makes the cleaning the tasks fly by.
12.Reward yourself
After my warrior cleaning time and grocery shopping, I have my reward – a cheese scone.
For those non-United Kingdom/NZ etc type places, a cheese scone is similar to a US biscuit but has a lighter texture and lots of cheese.
Anyway, that is my treat for focusing on my warrior cleaning tasks. It’s a small reward less than $5 but something I love.
Other options – a take out coffee from that place you love on the way home from grocery shopping, $5 in a jar towards frivolous spending!
Let’s face it, while we can do our chores for the ‘joy of a clean home’ – a small reward does hurt.
13.Spread monthly tasks out and do spring/intense day cleaning a few times a year
Spread out those irregular tasks and keep track of them so you get them done but also don’t do them more than is necessary.
I tend to do spring cleaning days (mornings really!) for all those irregular things.
14.Use a good vacuum cleaner
Doing any job well means using the right tools. You will be surprised how having a good vacuum can quickly make the floors look clean.
15.Avoid using too many different cleaning products
Let’s face it, we can have a ridiculous amount of one type use cleaning products resulting in have a cupboard full of products. Where possible, try to get products that do a range of uses to avoid having to switch products for tasks and having cleaning being so complicated.
While some products, like ceramic top elements, need special products, if possible find products that work across a variety of surfaces.
Take some time to think about how you can make your weekend cleaning as efficient as possible
It is worth spending a little time to think about how to make your weekend cleaning more efficient. What is a good order to do things in? Would it be easier if I decluttered a particular space. Getting a cleaning routine in place can require a bit of experimentation but over time should save you time and get your house clean.
