Keeping Your Home Clean And Visitor Ready The best free advice that I have ever heard is to take a timer and spend five minutes in each room. This means that you and your family work together in that room for five minutes. When the time goes off, then you move to another room. The room will not be clean the first time, but after two or three days, you will find that it is clean and tidy after five minutes. The great thing is that if you do this daily, then there will not be an opportunity for days and days of clutter to pile up, which is what makes your home dirty and messy. Take your cleaning products with you to each room so you do not have to waste time hunting for them.

Make a basket or bucket of cleaning supplies for you to carry around the house. In this way, you do not have to look all over the house for that elusive cleaning tool that you need. All of your cleaning supplies will be in one place and they will be right with you. No more wasting time! Gather up your favorite cleaning supplies and tools, put them in a basket or bucket, and start your five minute trip through the house!

Cleaning Stop One: Kitchen This is not the time to be washing dishes. There is no way you can clean and wash dishes in five minutes. If you have dirty dishes, they should be washed at least daily, if not more often. Before you start your five minute cleaning sweep, you need to wash the dishes or put them in the dishwasher. Then start your timer. Clean the countertops off of things that don’t belong. Wipe your countertops. Sweep the floor. Dust mop or use a Swiffer on the floor. Now, the first time that you try this, you may not be able to get all of this done in five minutes, but after a few sweeps through the kitchen, then you should be able to.

Cleaning Stop Two: Bathroom Do not forget to bring your cleaning bucket in here! Spray the shower/tub with cleaning solution. Swish the toilet. Wipe down the countertops, the sink, and the top of the toilet. Turn on the water in the shower/tub to rinse out the cleaning solution. Take dirty clothes to laundry room. Sweep the bathroom. Dust mop or Swiffer the floor. This room is one that will get easier and easier if you do it everyday. On some days, you may not have to do all of the steps, depending upon how messy your family is and how much time you need to free up. The key is to train them to pick up after themselves (easier said than done).

Cleaning Stop Three: Bedroom Depending upon how many bedrooms are in your home, this could be a few cleaning stops. You may want to use a five minute sweep to run through all of the kid’s bedrooms, just to pick up plates, cups, and dirty clothes and then let them clean it. Whichever way works for you is how you should do it. In five minutes, you should be able to make your bed, pick up dirty clothes, straighten up, and sweep. The first few times you will probably not get everything done, but keep giving it five minutes everyday and you will find that this room will get easier.

Cleaning Stop Four: Laundry Room If your home is like most homes, the laundry room is stacked up with clean clothes, dirty clothes, and whatever else that no one could figure out what to do with. It will take a few five minute cleaning sweeps, but once you get the mess under control you should be able to put away clean clothes, separate dirty clothes, and sweep the floors. Remember, five minutes a day will make this room easier to clean, and free up time to focus on other areas!

Cleaning Stop Five: Family/Living Room If your home is like most, then this room probably needs the most attention. In five minutes, you and your “team” should be able to pick up items, sweep or vacuum the floor, and tidy up. This room may take a few five minute sweeps to get it clean. Keep giving it these small segments of your time and you will see it transform into a place where you can welcome guests with no trepidation.

Ways To Make This Cleaning Method Work The thing to remember is that this takes the whole family. Have your kids (even the smallest ones) move through your home with you. Make it fun and exciting to try to beat the timer. Kids love to have fun and making cleaning fun will help them to enjoy it more and it will help them to do it more! More free time for all will be the result.

If your home is particularly messy, then you may want to start out with two five minute sweeps through each room. Whatever works for you! The secret is to do something every day and your home will thank you for it! This does not replace the heavy duty cleaning that should be done weekly or monthly, but it will help keep your room ready for those spur of the moment guests and will make it easier to take care of and free up your time! So open that door and let those guests in with a smile! You have nothing to be ashamed of!