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How to Clean Your Apartment in 1 Hour

cleaning apartment2 1 1If you’re like me, cleaning is not one of your favorite activities. It’s time consuming, tedious, tiring, and, let’s face it, BORING! But what if I convinced you that you can tidy your home in just 1 hour? ONE HOUR!! Not so back when you know you have an end time, right?

Here are my tips to help you speed through your least favorite activity and have a happy, healthy, and clean home.

First, you’ll need a cleaning arsenal. This might include: disinfectant wipes, window cleaner, wood cleaner, toilet cleaner, floor cleaner, trash bags, paper towels, and a vacuum.

Bathroom: 10 minutes. Take your toilet cleaner and run it under the rim of the toilet then scrub, scrub, scrub with a toilet brush. While that’s sitting, take a disinfectant wipe and clean the outer rim of the toilet and under the seat. Get a new wipe and clean the toilet seat and under the lid. Get a new wipe and clean the lid, behind the toilet seat, the top of the tank, and lastly, the handle. Then flush. Hope in the shower. Spray glass cleaner on the shower door(s) (if applicable) and use your paper towels to wipe clean. Then, take more disinfectant wipes and wipe down the shower heat, knobs, and basin. Done. Tackle the sink next by taking everything off and wiping the counter, sink basin, and knobs/faucet with more wipes. Only return items belonging in the bathroom to the counter. Anything that doesn’t belong, take to its proper room or store in a drawer or under the sink. Use your disinfectant wipes or  floor cleaner to clean the floor on your way out. One room done, 3 to go.

Bedroom – 10 minutes. Make your bed! Best place to start and will instantly transform your room. Mom was right on this one! Pick up everything from the floor – if it’s dirty clothes, put them in the hamper; if they’re clean clothes, hang them up or put them in drawers; kitchen items, such as cups or plates go straight to the dishwasher. Dust furniture surfaces and clean any mirrors.

Living room – 10 minutes. Fluff and straighten any couch pillows. Fold any throw blankets and drape neatly on the back of the couch or couch arm. Dust furniture surfaces. If you have magazines on a coffee table or side table, stack them neatly. Any mail, sort through, get rid of junk mail, and make 2 piles – bill to pay or other mail needing to be taken care of and mail to peruse at another time. Tidy remote controls. Kitchen items go to the kitchen. Done.

Kitchen – 15 minutes. Pile any dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Don’t have one? Start washing those dishes! Dishwasher full? Start putting dishes away and then reload with the dirty dishes. Dirty dishes may be the bane of your existence, but your house will look 10 times cleaner with NO dirty dishes piled up. All foodstuffs should be put away, whether that be in the fridge or cupboards. Take your disinfectant wipes and start wiping down the counters, sink area, and faucets. Don’t forget to wipe down the handles of your fridge and oven (knobs, too!).

You’re in the home stretch! Get that vacuum cleaner out and vacuum your carpeted areas. This should take you 5 minutes. Next, grab your mop/Swiffer/soapy towel on a stick and clean the floors of your kitchen and bathroom. This should take another 5 minutes.

You have 5 minutes left! Use this time to clean your windows and hit up any other spots that need tidying.

You did it! Your house is now clean! To keep it this way and lessen the amount of time you have to clean, put dirty clothes straight into the hamper, wash dirty dishes right after using them, wipe down the toilet/sink area after using them with your disinfectant wipes. There are many shortcuts to keeping a clean home AND it will make you healthier and happier, too!

 

Some resources for you:

http://www.gq.com/story/apartment-fast-clean
http://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/how-to-clean-your-apartment-efficiently-and-quickly/
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/how-to-clean-house-fast/

 

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