How to clean house faster then Superman

OK so we have all seen him duck into that phone booth, change, and still have time to fly to the scene just in time. Impossible you might say but it is all about time management. If you employ the following steps you too could jump light years at a time and beat Superman to the rescue.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Time

1. Be prepared – No matter how much you plan for a “cleaning day”. Realize that everyone in your family has an idea on what they would like you to do for the day. Do not be so inflexible that you can not make time for other things in your life.
2. A little clutter – A little clutter never hurt anyone. Don’t freak out when you have just spent hours of your day chasing down all the little messes only to walk into the next room and find 12 more.
3. A helping hand – No matter what you do get the kids or even your husband or roommate involved. You should not be the only one cleaning unless you are a paid maid. Believe me threaten to charge them. Children are old enough to do something even if it is as simple as picking up their own toys. Make it a game. When they are younger you can charge them time, this works by having them do something for you that will take up a little bit of their fun time. When they are older you can do the same or even charge them out of their allowance. Some may see this as mean but it works and they remember the next time it is time to do a chore. How can we change our actions if there are no consequences to show us that our actions are not up to par?
4. Never leave empty handed – Never leave a room empty handed it is just a waste. There is always something out that should not be there even if you have already cleaned. Pick it up and get it moving with you. Think to yourself when you get up to go to the kitchen or even the bathroom is there something that I can take with me to put away on the way. In time you won’t even have to think about it.
5. Zones – While we can not outlaw other family members from the house while we clean we can in small doses. Divide the house in zones and if they are not helping kick them out. Send the kids outside to play while mopping the kitchen floor. I use to divide up the house blocking off the doorway with two bar stools. This way I could still see and monitor my toddler without having the little toddler prints all over the floor.
6. Do it now – Why wait until it is a disaster to clean. If we do a little bit every now and then getting the whole house clean will not be such a chore. Have the kids put the dishes straight into the dish washer. Don’t let them wait you out. How much further is it from your dining table to the sink then the dining table to the dish washer? Not very far in most houses I have seen.
7. Room check – The biggest way to minimize your clean up efforts is to do a room check every day. Take an extra 15 minutes in the morning to take in each room and what it will require. You can usually catch any clean clothing that the kids have tried on and decided not to wear before it becomes unwearable. This saves you time getting them to clean their room, and washing and folding laundry.

Tips & Warnings

• Remain light hearted even when the work piles up.
• Always be sure to put cleaners away in a locked or high place away from children.