Clean your house in 2 hours or less!
The holiday season is literally here and who has time to spend the weekend deep cleaning? NO ONE. I prefer to spend my weekends binging some Netflix or enjoying time with my family. These are not the days of spending all day cleaning only to be grumpy later.
I refuse to be grumpy and spend all day cleaning a house that will be in utter chaos hours later. So, if you are you looking for tips on how to clean your house in 2 hours or less just “good-enough” to welcome guests for the holidays, I got you!
I have been there countless times. My house a wreck and dirty, but I was so busy or overwhelmed. So, I had to start thinking of ways to clean my house fast without spending the whole day on it. Sometimes life is a little bit too busy to spend an entire weekend deep cleaning your house. Life is too short to spend it cleaning.
But that doesnāt mean you canāt do a “good-enough” house clean with little time. So buckle in and let’s take a quick ride to show you how to clean your house in under 2 hours.
Read on to find out how I do it.
What you’ll need
In complete transparency, the majority of cleaning products I use are Young Living Products. I am a Brand Partner and I love their clean, non-toxic products that are safe to use around my family and pets. The links to my favorite Young Living products will direct you to my business website. You are welcome to contact me to ask questions or request more information. I choose clean products over other brand name products in order to decrease our toxic chemical load exposure. I can’t control everything we are exposed to, however I can choose the products we use at home.
- Several baskets to use for picking up and sorting. I like using cheap plastic laundry baskets. The handles make them easy to carry from room to room.
- Lots of old rags or microfiber cloths. I like to use a new clean rag or towel for every surface I clean to cut down on the transfer of any yuckiness. I save old towels and cut them into small pieces for cleaning. You can even use those old lonely socks that don’t have a matching pair that you’ve been saving just in case their matching sock shows up. I see you, mamas.
- Your preferred cleaners. I like to use plant-based toxin free cleaners like, Thieves Household Cleaner, Thieves Kitchen and Bath Scrub, Thieves Dishwasher Powder.
- Lemons
- Broom or Dry Mop
- Vacuum
- Mop. I love my Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Microfiber Floor Mop . It’s great for spot cleaning and you don’t have to get your hands wet.
General Cleaning Tips
- Clean a room from top to bottom. Dirt and dust will fall down as you clean, therefore it makes sense to clean the floors last so you donāt have to reclean anything.
- Make a habit of cleaning a room from left to right or right to left. This way you donāt miss anything and you stay focused!
- If you find it hard to stay focused, use a timer and set it for 15 mins. Do as much as you can in those 15 minutes in that room. When the timer goes off, move into another room. If you still have stuff to finish in the room come back at the end and set another timer.
- Listen to great motivating music while you clean. Cleaning doesn’t have to be dull and boring. Blare that music and get your steps in while you clean and dance around.
- Have your kids clean their own rooms to reduce the amount you have to do. Give them age-appropriate tasks and make it fun by making it a race or offering a prize. Then lower your expectations. Their cleaning is not going to look like your cleaning and that’s ok. Their bed is not going to be made perfectly and their toy bins are not going to be sorted perfectly. What matters is that they helped and if all else fails and you are running out of time, close their bedroom door. Focus your cleaning on rooms that your guests will be in.
- Before you start, walk the house and collect all dirty dishes. It’s one of the first things on the cleaning list. Grab a basket and gather up all the cups that tend to get left everywhere and drop them off in the kitchen.
KITCHEN
First, I start with the kitchen. It takes the longest to clean because there are so many things in there to take care of.
- Microwave a lemon and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Put all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and start it. I use Thieves Dishwasher Powder .
- If your stove has them, remove the grates and knobs to soak in a sink full of warm water. I like to throw in a cap of Thieves Household Cleaner.
- Clear the counters (throw anything that does not belong in the kitchen into a laundry basket to drop off when you get to that room) and wipe them down with a wet rag or sponge. I use my Thieves Household Cleaner once again because it is clean, non-toxic, and safe to use around kids and pets.
- Use a new rag (or the same one, I’m not judging) or sponge to wipe down appliances, including the inside of the microwave.
- Put the lemon down the garbage disposal. Add a dash of vinegar to help the lemonās cleaning power.
- Wipe off the stove then clean the grates and knobs and replace them.
- Do not sweep or mop the floor yet. I like doing all the vacuuming and mopping at once, instead of room by room.
LIVING ROOM
- Clear out anything that doesnāt belong in the living room including toys. Grab a basket and throw all the out of place stuff in.
- Dust and remove cobwebs. I love this duster. Its telescoping handle helps me reach high places. Remember to dust from top to bottom.
- Wipe down electronics including the tv, gaming devices, and anything else related.
BEDROOMS
- Remove the bedding to be washed and make the bed with clean bedding, if needed.
- Put all the dirty laundry in a laundry basket. (Don’t worry today is not about laundry. That’s a task for another day, another time).
- Put away anything that is out of place, throw things that don’t belong in the bedrooms in a basket to drop off in their own place later.
- Dust and remove cobwebs.
BATHROOMS
- Add your favorite toilet bowl cleaner to the toilet. I use Thieves Kitchen and Bath Scrub. It’s clean, non-toxic and friendly to the environment.
- Spray counters, tubs, and showers with cleaner (click here for my fave) and let sit.
- Wipe down the outside of the toilet. Give the inside a good scrub and flush. Make sure you have plenty of toilet paper on the roll and accessible for guests just in case the roll runs out. There’s nothing worse than being stuck on the toilet with no toilet paper in someone else’s house.
- Wipe down the mirror and the counters.
- Use your baskets to throw in any things that you find that don’t belong in the restrooms.
VACUUM AND MOP
Vacuum every room. I like this vacuum. It vacuums different types of floors ā carpet, barefloors, sealed hard floors, stairs, upholstery and low pile carpet, wood and concrete.
While youāre in each room use a wet rag or towel with a disinfectant sprayed on it to wipe the door handles and light switches.
Next, vacuum all upholstered furniture in the house, as well as pillows.
Last, mop all the floors that need to be mopped. I find this mop to be a great time saver. You donāt need to carry a bucket of water along but most importantly, it’s also ideal for hardwood, tile or bare floors. The cotton microfiber mop can pick up dust, dirt, debris and hair.
FINAL TOUCH!
Spray each room with a gentle, natural air freshener or essential oil room spray. I prefer essential oils because of their therapeutic propertites. Here’s an easy recipe:
Pour some water into a fine mist spray bottle and add a few drops of Young Living Lemon essential oil. Shake well to disperse the oil and spray. Not only does it help to make your home smell clean and fresh, but the aroma is also energizing and uplifting. In addition, I also love running a diffuser with my favorite essential oils in the living room and bedrooms. This is so much healthier than plug-ins, candles, or air fresheners which can trigger respiratory issues in some people. You can click here for a list of Young Living Diffusers.
EXTRA TIME LEFT OVER?
If you have a little bit of extra time left over, you can consider other tasks. Ideally, though, I would say consider rewarding yourself for finishing this ginormous task. Taking a moment to catch your breath and sit and relax is just as awesome as doing a few other tasks on your never-ending list. Here’s some tasks you might consider if you want to keep working:
- Wash the inside and outside of all the windows
- If you have kids, go through the house and wipe down all the walls at the height of little fingers and lower
- Clean all of the pet areas inside and outside
- Walk around outside and clean up any trash or things that are out of place
- Tidy the cords for electronics around the house. Most importantly around the TV and any PCs where we tend to have the most rogue cords.
DON’T LET CLEANING OVERWHELM YOU!
If you are struggling with life in this season, don’t sweat it. The people who love you will not care what your house looks like. Check out strugglecare.com for great ideas on how to make your house functional during your struggle season.
I HOPE YOU FOUND THE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HOUSE IN 2 HOURS OR LESS HELPFUL.
P.S. All the pictures in this blog are stock photos from pixels.com where you can get great stock photos for FREE. However, these pictures in no way represent my home nor the ideal of what a clean home should look like. Everyone’s home is different and should be functional for their family.
Happy Cleaning!
❤️BrendaLee
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