15 Secrets to Cleaning Your Home in Half the Time (2024)

Speed-cleaning expert (and maid service owner) Debbie Sardone says cutting your cleaning time in half starts with a system. That means cleaning the house in the same order every time: working one room at a time, and starting and finishing at the same spot in a room so that you don’t waste time running back and forth.

“To get the time down, you have to be consistent—that’s the whole premise,” Sardone says. “You do the same thing every time you clean, so it is a routine. The routine is the method, and that is an inherently better way to clean because the speed comes from the method instead of from hurrying. You really can clean your house in half the time. It’s not a gimmick.”

Don’t start a room by wiping the coffee table, then cleaning the blinds, only to watch the dust from the blinds coat your newly cleaned coffee table. Sardone says to start at the top of the room, such as dusting a ceiling fan, and work your way down to the floor to eliminate redundant work.

Likewise, cleaning left to right ensures that you cover the entire room instead of darting from place to place.

“Most people see something and clean it, then they look up and see something else and clean it, and the dirt falls down on what you just cleaned,” Sardone says. “If you work top to bottom and left to right, you’re working once instead of cleaning areas you’ve just cleaned.”

Having all the tools and cleaning products you need at arm’s reach means you won’t waste time walking back and forth to the cabinet under the sink. Sardone recommends wearing an apron, or even a carpenter’s tool belt, and filling the pockets. This might be hard with several large bottles of cleaner, but you don’t need large bottles—pour the cleaners into small, reusable spray bottles that are easy to carry. You can also place your supplies in a caddy or a bucket to stay organized and save time.

“If you hired a carpenter and he went up and down a ladder every time he needed a nail, you’d never tolerate it,” Sardone says. “You want him to have everything with him. You can do the same with cleaners.”

Can’t get the shine you want with Windex and paper towels? Author and speed-cleaning expert Laura Dellutri’s weapon of choice is a professional-grade window squeegee. Place a drop of dish soap in a gallon of water, wipe it generously on the window with a cloth, then squeegee it off. “Go top to bottom and wipe the blade each time at the bottom,” she says. “You’ll get a window that is streak-free.”

If you don’t want to use a squeegee, Dellutri recommends a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. When wiping with the cloth, use horizontal strokes and move from top to bottom. Don’t clean a window by rubbing in circles, which can leave streaks, and avoid wiping the glass with newspaper or paper towels, which leave a residue.

Grease inevitably ends up on kitchen cabinets, especially those above or next to the range. You can buy a cleaner with orange oil to wipe off the grease, or you can use a standard grease-cutting dishwashing detergent. The detergent will cut through the grease on the cabinets just like it does with dishes.

Mix one tablespoon of liquid detergent with a gallon of warm water. Test the solution in an inconspicuous area, wiping it on with a clean sponge or cloth, to make sure it won’t damage or discolor the finish. Then rinse it off with a different sponge and warm water.

For tough stains or buildup that won’t come off with detergent, mix baking soda with water and lightly scrub the problem area with a cloth.

Mold haunts bathrooms that aren’t well-ventilated because water remains on the walls after bathing. Use hydrogen peroxide in a trigger-spray bottle to battle mold and mildew, Dellutri says: “Spray it on, let it sit 3 to 5 minutes, and it will kill the fungus.”

To keep mold from coming back, use a fan when showering. When you’re done, take a couple of minutes to squeegee the water off the tile walls and shower door.

The inside of your microwave probably looks like a war zone. Unfortunately, baked-on food—especially if it has been sitting for days or longer—can be tough to remove.

The trick: Have the microwave help you. Dellutri says to put a coffee cup full of water in the microwave and heat it up until it’s boiling hot. “This creates moisture that loosens up anything on the top, sides, or bottom of the microwave,” she says. Then take a damp cloth and wipe the surfaces clean.

Dellutri’s secret to effective and efficient vacuuming: Do the entire length of the room in a straight row, then move over and start again at the front of the room. Dellutri says to vacuum high-traffic areas once a week.

“Vacuum in long corn rows, and back out of the room,” she says. “You can do it fast, and put the cord over your shoulder so you’re not fighting it. When you’re done, it looks beautiful.”