How to Clean Fast

Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 2, 2022 References Approved

If your house is a mess and you're feeling overwhelmed, strategize to quickly clean just a part or your entire home. Stay focused and make cleaning fun while you tidy your space. Once you've removed all clutter and done basic dusting, work on the floors and counters so they shine. If you have time leftover, deep clean your bathroom, kitchen or living spaces. You'll enjoy a cleaner home in no time!

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Making Cleaning Fun and Effective

1
Decide what spaces to clean. Think about whether you want to clean your entire home or just a part of it. If you're having company over, you may want to focus your cleaning efforts on the living room and bathrooms. Or if you're having guests over for dinner, ensure that the kitchen and dining room are clean.^{[1]
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- It's also important to decide which areas aren't priorities. For example, close off the bedroom doors if people won't be going in them and you're short on time.
2
Determine how much time you have and use a timer. Ask yourself if you want to spend the day cleaning your place or if you only have an hour or 2. Identify how much time you have to put towards cleaning and consider using a timer to keep you on task.^{[2]
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- For example, if you're having company come over and you only have 1 hour to clean, set a timer for 15 minutes. Clean your living room in this time and set a timer for 30 minutes to clean the rest of your house. Give yourself another 15 minutes for dishes and floors.
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3
Put on some energizing music. If you find yourself slowing down after a few minutes of clean up, turn on your favorite energizing music. Turn the volume up so you can hear it over the sounds of a vacuum or if you're at the end of your home.^{[3]
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- Music can make clean up fun and less of a chore. Consider making a cleaning playlist when you have some time. This way you'll have motivating music whenever you need it!
4
Get help from roommates or family. Cleaning goes a lot faster if you get assistance. Ask a friend or family member to come over for an hour and help you out. If you have a roommate that's contributed to the mess, it's a good idea to ask them to get involved in the cleanup. Assign specific clean up tasks to your helpers so everyone knows what to work on.
- If your roommate can't help, ask them what you want them to do with their things. They may not want you sorting through their clothes or clutter.
- For example, you could say, "Mom, could you vacuum while Sam cleans the counters?"
5
Put away or turn off distractions. It may be tempting to turn on a show for some background noise, but it will slow you down if it becomes a distraction. Turn off the television and your computer. You should also put away your phone if constant notifications keep grabbing your attention.
- Tell yourself that you're focusing on cleaning for a set amount of time and then you can use your phone, tv, and computer again.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Tidying in 30 Minutes or Less

1
Place items that need to be sorted into a basket. Take a large basket or bin and walk through the space you need to clean. Put all of the papers, toys, and things that belong in other rooms into the basket. Don't worry about putting all of the items away since you're short on time. Instead, store the basket in a room that you're not cleaning or in a closet.^{[4]
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- If you have a lot of clutter that just needs to be thrown away, walk through with a trash bag too.
- If you're cleaning a small home or apartment and don't have space to store the basket of clutter, you may need to take the time to put everything away. Try to make it a race and see how quickly you can put it all away.
2
Gather your dirty clothes in a laundry basket. Walk through the space with a laundry basket or hamper and toss in all of the dirty clothes you find. Put the basket in your laundry room or in a closet, if you don't have access to a laundry room.
- If you have the time, quickly sort the clothes and toss a load into the machine. The clothes will wash while you're cleaning the rest of your home.
3
Clear any dishes from tables and counters. Walk through your home and gather all of the dirty dishes that are in each room. Quickly put dishwasher-safe dishes in the machine and set dishes that have to be hand washed in the sink.^{[5]
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- You can run the dishwasher if it's full, but save washing the dishes in the sink for when you have a little more time.
4
Dust noticeable dirt and grime with a microfiber cloth. Once you've cleared your space of excess items, take a soft microfiber cloth and dust areas that look grimy. Try to work from the top down so that dust is knocked down towards the floor that you haven't cleaned yet. Additionally, work left-to-right or right-to-left so you don't accidentally clean the same spot twice.^{[6]
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- For example, if you have dirty blinds, swipe a microfiber cloth over them before you dust the coffee table below it.
- Try to dust noticeable places like televisions, corners of rooms, blinds, and dark furniture.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Cleaning Floors and Counters

1
Spray bathroom and kitchen counters with an all-purpose cleaner. Before you start on the floors, get a jump on the kitchen and bathroom counters. Spray the counters, faucets, and sinks with an all-purpose cleaner and let them soak while you work on the floors.^{[7]
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- For an even quicker clean, just take a soapy rag and run it over the counters and sinks.
2
Vacuum your hard floors. To save time and keep dust and hair from flying up, avoid sweeping your floor. Instead, turn off your vacuum's brush roller or put it on the hard floor setting. Vacuum the hard floor to suck up dust and dirt.^{[8]
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- If you don't have a vacuum, you can still sweep the hard floor. Just ensure that the dirt isn't swept up onto things you've already dusted.
3
Vacuum carpeted floors and rugs. Since you've already cleared away clutter and things on the floor, you should be able to spend a few minutes vacuuming the carpet. If you're vacuuming a large space or a whole floor of a house, start in the corner of the room that's opposite from the door. This way you can keep vacuuming right out of the room and into the next room or the hallway without going over areas you've already vacuumed.^{[9]
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4
Use a quick mop to clean the hard floors. If you're mopping a small space or want to just do a quick pass over the floor, spray the area with a cleaning spray and rub a microfiber quick mop over it. Continue to do this until dirt or stains aren't visible.^{[10]
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- If you don't have time to quick mop your floors, just spray a little cleanser right on spots or stains. Use a towel to rub the area clean.
5
Wipe down the counters, sinks, and faucets. Return to the counter tops and use a sponge or cloth to wipe away the all-purpose cleanser that you sprayed. You may need to run water in the sink to completely wash it out.
- Wipe down the faucets with a dry cloth so they don't get water spots as they dry.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Deep Cleaning Quickly

1
Sort all of the clothes and clutter that you gathered. Go through the papers and clutter that you put in the basket. Throw away or recycle unwanted things and put the rest in the rooms where they belong. Sort the clothes into clean and dirty piles. Put away the clean clothes.
- If you have toys to put away, get your kids involved and have them put the toys away.
2
Use a vacuum attachment to clean carpeted stairs. If you haven't cleaned your carpeted stairs in a while or are unsure how to do it, use an extension and brush attachment on your vacuum. You can also use a small portable vacuum. Brush and vacuum over each step to remove dirt, hair, and grime.
3
Spray the toilet and tub in each bathroom with all-purpose cleanser. Squirt or spray toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet and spray down the tub with a tile cleaner. Let them sit for a few minutes while you work on another area that needs cleaning. Then come back and scrub the toilet. Wipe down or spray the tub. You should also wipe off any dirty mirrors with window spray.^{[11]
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4
Run the dishwasher while you wash pots and pans. If you haven't already started the dishwasher, turn it on and fill your sink with hot soapy water. Scrub all of the dishes, pots, and pans that can't be put in the machine. Set them in a drainer or on a rack to dry.
- Avoid hand drying the dishes because this can take too long if you're in a hurry.
5
Use a magic sponge eraser to polish cabinets, appliances, and fixtures. Although you quickly dusted earlier, take a damp magic sponge eraser or a soapy cloth and walk through the house. Wipe down any grime, stains, or fingerprints from walls, appliances, doors, or fixtures.
- If you don't have a magic eraser sponge, use a soft cotton cloth or rag.
6
Take out the trash. Once you've thrown away all the bits of trash from the space you've cleaned, take the garbage out. Line the trashcan with a new bag. If your can doesn't have lid, this will make it look cleaner. Taking out the trash will also remove stinky smells and make your home smell fresh.^{[12]
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- If you notice a lingering smell, open a few windows to get some fresh air.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Maintaining a Clean Home

1
Pick up trash every day to prevent build up. Spend a couple of minutes a day putting your trash in your garbage can. When your trash can fills up, take it out immediately. This helps you avoid having an overwhelming amount of trash to clean up.
- Don't forget to clean out your bathroom trash can! You can always dump it in your household garbage can to make things easier.
2
Put away items right after you use them. Clean up your kitchen supplies after you cook or make a snack. Return your bathroom supplies to the appropriate cabinets or drawers. Also, clean up any personal items you've gotten out that day, as well as any toys.
- Make sure your cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom are tidy before you go to bed. Maintaining clean counters will help you keep your home neat and functional!
- If you tend to leave things out or have kids, set aside 15 minutes every evening for a quick pick up of clutter or toys. Set your timer and clean as much as you can during that window.
3
Spend 15-30 minutes each day cleaning one room to make it easier. Rotate your cleaning schedule so you don't have to clean as often. If you can't clean every day, spread out your cleaning rotation over a longer period of time, such as biweekly.
- For example, you might clean your kitchen on Monday, your guest bathroom on Tuesday, your master bedroom on Wednesday, your master bathroom on Thursday, your living room on Friday, and the remaining bedrooms over the weekend.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I clean a table fast?

Community Answer

Remove any objects from the table and wipe it down with a damp sponge or cleaner. Once it dries, put the objects back in an organized manner.
Question

How do I clean my room fast if I am lazy?

Community Answer

If you want to make your room look clean, start with the main parts in your room: your bed, desk, floor, and dresser. If you have a closet, you can shove stuff in there, but cleaning the right way is always a better feeling and more sanitary.
Question

What can I do to like cleaning more?

Community Answer

Listen to your favorite music while cleaning. Singing along makes the process go by quickly.

Warnings

Avoid mixing cleaning products that contain bleach with products that contain ammonia or vinegar because they can make dangerous fumes.

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