From Home Made Simple (future reference to myself and for others who need this)
Bless This Mess
When I start to feel overwhelmed and cranky about the never-ending battle with chaos and clutter, I try to think about all the reasons I have to be grateful - for everything from dirty dishes after a wonderful family meal to fingerprints left by curious little hands. If I stop and close my eyes for a few seconds and reflect on this, things usually look a little different once I open them again. When that fails, baby wipes! I keep them stashed everywhere for fast cleanups.
Sharon Sausville
Issaquah, Washington
The Art of Clean
When I was growing up, the lemony smell of Pledge signaled that my mom was cleaning. Today, because I usually don't have time to dust every surface and eliminate clutter, I've found that lighting lemon-scented candles triggers that cleaning memory and provides inspiration when I have to rush. The lemon scent has the added benefit of fooling people into thinking I've been dusting all day.
Trish Wethman
Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
Get me mad and I'll clean anything. Doesn't matter what it is - doesn't matter how dirty it is. I will turn on my headbanger radio station and go to town.
Jennifer Richard
Carl Junction, Missouri
I always clean the shower when I'm in it. I leave the cleaning products in there, and while I'm waiting for my conditioner to work its magic on my hair, I'm doing my own magic on mildew and soap scum.
Dana Saint Germain
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
To make cleaning quicker and easier, I keep supplies on each level of my home. When I notice that the mirrors on the second floor need cleaning, I don't have to head to the basement to get what I need.
Patti Scheuman
Wheaton, Illinois
Having everyone take off their shoes cuts my floor-cleaning time in half. A basket of knit slippers sits on the landing, inviting guests and family members to make themselves at home, keep their feet warm, and keep the floors clean.
Keri Matwick
Eagle River, Alaska
Blasting Prince's The Hits 1 and 2 on the stereo keeps me moving real fast and makes cleaning fly by.
Nicole Tate
Raleigh, North Carolina
Tooling Around
Old socks. Orphaned or threadbare socks make great dusting cloths. Because they slip right onto your hands, they're also great for scrubbing dishes and cleaning glass.
Christina-Marie Wrightyd
Orondo, Washington
I walk through the house with an empty basket and dump all the clutter into it. The house looks clean in minutes, and I can either sort it all or stash it fast.
Lisa Thomas
Alexandria, Virginia
I use a can of compressed air (available at office-supply and hardware stores). Sure, it's great for blowing the dust out of computer keyboards, but it also helps clean out the tiny grooves on my kitchen and coffee tables, where crumbs love to hide. Plus, it's a quick fix between dusting jobs for all furniture surfaces.
Caytie Frampton
Farmington, Utah
When children work on craft projects with tiny things like glitter and beads, I keep a restaurant table crumber nearby. At cleanup time, I simply scoop up their mess.
Ria Abellera
San Jose, California
The best speed-cleaning tool I have is a sticky lint roller. You can use it to dust bookcases in a hurry, pick up toddler scraps, and get dog hair off anything, and it's the best thing I've found for cleaning lampshades. For corners and other small spaces, just tear off a single sheet. No more pulling out the vacuum and its 101 attachments.
Amy Anglin
Berea, Kentucky
If the bathroom needs a quick sprucing up and I don't have time to haul out numerous special cleansers, I grab a few cotton balls and some rubbing alcohol. I wipe down the faucets, toilet handle, seat, and rim. The alcohol kills germs, removes spots, and doesn't mess up my clothes.
Gloria Smith
Portland, Oregon
Ready, Set, Go!
I invite someone over for dinner. Nothing else fills me with that much energy. I run around decluttering and scrubbing and marvel at how fast the place gets clean.
Emily Fish
Hingham, Massachusetts
I promise myself a treat after I reach the cleaning goal. A nice glass of red wine waiting at the finish line helps spur me on.
Emily Merryman
Nashville, Tennessee
I get most of my cleaning done during TV commercials. I have a task planned for each break. I straighten my desk, do the dishes, scrub the tub, or dust, then rush back to the TV once I hear the show starting again.
Regina Sun
Minneapolis, Minnesota
I have a four-month-old, so all cleaning is speed-cleaning. I wait for the baby to fall asleep, then clean as much as I can before she wakes up. Exhausting but effective.
Kate Pearsall
Cedar Springs, Michigan
I set a timer for 15 minutes and see how much cleaning I can do in the kitchen in that amount of time. This morning I emptied the dishwasher and refilled it, made four trays of ice cubes, sanitized the kitchen counters and sink, took out a roast to defrost, mixed up a pitcher of green tea, and put a load of towels in the washer. Then I sat down to admire my clean kitchen with a glass of tea, and voilà! The timer went off.
Helen Curlee
Alexandria, Virginia
Playtime
I make a game of it. My children and I play "I Spy" with the items that need to be picked up. I'll say, "I spy something small and red," and the children rush to see who can spot it first and put it away fastest.
Christina Washburn
La Vista, Nebraska
After mopping the floors, I put small, old socks on the paws of my two dogs, Cortez and Cal. Then I let them run wild through the house. It sure speeds up the drying time.
Meghan Cooper
Las Vegas, Nevada
Ignore It
Turn off the bright overhead lights and leave just a nice table lamp on. It's amazing how much dust and dirt dim lights can hide.
Kimberly Scholten
Denver, Colorado
When I remember that I'm having people over to enjoy their company, I stop worrying about whether they're judging the appearance of my house. Letting go - I guess that's less of a trick and more of a resolution.
Leslie Bachman
Portland, Oregon
My speediest cleaning trick is to throw everything into my closet and shut the doors.
Amy Wenstrup
Cold Spring, Kentucky
I want to add the one about cleaning the shower...I wait til hubby gets his shower and while it's still good and steamy I spray it up really good and let the cleaner do it's job and then get in and go to town.
After I dust with an old unmatched sock I just throw it away.