Clean it like you mean it

I love a clean house but don't often have the time to do it as well or as thoroughly as I'd like and I am too cheap to employ a professional cleaning lady so...here is what works for me

De-clutter before you begin to clean

--remove items from table tops and counters

--throw away junk mail and newspapers

Work Clockwise and set a time limit

--set a time limit to assure you'll work efficiently. Play lively music to get you going and make it seem less a chore

--If you are using a cleaning product (toilet bowl or tub, for example) Spray first and allow the product to work while you focus on other cleaning tasks. This uses less elbow grease

--start at the entrance of a room and clean clockwise until you are back at the entrance of the room

--vacuum first and then dust to catch what dust you stirred up while vacuuming

IF you are dusting walls and baseboards, light fixtures, etc be sure to dust those first and then do the furniture after you've vacuumed

SIMPLIFY

--use only a few cleaning products that work for you

--I LOVE microfiber cleaning cloths. Dampen slightly and use to clean glass table tops, mirrors and windows. These are perfect dust catchers and even work on your blinds.

--Mr. Clean magic erasers work for those fingerprints on door and banisters-no scrubbing required

--Scrub using BOTH Hands for more power or wash with the right hand and dry with the left hand

--reduce clutter (knick-knacks) to make cleaning easier

--sometimes good enough is...well, GOOD enough!

--get in the habit of putting things away or wiping up the spill as soon as you you're done (let me know how you teach this to your pre-teen)

The devil is in the details

--don't forget door handles, cabinet pulls, behind the appliances on the counter

--sometimes just replacing that nasty shower curtain liner or the stove burner is more efficient than cleaning it

--if you're in a pinch, only do the room that company will see or hit only the hot spots (clean the toilet, vacuum high traffic areas)