Cleaning Your Living Room in Less Than 15 Minutes

Keeping a house clean is no easy task. However, when guests come over you will want to be able to whip your house into shape in no time.

Even if you cannot get to the whole home, you will want to make sure that the areas where the guests will be are clean and inviting. Here are a few tips for making your living room sparkling clean in only a few minutes:

1. Place a large, empty box and trash can in the middle of the room
2. Collect all of the dishes and take them to the kitchen
3. Begin moving around the room and throwing the trash into the waste basket and the items that need to be put in different rooms in the box
4. Then, put the wastebasket away and empty it if necessary
5. If you have time, put the items in the box away, but if not, hide it in a closet
6. Use a damp washcloth to wipe down the furniture  and pictures and a dry one to dry them off
7. Stack all magazines and books nicely
8. Check the decorations to make sure they are straight
9. Use an air freshener
10. Quickly vacuum

With all of these things on hand, you should be able to have a straight, clean living room that you will feel comfortable entertaining in, in no time. Of course, later you will need to empty out the cardboard box or you will run out of closet space.

Creating a Schedule for Your House Cleaning

When you are struggling keeping your home clean you can start to institute a cleaning schedule.  Being more organized about the cleaning chores in your home is a great way to learn how you are going to keep your entire home clean on a consistent basis.

When you make your schedule you should include…

1. Daily cleaning chores
2. Weekly cleaning chores
3. Monthly cleaning chores
4. Yearly cleaning chores

For example, it is not necessary that you are cleaning out your attic on a daily basis.  But, it is important that you are wiping down your countertops and cleaning them off on a daily basis.  Write down everything that needs to be done in your home and figure out how often that chore needs to be done.

When you wake up in the morning try knocking out a few chores. Many people avoid the cleaning because it is not something that they enjoy doing.  Even if you do not enjoy doing it, try to knock it out as soon as possible.

When you can knock out the chore early, you will improve the quality of your day.  If you have hired someone to help you with your cleaning you may want to sit down with whomever you hired and go over this list of expectations so that you both understand what needs to be done in your home and when it needs to be done.

Reducing the Number of Allergens in Your Home

If you suffer from spring and summer allergies, reducing the number of allergens in your home is essential to your health. Regular cleaning of your home can greatly help with this problem, so that you can feel allergy-free and healthy.

Believe it or not, allergens come in many different forms—they can settle into your carpet, your upholstery, your pillow, and more. When you clean your home on a regular basis, you can stop these allergens from accumulating, and causing allergic reactions in you and your family.

When it comes to specific cleaning tips, make sure that you wash your bed linens on a weekly basis, in hot water. Vacuuming your mattress regularly can help as well. Be sure to vacuum your carpet and rugs at least twice a week. These surfaces are the quickest to accumulate unwanted substances! Try vacuuming your upholstered furniture regularly, and wipe down all your surfaces with a warm, wet rag. Do not forget the blades of your ceiling fans! They spread dust mites and particles all over the room when they are on.

If you are careful to do a thorough cleaning of your home at least once a week, you may find that your allergies improve significantly. If you do not have the time to do a thorough clean, try enlisting the help of a home cleaning service. They can help to keep your allergy bases covered, even when life gets busy.