Tips To Make Housecleaning Easy

Everyone wants a clean house, but who has the time to keep it that way? With the holidays approaching, time is at a premium, so efficiency is the watchword.

Jane Lawson teaches courses on efficient cleaning methods through the Learning Connection in Providence and is a consultant for cleaning companies in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Here are her tips for effective cleaning:

Use an extension cord when vacuuming, so you don’t have to keep looking for electric outlets to plug into.

When cleaning things on a shelf, move items to one side, clean the surface, then put them back.

If you’re going to be cooking something greasy on the stove, think ahead and place a piece of tin foil under the grill to catch drips.

Schedule your work. Many projects don’t need to be done every week. Fit projects into time frames when they’re most convenient: For example, wipe down refrigerator shelves before you go to the supermarket. With fewer items in there, it will be easier to clean.

Sweep floors, rather than washing them, every other time you clean. A bathroom floor, for example, may just have hairs and dust after a week.

To clean a microwave oven easily, let a cup of water boil in it for a few minutes. That will have the effect of steaming off much of the accumulated dirt before you begin to wipe it.