What do you like to do on weekends? Is it cleaning the house? It would be a fair assumption to guess the answer is a resounding no. But, we all need to do it, and the more efficient we are, the less time-consuming it will be. These are our tips.

Create a Cleaning Plan

A proper organization is a key to a sparkly clean house. It is also a time saver. Creating a cleaning plan will help you stay focused and get the work done. Your cleaning checklist should contain tasks you want to perform weekly, as well as those you don't need to do so often.

Dusting and vacuuming are weekly activities, but cleaning the stove, oven, and refrigerator inside are tasks you can do from time to time. However, make sure to put them on your checklist because we tend to forget about them.

Cleaning Can Be a Family Activity

Let's be honest, cleaning is no one's favorite activity, but if we want to live in a healthy environment, we need to roll up our sleeves and do it. Gather your family members and tell them what the cleaning plan is. You'll have the best results if you schedule cleaning in advance and assign tasks to each member.

In case you live alone, you can call some of your closest friends and ask them to help you. It can be a cleaning party. So make sure to provide some food and refreshments. You can also turn on some music during the process. Dancing and cleaning, it even sounds fun.

Put All the Cleaning Tools in One Place

If your goal is efficient cleaning, you need to have all your cleaning tools gathered and put in a portable place. It can be a tote bag, bucket, or caddy bag. Once you finish using it, put every tool back, so you don't have to think about collecting them the next time you decide to clean the house.

Keep the Tools Clean

If we want to clean our homes properly, we need to have clean tools. Yes, cleaning is exhausting, and we don't want to spend hours doing it, but leaving dirty tools will make the next cleaning session a nightmare. Remember, you don't need to spend hours polishing cleaning tools; all you should do is wash them routinely.

The Joy of Decluttering

Cleaning may not be the most entertaining activity, but shopping certainly is. We love to buy stuff, and we tend to buy lots of it. We use the items for a while and then toss them aside. And soon enough those same items start to clutter our space and collect dust. What's the solution? Well, number one is reasonable shopping, and number two is decluttering.

Prior to cleaning your house, go through every room and remove every item you don't use. If it is still usable, whether it is a coffee mug, an appliance, or a piece of clothing, consider selling or donating it.

Organize Cleaning By Tasks, Not By Rooms

If you want the cleaning to go as smoothly as possible, pick one task and do it in every room. You'll see how efficient this method is, unlike choosing one room and cleaning it separately. If you clean the entire house, not one room at a time, you'll prevent feeling exhausted from doing the same thing over and over again.

It's Time for Dusting (and Vacuuming)

Once you start dusting, focus on the tops of the furniture and undersides of shelves, TV screens, and picture frames. For areas such as the upper shelves and blinds, use a microfiber cloth tied to the end of a broom.

The next task is vacuuming. As we have mentioned earlier, go through the entire house and run the vacuum in every carpeted room. You should try and keep a fairly regular schedule, but in this fast-paced world we live in not everyone can commit to this and there will be areas that will be neglected. Cleaning those carpets can be tricky, and should you come across some particularly stubborn spots, it might be worth considering a professional consultation for the job.

Pay Attention to Sinks and Tubs

Keeping tubs and sinks clean is of the utmost importance. Fortunately, the process is pretty straightforward. Start with spraying cleaner on the kitchen sink and then on bathroom sinks and tubs. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and start scrubbing.

Clean the kitchen sink first, then go to the bathroom. Repeat the same procedure to clean the toilet as well. While in the kitchen, make sure to clean the inside of the microwave and check the kitchen trash can is also clean, as plastic bags can sometimes rip.

Sweep and Mop Floors

Another crucial cleaning step is taking care of the kitchen and bathroom floors. Begin mopping from the farthest corner in the kitchen or bathroom and move towards the doorway. Also, don't forget to wash the mop every time you transfer from one area to another. And to that end, it’s best to have two different buckets where you can transfer the dirty contents into.

Now, when your home is polished and gleaming, you can enjoy the rest of the weekend. Order some food, relax and inform your handy helpers when the next cleaning session will be. Just kidding.