When your household budget won’t quite stretch to the cost of paid cleaning, cleaning just like a paid cleaning service can be a great way to have an organised and clean home and this speed cleaning lesson might just be the answer for you! If you are looking for efficiency, convenience and overall cleanliness, these pro cleaning tips will do wonders for you. Learn to clean like the professional cleaners who not only complete the job within a short period but will also handle it seamlessly leaving nothing untouched.
#1 Invest in proper tools
While cleaning, professionals usually don’t apply tools that can only be used once. They also don’t use tools that are cheap and or those hyped by TV commercials. Just as they avoid cheap working equipment bought from local supermarkets or convenience stores, follow suit. Instead, buy well made cleaning tools that can clean efficiently and make your work easier. If you need to replace an old mop, go for a Sh-mop or a Magic Mop.
You also want to get hold of some ‘detailing towels’ which you can buy from the auto parts section in any store. These are white terry cleaning cloths that you can easily launder in bleach or hot water and they are durable as well. Most importantly, they can easily clean floors, walls and even counters.
#2 Schedule cleaning as a job
Just like professional cleaners always do, schedule every cleaning job. These professionals usually have a regular weekly cleaning schedule that they strictly adhere to. Therefore, they plan ahead for every cleaning job they attend to.
You should also do the same by scheduling your cleaning task and then following through with it. Dismiss the urge to clean when you feel like or in between stops. Just like the pros, stick to the cleaning task and don’t stop until you finish it within a set time. In doing this, you will always have a clean home. You can download a free cleaning schedule here.
An example cleaning schedule:
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#3 Pick it up
Before you even start cleaning, make sure that the floors and appliances are clean and free from clutter, dirty dishes, papers or toys. Your furniture should also be clean. These are areas that professionals usually come to tidy up and therefore expect them to be clean.
This gives them a head start to start cleaning immediately. Besides, you would not want them to start sweeping the clutter and heap them in a corner. Therefore, just like a professional cleaner, deal with any clutter you see around before you start to clean. These are unnecessary distractions that will hinder your progress.
#4 Dress for success
Dress yourself in work clothes that you can easily wash later. This is what real cleaning pros do. The clothes should be comfortable complete with knee-pads and supportive shoes. To protect yourself from cleaning chemicals, put on gloves (and if you’re using really harsh cleaners such as oven cleaners, goggles are also a good idea) plus an apron that will let you reach for supplies and working tools quite easily.
For all your cleaning tasks, have a designated cleaning uniform to wear. This should also include gloves, shoes and (where needed) eye protection gear. Avoid normal clothes because these will only get stained as you clean.
#5 Think teamwork
While working, adopt the team work strategy. Just like the professional cleaners, work in groups to make the tasks simpler and you will finish them faster.
If you are cleaning your home when your whole family is around, involve them in the chores. Besides, by taking part in the cleaning duties, they will be more careful not to mess up the house afterwards.
#6 Simplify supplies
Professional cleaners only carry the tools they require while working. Whether it is multi-purpose solutions that they require, they have narrowed down their choices and therefore only carry a few tools in a tray.
The usually carry the following cleaning tools;
- Tile cleaner
- Heavy-duty degreasing cleaner
- Powdered abrasive cleanser
- Light-duty evaporating cleaner (glass cleaner or multi-surface cleaner)
As you can see they don’t carry single-use products or scum removers for cleaning walls, fans or blinds. Instead, they know that the four tools above can easily handle simple cleaning jobs.
#7 Get motivated
Limiting distractions is what makes the pros great in their work. You should also avoid checking your mails, watching soap operas or any other form of distraction that will hinder your focus as you clean. If the TV is your main distraction at home, turn it off.
Energize yourself while cleaning by playing an upbeat music. This will keep you motivated during cleaning sessions. If you love reading, play a book-on-tape on your iPod.
If you usually get bored while cleaning alone, team up with close family members or friends. If you are a parent teach your child how to clean and they will find such skills valuable later in life.
#8 Tote your tools
If you are an average cleaner, you will find it hard to clean especially if you are not equipped with the tools you require. You want to clean your walls or scrub your floors, yet you have no idea where mop towels and toilet bruses are. You also don’t know where the squeegee or the vacuum cleaner is. Simply put, you are confused.
Act like a pro and carry your tools with you!
You should have a tray where all the tools you need are. Before you even start cleaning, also know where rags, brushes and cleansers are. Mini-vacs, mops and vacuum cleaners should be ready and waiting in the doorway. A waving feather duster should be close and in your pockets carry a plastic bag for collecting trash. This attention to the details is what makes a pro effective at their job.
Do the same!
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#9 Two hands are better than one
To work efficiently like professional cleaners do, use both your two hands. While cleaning mirrors, spray them with one hand and wipe with the other. Wash clothes with two hands and scrub your counters with two sponges as well. As you dust, clean nooks and crannies with a lamb wool duster in one hand and skim flat surfaces with a feather duster in the other hand.
#10 Make every movement count
If you watch professional cleaners you will notice that they clean with a single swipe and they don’t circle a room twice. They don’t spend more time cleaning a single area whether they are cleaning sinks, counters or appliances. They will spray, wipe, scrub and polish them once and move on to the next task.
The trick here is to make your movements count by cleaning everything in your path before moving on.
#11 Tidy Up for Next Time
When completing the cleaning task, the pros usually tidy things up by returning tools to their storage areas. They refill spray bottles and tidy up totes. Soiled cloths are washed and then taken to the dryer. Their main objective here is to have a head start next time they come to clean.
Ready to get started? Why not download your free cleaning schedule first? Click here. With the rising unemployment rate and so many applicants for every job vacancy, an increasing number of people are becoming unemployed – and setting up a cleaning business is the perfect way to make money without needing a huge amount of investment in special equipment.