According to The Maids, spring cleaning typically takes at least four hours per 1,000 square feet.
“You can clean virtually any house in about four hours a week. I learned this when I had a residential house cleaning business,” says Sherry Hewins. “The keys to being able to clean your house are organization and consistency.”
Although you don’t have to spring clean your home every weekend, getting organized and optimizing the task to make the process more efficient should help keep it as short and sweet as possible.
Select chores based on how much time you have to clean
What to clean depending on how much time you have available:
| Time | Kitchen | Bathroom | General |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – 3 hours | • Wipe down kitchen counters • Clean/disinfect kitchen sink • Clean inside microwave • Wipe down stove top • Clean garbage disposal | • Wipe down bathroom counters/vanity and mirror • Clean/disinfect bathroom sink and toilet • Scrub tub, shower walls, tile and grout • Clean shower racks | • Declutter • Dust furniture and surfaces • Sweep, mop and polish floors |
| 4 – 8 hours | • Clean/polish kitchen appliances • Clean stove top, drip pans and knobs • Clean inside refrigerator and freezer • Clean the oven | • Vacuum floors and upholstered furniture • Polish/treat furniture • Disinfect door knobs, light switches, remote controls • Dust/clean cords and cables • Clean door frames |
|
| 9 – 12 hours | • Wipe down and clean inside kitchen cabinets • Clean behind oven and refrigerator • Clean fridge's condenser coils or fan • Clean dishwasher • Clean/degrease range hood and filter • Empty and clean pantry, including floor and door | • Clean inside bathroom cabinets | • Vacuum mattress • Wash pillows • Clean windows and window screens • Wash and replace curtains • Clean blinds • Clean lamp shades, light fixtures and ceiling fans • Vacuum and wash rugs/carpets, including stairs and closets • Clean behind and under furniture • Wipe down walls, including areas around plugs/switches • Dust vents and replace air filters • Clean dryer vent • Sanitize wastebaskets |
How to maintain your appliances without voiding your home warranty
Use apps and checklists
Top-rated apps like Spring Cleaning Checklist (free, Android) and Tody ($3.99, iOS) have everything from checklists and reminders, to cleaning playlists and how-to videos. You can gamify your spring cleaning, split chores up between everyone in the house, or schedule them out.
Cleaning hacks
“Nobody wants to spend all their time cleaning,” says blogger and life hacker Vanessa Beaty. Her cleaning hacks range from removing water stains from a table with a blow-dryer, to cleaning tight spaces with the tip of a ketchup bottle, and have been pinned 70,000 times.
YouTube is a good resource for cleaning hacks that have been tried and tested, with how-to videos typically offering detailed instructions that are easy to follow.
Take strategic breaks
Research shows that productivity increases if you incorporate frequent breaks into your work. “Every 90 minutes, our body tells us to take a break from what we’re doing because it’s getting tired,” explains productivity expert Cathy Sexton, adding that breaks a good way to refresh your focus.
Breaks are also a good time to hydrate and eat something to replenish your energy.
Do you have any spring cleaning tips to share?
Great guide, cleaning hacks are a good way to get things done faster! Whatever you need to do, there will be a hack for it!