June 7, 2024

How to Clean Your Home in an Hour

Keeping your home clean can be a struggle. We’ve all got busy lives, especially here in New York City. When you get some much-needed free time, the last thing you want to do is clean. But how can you relax when your space is messy?

You don’t have to spend the whole day cleaning your home to make a noticeable difference. By hitting the high points of your home, you can get your place in tip-top shape in an hour. Put on your favorite music or the next episode of your podcast and get to cleaning!

Benefits of Regularly Cleaning Your Home

Why is it so important to keep your home clean in the first place? If you don’t have guests over often, it can be tempting to leave your home in a state of disarray. There are certainly more enjoyable ways to spend your afternoon in New York City besides cleaning your home or apartment. But taking the time to maintain your space comes with a host of benefits.

Cleaning your home regularly keeps your family healthy by reducing the number of harmful bacteria in your space. When you come home from a long day in the city, you’re tracking in an untold amount of dirt and grime. You should take care to clean high-traffic areas frequently, especially during flu season.

Do you tend to lose track of things when you need them most? When your space is clean, you can easily find whatever you need instead of hunting down your belongings every time you need to leave. Everything in your home should have its own “home,” so you and your family members know exactly where to look for something.

A clean home is a happy home. You’ll be less stressed and can enjoy your space more when it’s tidy. Studies have repeatedly shown that clean spaces benefit both your physical and mental health. When there’s less visual clutter in your home, you’ll also have less clutter in your mind. Wouldn’t it be nice to walk into a room and not immediately start thinking about everything that should be cleaned or put away?

Step 1: Pick Up What Doesn’t Belong

When we’re busy, we tend to leave things lying around instead of putting them back in their proper places. If you can only spare a few minutes to clean, you should spend them gathering the “stragglers” around your home. You’ll notice a huge difference with minimal effort. You’ll simply need a trash bag and a container like a bucket or laundry basket.

Cleaning room by room, throw all trash away and put everything that isn’t in its “home” into an empty laundry basket. Don’t worry about putting these things away yet. We’re only focusing on gathering them. You can also straighten up as you go to make a tidier space overall, fixing crooked pictures or untidy tabletops.

At the end of this step, all flat surfaces should be cleared off, which makes a huge difference right away. If you’re trying to tidy up for company, simply accomplishing this step will make your space more presentable. You can put your laundry basket of random items in another room for now and return everything to its proper home later.

Step 2: Dust and Wipe

Now that your counters and shelves are free of clutter, you can clean them. An antibacterial wipe or your favorite cleaner and a paper towel are all you need to get your counters clean in a hurry. Hit the high points, but skip the nooks and crannies. When you’re cleaning quickly, you don’t want to waste time wiping down the ceiling fan.

One place that you should clean that you may not consider: the fridge. When you’re cleaning in a hurry, cleaning inside the fridge may feel like a waste of time. But throwing out leftovers or expired food has two huge benefits. Not only will you eliminate any strange odors in the kitchen, but you’ll also free up room for food and drinks that guests may bring.

Especially if your common areas have lots of natural light, dust can show up surprisingly easily. Take a minute or two and run a duster over your most visible shelves and counters. Luckily, dusting is a chore that can be done in a flash and still make a big difference visually. You can even skip entire rooms that guests won’t be using; just close the doors and focus on the common areas.

Step 3: Head to the Bathroom

If you’re cleaning because you’re having unexpected guests, don’t skip the bathroom. Close off any bathrooms that you don’t want your guests to enter. For the bathrooms that will be accessible, start by cleaning your mirror and countertop with your favorite cleaning solution. Polish the faucets for an extra shine.

You can then give the toilet a quick scrub and refill the soap dispenser or bring in more toilet paper if needed. Make sure there’s a clean hand towel near the sink as well. Finish off by emptying the trash and replacing the liner if you haven’t already. Getting your bathroom clean and presentable doesn’t have to take more than five minutes if you’re really tight on time.

Step 4: Vacuum

Finally, get out your vacuum and hit your high-traffic areas, including the entryway and living area. Vacuuming is the perfect way to end your power-cleaning session because it instantly freshens the space, fluffs up carpets or rugs, and gets rid of lingering dust and dirt. It’s fine if you don’t get every corner of the house; just aim for the most visible areas. If you have hard floors, use a dust mop to quickly take care of debris.

If you want to add one last step, spray a bit of room freshener or light a scented candle to finish off your cleaning session. A pleasant scent welcomes guests into your home, and if you’re simply cleaning for yourself, you can enjoy your favorite scent and appreciate the satisfying sensation of a job well done.

Quick Extras

The steps above will help you straighten your home in an hour or less. But if you still have some time before your guests arrive or you simply want to go the extra mile, you can choose a couple of small tasks that can make a huge difference in the look of the space.

The outside of your home should get some TLC along with the inside of your home. You can quickly sweep your front step or patio to get rid of leaves, sticks, or other debris. Straighten your doormat and wipe down the glass for an instant face-lift.

In a bedroom, one simple task can transform the look of a room: make the bed! It only takes a couple of minutes and instantly makes the space look tidier. If you can make the bed, gather miscellaneous items in your basket, and vacuum the carpet, you’ve got a tidy bedroom in less than ten minutes.

Last but not least, take a second to fluff the pillows and cushions on your couch or chairs in the living room.

Working with White Glove Cleaner

Keeping your house tidy and presentable doesn’t have to be a huge chore. Quick one-hour cleaning sessions like what we’ve outlined here can help you get back on track between more in-depth cleanings. But it’s important to realize that these speed cleans won’t get your home completely clean. You should still make sure your home is getting thoroughly tended to on a regular basis.

When you don’t have the time or the energy to fully clean your space, White Glove Cleaner can help. Our team of vetted and background-checked housekeepers in New York City are happy to serve residential and commercial customers throughout all five boroughs. We can help you maintain your space and get back more time to spend on the things you love doing.

White Glove Cleaner provides a range of one-time cleaning services, like move-in/move-out cleanings or Airbnb cleanings. But our most popular services are our recurring cleanings, which can be scheduled on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. We’ll take care of major chores like sweeping and mopping, vacuuming carpets, cleaning countertops, and taking out the trash. Additional services like laundry or cabinet organization can be added for a small fee.

Don’t let cleaning your house become the low point of your week. Contact the team at White Glove Cleaner today to see how we can help.