Day 33: Speed-cleaning tips

In addition to being a neat freak, I could be dubbed a speed cleaner. I'm fast. Very fast. Of course, part of this is due to the fact that I clean so much, and so often, that it just doesn't take as much time or effort to KEEP everything clean! This goes hand in hand with a great, common-sense tip from our handy-dandy neat freak cheat sheet: do a little cleaning everyday, and you won't have it all build up to HOURS of cleaning once a week... or DAYS of cleaning once a month!

At any rate, I did a little digging on the internet today and found a fellow speed cleaner, Laura Dellutri, a Kansas City, Mo.-based cleaning expert and author of "Speed Cleaning 101." I have never heard of her before, and, no, I do not have her book (yet!?!), but I noticed a list of her favorite cleaning tips, and I thought I'd pass them along to you!

• In each room, clean from top to bottom. Dust and clean the top shelves, mirror tops, etc., and work your way down. "Dust and dirt fall," she explains.
  
• Work rooms in concentric circles, from outer to inner. (Does anyone have a theory on this one? Is this a good way to round-up the dirt and grime and keep it from escaping in to adjacent rooms?!)
  
• Have all your supplies on you or near you. Dellutri uses a lightweight backpack vacuum cleaner and attaches rags and spray bottles of cleaning products to the pack's waistband. (I sometimes use a "garden" apron. I stuff the pockets with cleaning products and old t-shirts, so I'm ready for just about anything, anywhere! Or, you can dump what you need in a bucket or basket and tote it around with you. I also keep cleaning products where I need them. Bathroom cleaners in EVERY bathroom. Kitchen cleaning supplies... in the kitchen. Profound!!!)
  
• Stay focused. Don't take breaks to talk to your friends, pet the dog or do laundry. "That's why it takes all day," Dellutri says. (I don't know about this one. I tend to break in between tasks. For instance, I may vacuum in the morning and clean the kitchen in the afternoon....)
  
• Don't clean clean. Cleaning surfaces that aren't dirty wastes a ton of time, Dellutri explains. For instance, don't clean the entire patio door, clean just the door handle that shows fingerprints. (Wow-- this might be tough for the perfectionists out there! Of course, I tend to do this as well, especially in the dining room!)
  
• Minimize products. Dellutri uses only three products: glass cleaner with disinfectant, a multipurpose cleaner (in her case, Kaboom) and an all-purpose cleanser (Dellutri likes cream cleansers).
• Use rags. Microfiber cleaning cloths pick up more dirt and bacteria, and they won't streak surfaces, Dellutri said.

Now, THAT's neat!