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Hire a cleaning lady. Although I just fired mine. Damn.

Oh, I have a really good one! When your microwave is all disgusting from heating up the leftover spaghetti, and you think it’s just impossible because it will take three hours to scrub all that dried-on tomato off, put a small bowl of water (splash of vinegar optional) in the microwave for one minute (or until it’s hot). The steam will loosen everything and you can just wipe it off.

Mine is have your kids do it for you!

Set the kids loose with rubber gloves and a bucket of soapy water - they’re still young enough to think it’s fun!

I pay my mother to come and clean my house once a month. She does this for a living and she can really use the money. So it’s a win win situation for me.

That counts right?

My cleaning shortcut is using the Clorox or Lysol wipes. I use them in the bathroom, in the kitchen, even to do quick mop ups on the floors!

When you are cooking a meal, have soapy water waiting in the sink. Throw dishes in there as you use them. It makes clean up much faster.

Since we had to give up the cleaning lady 8 mostly use Clorox wipes and Clorox toilet tablets. I wear those things keep the toilet clean for a month. Because cleaning toilets, EWWWWWWW! I am bummed that I can’t find the Mr.Clean bathtub pads for that Mr.Clean stick I have. I am too short and pregnant to be leaning into the tub.

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One hour cleaning sprint on Saturday mornings. Everything I can do under an hour! Then I reward myself with a special treat like a Tim Horton coffee or a new magasine. That I drink/read in my new clean living room.

Probably not the greatest tip, but I take my washcloth after showering and wipe down the sink and then the toilet tank. Since I’m going to wash it anyway, I use it to do a quick wipe-down before I throw it in the laundry.

Oh and those used dryer sheets, I throw them on the bottom of my wastebaskets before I put a bag in. There’s still some scent left in them and if there’s a leaker in the bag, they help absorb the gook before it hits the bottom of the wastebasket..easier for clean-up then.

We have darkish hardwood everywhere in the house. If I want it to look like i spent hours cleaning (but really only 15 min) I break out the vacuum and get the big dust bunnies from the corners and the stairs. No one notices a few little hairs in the middle of the floor - but tumble bunnies - they see those.

Baskets. Lots of baskets. I go around and grab all the clutter - and sort it out later when I have more time. My son has a dirty little boy room, too - my shortcut for that is to close the door!

I pile everything on top of our bed and sort away from there! Just not having to bend down and pick everything up one by one seems to make things go quicker.

My favorite cleaning shortcut is to clean on a set weekly schedule, doing one or two chores every day so that by the end of the week the entire house has been cleaned but I’ve never spent more than half an hour per day on any of it. Glorious!

I don’t keep more than 10 outfits in my kids’ dresser drawers at a time. That way there isn’t that much of a chance for the laundry to pile up — if I don’t throw in a load they won’t have anything to wear.

I’ve instructed my kids to wear their pajamas for two nights in a row, to cut down ever so slightly on my laundry duties.

If I know it’s a particularly messy meal, I’ll lay newspaper under my 2-year-old’s chair, so I don’t have to deal with extra cleaning. It’s like a litter box for kids.

I’ve talked my husband into doing the dishes whenever I cook. Does that count as a shortcut?

I have one of those dorky cleaning caddies with the my stuff already in it. Then, I carry it up and down the stairs and to each bathroom without lugging all the other stuff. Truthfully, I don’t clean anymore often than I have to!

First of all, I loved that you called your Daddy Daddy. There should be no shame in Daddy-calling! I call my Dad Daddy all the time, and I probably will until I’m 90.

Second of all, my favorite cleaning shortcut is to pay someone else to do it. Failing that, however, I find wiping the countertops, making the bed, and straightening the pillows on the couch goes a long way to saving my sanity. That and keep the lights really, really low and telling everyone not to walk around barefoot.

I can’t believe I’m about to admit this. We only use one of our bathrooms, that way I only have to clean one. I also rotate clothing out so that I have less to wash, fold and put away. Also, I bought huge colorful containers for toys. That way they just have to throw them in there to clean up. And after every birthday and Christmas, we go through and “make room” for the new toys by donating old toys that aren’t played with anymore. (I have so many tips because I am so lazy.)

Wipe the kitchen counters down after each meal prep. Wipe the bathroom down each night before bed. Keep cleaning supplies in each bathroom. One day a week take 60 to 90 minutes to put away all the stuff that inevitably piles up on the table, side counter, message center, etc.

Clorox wipes are so helpful. And I am teaching my kids to wipe down the mirrors. They are young enough that this is still exciting to them.

My favorite cleaning shortcut is to hire someone else to do it. In fact, my someone else is at my house right now so when I walk in the door after work today, I know I will be greeted by the most wonderful scent in the world which is: Lemon Lysol Not Applied By My Own Hand.

When I’m really short on time I just sweep the room with a glance and call it good enough!

Don’t tell my seven-year-old, but we’ve taken to weeding the toys and recycling the art every chance we get. She hasn’t missed anything, and we have less to pick up and/or store.

Next up? Hired help.

I love using lysol wipes. They make cleaning the counters so easy!

My favorite cleaning shortcut: Wet wipes. I clean the bsathroom with wet wipes if a babysitter is coming over that day. To give the appearance that it actually has been seriously cleaned.

Wipes! I keep containers in both bathrooms and under the sink in the kitchen….fast, smells great. Also, a few quick squirts of a great scent makes the house smell clean even if it isn’t! :0

Roomba. Start it at night as you’re going to bed, let it run until the batteries die, then empty the dust bin in the morning and put it back on the charger. Wonderful for our big dog who sheds and our three toddlers who trail crumbs everywhere! Plus, I rarely have to get out the real vacuum cleaner, and I’m all for that.

Make the kids do it! Turn their natural competitive streak to your advantage by seeing “who can get their side of the table cleanest?” or “who can pick up their room first?” Works like a charm. They’re still little though, so I’m afraid someday this won’t work anymore.

Clorox wipes for the bathroom, wipe down every day or two so it never gets two bad.

You mean besides just skipping it during a busy week? Maybe I should read the comments to get some good ideas, ’cause I got nuthin’.

If I were ever to clean (seriously, I hate nothing more than cleaning), I think my favorite shorcut is Swiffers. I have all hardwood floors and two cats, so it is perfect for picking up those hairballs. Now if I could somehow figure out how to tie the Swiffer cloths to the cats, I’d be golden.

I am really wanting the iTunes gift card because Metalia told me about the gChat app for the iPhone that I have to have and don’t want to pay for!

Take five or ten minutes at the end of every day to put shoes back in closets, blankets back in baskets, newspapers in recycle bin, mail into a keep or toss pile. Ditto with pajamas, work clothes, dirty clothes. Basically, if you get something out, put it back where you found it. If everything has a place, and you keep things in their place, you never have to wade through piles and piles of junk. It makes cleaning your main focus (when you have the time) instead of processing people’s sh&t. It’s a lot less daunting for me that way. This has worked for me all my life and after 8 years of marriage I think I’ve FINALLY gotten my husband on board with this plan. Working on child….

God bless those wonderful folks over at Roomba.

Not only does it vacuum for me, but it entertains my 2.5 year old to such a degree that I can clean another room while he “supervises” it!

I think just picking up the clutter around the house makes everything look better. Even if you just put it in neat little piles.

When I’m rushed, I abide by the rule of “If I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. If it doesn’t exist, I don’t have to clean it.” Seriously - giant pile of mail taking over the kitchen table? It goes in the coffee table drawer. 30 seconds to sweep before company arrives? They’ll never know what’s under the couch.

My kids empty the dishwasher. Every day. I haaate the dishwasher. Also, my oldest does his own laundry and if I cajole him, his brothers’ laundry as well on occasion.

My other tip–to make your husband think you’ve spent all day cleaning, make sure you vacuum right before he comes home. If they see vacuum tracks in the carpet, they’re easily fooled.

I love love love Clorox wipes. I also hire someone when things get out of control for a deep-cleaning!

I’m not gonna lie with it being winter and I’m always wearing a sweatshirt aruond the house. That last day you can wear it before it gets stanky. Well, I use my sleeves to dust. I also will take the laundry basket from room to use collect and redistribute items as needed.

My quickest tip is making sure everything is staightened up and neat. Even if it isn’t clean, it sure looks like it.

I use baby wipes for everything. The kitchen table and counters, it even works on most carpet spills!

I take my glasses off. What dirt?

Give it away!

My stay at home fiance (victim of this loverly economy) does ALL the household work. Cleaning, dusting, laundry, vacuuming, cook AND wash dishes…. While I do not recommend this particular type of shortcut - I don’t lift a finger when I get home. Does it count??

Is there really a shortcut? I deffinitely haven’t found it!

I keep a box in the corner of my bedroom for donations to the local thrift store. I regularly stumble upon something that I don’t need, don’t use, don’t want, and it automatically goes there. Box full? Drive through drop off. Easy peasy.

Method makes some flushable wipes that I keep in every bathroom to wipe down the counters every day. I keep clorox wipes in the kitchen for quick clean-ups in there.

I like to keep little baskets in the corner of the kitchen with each family members name on them so I can divide “stuff” that creeps into the kitchen/living area. It’s a fast and easy way to give them back to the owner!

Mine is to dust while on the phone with your sister or mom. Makes the time go by so much faster.

Flush-able wipes…great for little boy bathroom messes.

My favorite cleaning shortcut involves throwing clutter into a box or basket and storing said clutter in a closet. Works in a pinch, like when your hubby has promised you that he will clean the house since he has the day off and you have to work and company is coming. Sounds wonderful, right? Yes it does! That is until you get home from work 20 minutes prior to the arrival of said company, only to discover by “cleaning house” your loving husband meant “garage”.

my boyfriend is a neat freak so when he comes over, i am guilt tripped into quickly cleaning up before he comes over.

Oh how I wish I had a shortcut - I need a shortcut. I guess my “shortcut” would be that we just bought a little vacuum (in between a dust buster and a regular vacuum) that makes cleaning up little messes easier.

I like to use my make-up remove pad to wipe down the bathroom sink area when I’m done wiping down my face. Just gives it the little help it needs until I can really scrub it down.

Usually, I move a few things around in a pathetic fashion and look exhausted and overwhelmed, at which point my husband swoops in and does this crazy whirling dirvish (sp?) thing where he cleans everything in, like, 15 minutes. I mean, not CLEAN, but tidies. And that’s enough for me.

Shortcut? Does putting it all off until the last minute before company arrives count?

I shove things in the closet! Or cupboard, or office. Really helpful when I’m looking for the W-2 later, though.

I pick up one room a day for fifteen minutes. Even if that is the only cleaning I do- it helps keep the house from reaching the tipping point where everything is out of control. Some days, that is the best I can do.

I’m not saying I’ll win, but I am saying my shortcut is the best shortcut ever.

Put the stopper in the sink.
Run scalding hot water.
Add 1/3 of a bottle of Pine-Sol.
Let sit until just before guests arrive.
Instant gratification.
Scent tricks vision into thinking you’ve just walked into a marvelously clean house.

I usually sigh loudly so my husband can hear, while taking out the vacuum. Then he will volunteer to vacuum the house.

we use those scrubbing bubbles bath wands- they hang on the toilet and we keep a new scrubby on it at all times, so it is easy to just clean the toilet when needed!

just one tip? LOVE LOVE LOVE my roomba-everyday it drives off of its little dock and sucks up all the dirt and crumbs and cheerios. and clorox wipes-but i use the kirkland brand from costco-which are better AND cheaper. my 6.5 year old can clean the bathrooms with the wipes and windex. slave labor-the real reason to have kids! (just kidding) oh yeah-love my cleaning lady (monthly).

I am with you and just giving up on the whole cleaning thing. But when I do feel the urge, I swear the Mr. Clean magic erasers cut my cleaning time in half. I don’t know what’s in those little white pads but they work, I tell ya!

I adore my Clorox Wipes. I use them to wipe the outside of the toilet, the sink and counter in the bathroom (different cloth from the one I used on the toilet, of course ), to clean the kitchen counter, to wipe messes from the floor…

Shortcut to cleaning? Well, how about if I’m short on time I only clean the areas people will be. And I dry swiffer only. If it needs a wet swiffer and I don’t have time, I’ll just wipe the big obvious spots.

That’s bad, isn’t it?

When I do my makeup in the morning in my tiny bathroom w/ pedestal sink, I rip a couple squares of TP off to lay on the back of the toilet, and that’s where I line up my make up (bare minerals…can be messy!) & brushes. When I’m done, I take the TP and wipe down the sink to get rid of all the water spots that my [male] roommate has caused to happen the previous day & evening. This happens every day, because though he knows of my sincere hatred for water! spots! on! the! shiny! clean! faucet!…he still leaves more water all over the place after washing his hands or face than I can even understand (I wash my hands and leave no water around the sink…I don’t get men.). Of course, when boyfriend and I finally move in together, I will probably still have to do this…but it’s different when it’s for the one you love, right?!

I am a big fan of the Lysol wipes I have them stashed everywhere in my house. I HATE cleaning the bathroom but can usually manage to do a quick wipedown of the vanity and toilet…

Get your husband do it. Mine won’t but it’s worth a try.

I like the clorox wipes for a quick spot check in places that are “mostly” clean. I am also a big believer in the closed door theory - if you close the door guests should know they enter at their own risk. I’m just saying, I’m not wonder woman!

My mailbox is right above my recycle bins. I sort the mail while standing on my porch in the evenings after work. The front door doesn’t get opened until the junk mail has been recycled.

I like Mimi’s shortcut about dusting when on the phone.

I’m a big fan of getting others to help. I wasn’t the only one to use the dishes. I know that isn’t always a possiblity so my favorite tip is before bed, everyone (i.e. me) picks up things around the house. It takes 5 minutes and means there will be no or fewer messes to deal with tomorrow.

clorox wipes and swiffer for dusting and the kitchen floor!!!

Listen to podcasts while cleaning, it makes it a bit more bearable.

My cleaning downfall is keeping up with my car. I use buttwipes at red lights to dust- it works perfectly! I always have my diaper bag handy- real cleaning products in the car? Not so much.

i haven’t discovered a shortcut, but i’m totally going to try the pinesol in hot water as recommended by debra above!

Chase my new cat around the house. I’m hopeful it’s just as good as swiffering the hard wood.

Are you going to post the spaghetti carbonara recipe? Because I LOVE that, but don’t know how to make it.

I walk around the house with a basket and pick up everything that is not in the right place. Then through the day I put a few pieces away at a time.

We live on a multi-level/split level house so my cleaning tip is that I have baskets for each level of the house. As I find things on the main level that need go upstairs to the bedrooms, like shoes or toys, I put them in the basket for upstairs and similarly, if I have stuff that needs to go downstairs to the office, like papers or magazines for recycling, I put them in the downstairs basket. That way, I get all the clutter and stuff that’s where it shouldn’t be, out of the way so I can actually clean and then I can go through the baskets and put the stuff away in each of them when I’m cleaning those levels of the house. Maybe I’m just a big scatterbrain but it saves me running up and down the stairs a thousand times trying to put all the things in their spots.

We have family clean-up time before the bedtime routine, when we all pitch in to put things away. Much quicker and less stressful for me, because I am prone to the “We live in a PIGSTY!” fit at that time of day.

And I heard this tip from someone who learned it in the restaurant business: if I’m going in another room, I look around and take something that belongs in that room with me.

When I have people coming over: I swiff everything in site, table tops, shelves, tv’s, stairs, floors. I don’t worry about the places people can’t see. Save that for another day. All clutter like mail and flyers get tossed in a basket. Clorox wipes to wipe down kitchen and bathroom countertops. Hubby tackles the dishes, his office and the vaccuming. I then spritz the couches and rugs with fabric/room spray and light some candles. If it’s not too cold I crack a window for some fresh air.

My super quick cleaning short cut…LOL…clean up everything laying on the floor…and put in in one closeable space…to deal with later!

This is usually our bedroom closet or the laundry room!

:o)

My *favorite* shortcut is not to clean, but other shortcuts include picking up/sorting stuff into baskets while on the phone - then getting everyone else to put away their stuff.

My kids are responsible for folding/putting away their laundry, taking out the trash and emptying the dishwasher - all the time. In the summer, they basically clean the house. I love child labor!

I don’t ever clean all at once, because I never have the time. I just do what I can each day. Plus, I try to clean things as I use them, like I will spray the shower down once I am done, sponge over it and then use that soapy-ish sponge to clean the sink and the back of the toilet.

My favourite shortcut is to pretend I don’t know what I am doing so that my husband comes in to save me…and then does it himself. Ahem…

Take 15 minutes or so everyday to do SOMETHING (for me, it’s usually whatever is bugging me most)… Plus, once I get started, it’s easy to continue and get a lot done, unless I get interrupted by an urchin needing something.

Then pay someone to do the deep cleaning twice a month! I never mop floors, scrub bathrooms, dust, vaccuum, etc…

I think the main thing that helps me keep our house clean, but doesn’t take much time is picking up at the end of each day. It takes about 15 minutes and makes me feel so much happier the next day when I wake up to a clean house (or at least not cluttered). I also really, really love Method’s bathroom wipes. a quick wipe of the sink and toilet before company come over and it doesn’t look like you’ve been neglecting you house!

I hate cleaning; I only do it because I have to. My 7 yr old can put away his own clothes, and I am working on “training” the 6 & 4 year olds to do the same. (They are not as cooperative). Also, I have them clean their rooms for some sort of “payment” (tv, wii, leapsters, gum) whatever works for that moment!

I use my husband’s old tshirts, that we previously threw away, and they become cleaning rags. Same with old cloth diapers. Not a “short cut”, but a money saver in not using towels anymore!

Shortcut, sort of, is that I wipe down the kitchen counters every night after dinner while I put dishes away - that way I don’t have to “scrub” the counters…ever. At least that’s the idea!

My one and only cleaning tip- dirty pans, you know the ones with all the stuck on food. Pour baking soda in the pan, add water, put it on the stove on med-low for about 10-15min. Then all the stuck on stuff will just wipe off.

I vacuum then swifter the hardwoods, yes it seems like a lot but I hate to run into dust balls, while I am mopping! You can have a ton of toys out, but if your hardwoods are shiny (and dustball free) people love you!

Scooba and Roomba! They have both seriously changed my life. I set up Scooba to mop my floor and Roomba to vacuum the upstairs so I can enjoy some time with the kids. Well worth the $.

I try and clean up the kitchen after dinner every night - helps cut down on the crud that gets stuck on the stove after meals and makes the weekend (well, really probably every other weekend) cleaning go by much more quickly.

I love to use Clorox toliet tabs too! And Method all purpose cleaner-it’s environmentally-friendly and works on everything!

My most successful weeks are those where I “deep clean” (bathrooms, floors, etc) as much as humanly possible on Monday. I may or may not get more accomplished throughout the week, but at least I had a good Monday!

Vaccuum the floors but never really scrub them! They look clean!

most definitely clorox wipes. i have them in every bathroom and under the kitchen sink. SO useful when you need a quick sprucing up!

If I need to clean my kitchen floor fast I use Wet swiffers. My brother used to work for Proctor and Gamble and gave the whole family an obscene amount of them. That was three years ago and we are all still working through the cases.

15 minutes a day. That is my trick.
Oh, and making the bed in the morning. That always makes a room look nicer.

I find that disinfecting wipes are a big timesaver for me. And, I try to keep up with the mess daily. If I let it go, it becomes overwhelming and I procrastinate cleaning even longer.

Fabulous contest.

Every afternoon we shout “calling all toys to the toy room” and all the boys schlep everything that’s wandered down back upstairs. It works and I can then do a quick vacuum of the now clutter free floor.

I like to listen to podcasts - NPR etc. It doesn’t really make the cleaning go faster per say, but it feels faster!

Cleaning a little bit everyday. If I see the toliet needs a wipe down from the use of my small ones, I wipe it down right away.

Only change your sheets every 6 months or so…not really…stop looking at me!

Favorite cleaning shortcut: Duplicates of all my favorite cleaning products under each sink so I have don’t have the excuse of having to walk across the hall to get whatever.

Shortcut??? There are shortcuts? Why didn’t anyone tell me!
OK, OK, I use my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for just about everything. Freaky the kinds of things that sponge can take care of. I do NOT want to know how it works, no no I do not.

My favorite? Getting my husband to clean. Oh, wait, that’s not really a shortcut is it? Taking little bites out of chores - like doing a few dishes each time I go into the kitchen, or taking things out of one room and into the proper one as I’m already headed that way - help me a lot. You know, when I actually find the time to do that sort of thing.

I offer to pay the kids!!! They are still young enough to think it is fun— and since they get some money out of the deal, we get to go shopping after they’re finished. Everybody wins!!!

I’m a terribly disorganized, bordering on manic, cleaner. To keep me sane, I listen to CCR. I don’t know why this is the only cleaning music that works for me, but so it goes.

My shortcut isn’t really a shortcut since it took 9 months of gestation plus several years of training but you know…

When I actually do the cleaning, I don’t short cut anything because I’m trying to remove the gunk left from all their short cuts.

I’m loving microwave tip someone else gave!

Um, yeah, paying someone. Although it will be years before I can afford to do that again. Otherwise, clean only the rooms people will see!

Paying someone else to do it is my best advice. But my second favorite cleaning secret would be Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser. It got Sharpie off our cherry coffee table. It is da bomb and I use it to clean pretty much everything.

www.flylady.com

Best website and a lifesaver. She teaches to get up 15 minutes earlier every day and do morning and evening routines. Swish & Swipe every morning when through in the bathroom (Wipe counters and swish toilet) Spend 5 min a day on “hot spots” Empty dishwasher every morning so it is ready for the day. Wash one load of laundry a day so as to never get behind. Pick up every night as part of evening routine. Visit the site, you won’t be sorry!

I’m fortunate to be marrying a man who is bothered much more by filth. Sadly, I’ll launder, cook and manage the dishwasher. He does everything else. So, does a 60-year commitment count as a shortcut?

her name is Carmen

So far my favorite shortcut is to tell the children that after they play Wii (which tends to bring up lots of fuzz on the rug in the family room from their bouncing around, because it is sort of new-ish) they need to vacuum after themselves. Totally makes the Wii awesome, I assure you.

After meals, we all clear the table and I wash the dishes. Our five children each shake a dice (I know it should be “die”, but it sounds weird), which works like this:

1 Dry silverware
2 Dry cups and glasses
3 Dry plates and bowls
4 Dry pots and pans
5 Wash the table and sweep
6 Nothing!

It is a great way to extend the dinner “hour” and to have everyone learn to pitch in when work needs doing.

baking soda + vinegar-water solution (1:1). I have never had it not clean the grime that seems to build up in between the times I actually clean!

Favorite cleaning shortcut? Well,I’ve never personally done this, but you know how the kitchen table gets all full of stuff?? Like papers from school, and coupons you need to clip, and mail, and other various things?? Well I have this friend who cleans her table by taking the whole tablecloth off, wrapping up EVERYTHING that is on teh table, and voila! she has a perfectly clean table. oh, and a box in her closet that she can then look for everything that is missing. But if you want long enough, I guess you could probably just throw the box out!!!

Hire a cleaning lady or have my 15 year old son help.

Make my husband clean the bathroom. Best ever!

I use homemade cleaning solution. I mix water equal parts water and vinegar with a couple drops of castille soap (I like the almond scented) in a spray bottle and use it on everything from the counters to the stainless steel table to the tub to the hardwood floors - one bottle to clean the whole house, so no wasting time!

I used baby wipe for EVERYthing. There plentiful around here, as my 2.5 year old isn’t interested in the potty yet. I always have a package in any room. So if I see something gross, I wipe it away. Clean!

BABY WIPES ARE THE BEST HOUSEHOLD PRODUCT EVER!! No joke.

When the kids are taking a bath.. clean the bathroom. But have all your supplies under the sink!

I hate to clean but I do have to say the Swiffer (both dry and wet)is one of the great inventions of the 21st century. I like the vacuum one! But I don’t use it as often as I should!!!

I pour a half cup of bleach in the tank of the toilets once every two weeks. It keeps stains and bacteria from growing.
I also have to admit that my kids have chores. Although my six year old is better at keeping his room clean than his 13 year old sister! *G*
Instead of using handfuls of papertowels or wipes when cleaning the windows, I have a squeegee. I spray the cleaner then squeegee the windows and use ONE papertowel to wipe off the squeegee.

I do what I like to call Half-Assed Cleaning (HAC). If I cleaned really well one week then for the next week or two (or more, ahem) then I just HAC. I vacuum without moving furniture, clean the toilet and sink only, sweep & mop. Just the basics so the house isn’t sparkling, but isn’t a total pig sty either.

Ummm… my favorite cleaning shortcut is to lower my standards. It’s quite effective.

Wet a dishcloth
wring out excess water
put in microwave for 2 minutes
open microwave and squoosh cloth around to cool because it’s HOT!
once semi cooled, use cloth to wipe out all of the pre-softened bits from microwave walls

Viola! Clean microwave.

I have a weekly schedule on Outlook so cleaning is evenly spread throughout the week.

Piles! It’s all about piles. I make my house into my own personal version of the Target “Go-Backs” and then deal with the most important (read: most offensive) first.

Or just avoid it all together. Totally sound advice, btw.

Hmmm. Favorite cleaning shortcut for me? That would have to be sweeping and lighting scented candles…..they give teh illusion of cleanliness.

Let’s see theres, the scrambling laundry basket method…when someone is coming over, just grab everything that’s out of place and put them in laundry baskets and behind the doors on the washer & dryer.
Or, put on the water to boil and see how much of the kitchen I can get cleaned before the water is ready to make myself a cup of tea and read blogs!
Enjoy your weekend.

My favorite cleaning shortcut is for bathtime (I really dislike cleaning the tub). If I’m going to shave my legs, I keep a plastic cup of water on the side of the tub and after I shave a strip, I rinse the razor in the cup, shave, rinse, and so on. This means all those little hairs that usually stick to my tub after a bath are all contained in the cup instead. Works great!

My favorite cleaning shortcut is to wash all my clothes together in one load. Yep, that’s right…jeans, undies, blouses, whatever. I learned in college (when I was still having to feed quarters to the machines) that it doesn’t cause any harm, despite my mother’s warnings to always wash different colors and fabrics SEPARATELY. The only time I will wash separately is if I have an item that is actually white, and needs to remain white (i.e., not a workout tshirt that once might have been white).

I put my crawling baby in fleece and let her crawl around the dog hair covered floor. The fleece picks up that dog hair like crazy–she’s a human Swiffer!

I’m blessed with a husband who understands that when it comes time to clean I start at one end of the house, he starts at the other and we meet in the middle. He wasn’t keen on that to begin with, but since we both work full time I convinced him it was only fair…

Mine is to clean as I go. That makes it a lot easier. Also, denial works really well, ha.

My shortcut is actually the same as yours. In fact I am using it right now! Look at me- not cleaning! I am sooo awesome!! I wonder if I can use the $50 to hire a maid for a few hrs…?

Well, today I got a quote from Merry Maids, but it was SO expensive. Once we add child two and biweekly cleaning, why the heck do I work. Oh cause I went to law school and passed the bar.

I wipe down my bathroom with a wet washcloth after showering. Also, try escaping into the internets so you don’t see the mess.

hate cleaning, hate, hate, hate it. every so often I’ll fill up my kitchen sink with super hot water and add 1 cup clorox and let sit for a while…looks bee-yoo-tee-ful when I empty it out and rinse it. I got the idea from the flylady website which another poster mentioned. It really is a great site.

I love the Method Naked Cleaner (or whatever the nonscented one is called) I clean the bathroom, the kitchen counters, throw all clutter in the bedroom, close the door, if there’s time I vacuum and only turn on half of our lights. Light some candles, turn on some good music - instant ambience!

I buy rolls of trash bags that fit the bathroom garbage cans. I put the roll in the bottom of the trash can and put a new bag into the can over the top, just like you normally would. That way, the bags are right there when you fill up the trash, easy to change. I also keep a tray on the bathroom counter large enough to hold the soap dish, the liquid soap and the lotion. That way when little hands dribble the stuff all over, it’s only on the tray and a snap to clean up.

The bane of my existence is the playroom. Most of the time, it looks like Toys R Us exploded. (Four boys age 7 and under will do that to a home.)

My secret cleaning tip for the playroom? I don’t go in there. There are things better left unseen.

Having a roll-top desk that can hide a ton of stuff, and using socks or t-shirts out of the laundry to dust. and closing doors.

zep hardwood floor cleaner. spray it on, wipe it with a microfiber mop cloth. I actually enjoy doing my floors (of course I don’t do them ENOUGH, but when I do it is v satisfying.)

My favorite cleaning shortcut is my youngest brother, who is eager to help out. It’s not that I MAKE him do anything, or consciously pass stuff off to him, it’s that he’ll take something one step farther than I ask him to. And he LOVES to help, especially ‘fun’ stuff like washing the cars.

So, yeah. Eventually they get helpful, these small, screaming creatures.

Love Lysol wipes, love ‘chamois” gloves for quick dusting and if all else fails, I light a candle and at least everything smells clean!

I think you’ll notice that I’m very lazy. But, I have a cleaning lady. And, she ENJOYS cleaning. So, who am I to deprive her of this?

I have been known to throw dirty or clean laundry (but never together), toys or whatever I don’t want to deal with in the trunk of my car until I’m ready to get to it.

Hire someone. Oh wait, that’s not what I ACTUALLY do. Just what I would like to do. For the bathroom, those Lysol wipes are a good shortcut.

I have also been known to throw everything in a box and put it in a closet…for a month…or a year. Whatever.

stuff it somewhere…then patiently wait until cleaning lady comes on Tuesday.

A cup of coffee to get me going and a cordless phone with a friend on the other end. You don’t even realize that you are cleaning when immersed in gossip.

My favorite cleaning shortcut is to put the dirty dishes in the oven. But, that’s just in emergency cases only. It’s not part of the routine.

Make a list. I need to do this because I think I am ADHD.

When my kids don’t have a bath (they have 2 a week only as we have a severe drought here) we wash them with a washcloth. when we finish i use the wet washcloth to wipe down their sink and counter since they are such a mess at getting reay for bed LOL

When I brush my teeth, instead of just standing there staring into the mirrow, I grab a wet rag and wipe down the countertop.

My mom lives with us. She actually enjoys cleaning. No, I mean, ENJOYS it. SO she does it…its fabulous and has freed up a tremendous amount of time for me!

I keep paper towel and spray in MANY locations so that if the spirit moves me (sometimes it does!), then I can grab it and clean before the mood flitters away. So, under every sink, in the hall closet and garage were reading for mini cleaning sessions.

I use Method omop and the method o mop juice and don’t bother to sweep first. I just scoot the omop around with the dirt pile growing in front of it then use a paper towel to get rid of the little pile. Then my floors all look really clean.

My cleaning tip is to set up a chore chart with 1 really easy chore for each kid for each day of the week. Today, my 8 year old’s chore is to dust her room - she does it with swiffer cloths and it takes her about 5 minutes. Tomorrow her chore is to put all the misc stuff on the bathroom counter away and then my 11 year old has to wipe the bathroom counter. It’s amazing how much these 14 simple easy things help each week.

My other tip is such a “well duh” tip but apparently for 8 years I have been dumb! I have been sweeping my hardwood floor with a regular broom. Recently I bought an industrail quality hardwood floor mop/broom. I can do my whole house in less then 10 minutes. I can’t believe I suffered with the regular broom for so long!

I keep Method flushable bathroom wipes in the bathroom and use them to do a quick wipe down — whenever guests are coming over or if the kids are in the bath and I have a little time on my hands.

Clean late at night after a glass or two of wine. Makes it all a bit more tolerable.

Not sure this counts as a cleaning shortcut, but it’s a laundry shortcut, which is where I spend all my cleaning time anyway: I don’t fold any items of clothing worn by a child except church clothes. Each of my kids has a laundry basket in his room for clean clothes, and I put all shorts, jeans, socks, pjs, t-shirts, etc., into the basket. It’s up to the kid whether to sort them into drawers or use them out of the basket. Guess which option they choose?

I love the Clorox toilet wand cleaning system. It has the removable cleaning pads that once you clean the toilet you just dump it in the garbage with a push of a button on the handle. You don’t have to touch an icky toilet brush or sponge.

I have two little boys who share a room. Their room is by far the messiest room in the house. I know exactly what you’re dealing with.

My cleaning tip is baking soda - works better than those Mr. Clean magic erasers and is non-toxic to boot. I use it in the sink to get rid of coffee stains and to clean the kids’ table which gets covered in crayon, playdoh residue and dried ketchup.

Mine is to pay strong attention to the front entry and the main room people will be in. Good first impressions and all that. Then dump all the clutter in a laundry basket and hide it in the closet.

I also love those cleaning wipes, although I’m sure I lose 10 greenie points every time I use one.

I do a lot of cleaning as I go. While I brush my teeth I wipe down the sink, while I cook I wash dishes, etc. It makes the big jobs smaller and easier and less intimidating to start.

Stuffing all that extra junk into closets.

I occasionally ‘multi-task’ by starting the dishwasher, the washing machine & Roomba all at the same time & Facebooking or blogging until the first one quits. So efficient!

Low standards.

The swiffer products have revolutionized my life.

“Low standards”…lmao at that one.

But mine is a cheat. I hired a cleaning lady. Cause as a temporarily single working outside the home mom, I just can’t do it.

But, I find that removing all the stuff from my kitchen counter and sweeping makes my kitchen look presentable quickly.

I’m kinda with you on the “Not clean!” plan. Recently, however, I’ve turned over a new leaf and done one thing each day. Laundry- Mon. Kitchen- Tues. Bathrooms- Weds. Floors- Thurs. You get the gist. Nothing spectacular, but so much more manageable when broken up.

My best trick is to play really good loud music and give myself a time limit to finish. Put the music on and go!

i love a lysol wipe. LOVE!

I call my sister from my kitchen and while I am talking I wipe down the counters, the sink, clean the stove top, etc.. put away dishes and tidy up and all the while talk, talk, talking and before you know it the kitchen is clean and I just had a great conversation!

I like making sure my kitchen is clean before bed.. that is the one place in my house where things go from good to bad in one meal. Cleaning it up before bed everynight makes my weekend cleaning sprees take about an hour, instead of two or three.

I keep all purpose anti-bacterial spray cleaner and paper towels in both bathrooms so that it is always around. I clean mirrors, counters, sinks, and toilets with a quick wipe, and I never have to go round up cleaning products (or I would never get it done!)

2 things make a big difference, I think: wiping the countertops and making piles of stuff. Piles are much better than stuff everywhere!!

I would love a cleaning lady. But unfortunately it is just me (and the drama teen who occasionally does something when threatened by the “meanest mother in the world”. Of course the threat needs to include witholding something she really wants, and not when pms is involved, or she will just pout, tell me she doesn’t care and then stay home and make me miserable too).
My downfall is paper clutter. It multiplies while we sleep I swear. There are piles on my desk, some on the dinning room table, some on the counter, some on the end tables in the living room (both of them) So my favorite (or should I say most used) cleaning tip when the main areas of the house are going to be seen by someone involves a plastic shopping bag. They fill very easy. You wouldn’t believe how many are on the floor of my bedroom closet now.

Hey, it has to count. Part of the house got cleaner. And isn’t that why doors were invented? SO people couldn’t see the mess we hide?

Hire a cleaning lady. Also, the magic eraser is so much fun that it helps get some cleaning done, you know, if you can bring yourself to start cleaning.

Once a week, when I change the sheets on each of the beds, I take one of the dirty pillowcases and use it to do a quick dust of the room before it goes in the washing machine.
My other trick would be to just lock all four kids and the husband out of the house once it is clean so it wil last for longer than ten minutes!

I keep a spray bottle with a water/vinegar mixture and use it to wipe down the kitchen and bathrooms pretty frequently. It smells squeaky clean and takes care of most everything.

I’m horrible for admitting it..but my cleaning shortcut has been to bribe my little man into helping. It works like a charm

Mama needs a new pair of shoes!

Pay my cleaning ladies every other week, and know that my house is always going to be only a quick pick-up away from clean enough for surprise guests.

baskets and containers and shelves all over the place.

Getting my husband to do a lot of it has been my best trick. See, he never cleaned as a child( had a maid!) and I was one of 9 children toiling on my knees at an early age. He likes it so much he is forcing our children to clean.

Favorite cleaning shortcut - set a timer. When time’s up, I get to stop, whether or not the room (or area) is clean.

My favorite cleaning shortcut is…waiting until a visitor is about to arrive, and then cleaning the eff out of my place.

Sometimes while I brush my teeth i clean the bathroom mirror, sink and counter…probably increasing my intake of yummy yummy chemicals, but hey that’s why I buy the green cleaning stuff.

Cleaning Lady!

ha!!!!!!!

I am right with you on the not cleaning approach to cleaning. If I am in the mood to clean however, I pile it on my bed (provided it’s not dirty dishes or something equally not put on your bed-able) and MAKE myself put it away because then I get to go to sleep.

My cleaning shortcut is to use the dustbuster on my kitchen/bathroom floors instead of you know, sweeping or that mopping thing that I’ve heard some people do.

I load the clutter/junk in laundry baskets, and hide them in the car

My favorite cleaning shortcut is a cleaning lady. I will cook dinner every single night if it means keeping my housecleaning help.

I have no cleaning shortcut to share because I hate to clean, but when it has to be done . . . hide all the clutter in the office.

I love those disposable toilet scrubbers…very handy.

I’m a fan of time limits - I set the timer for 15 minutes and get to quit when it is goes off. It means I get more done in that 15 minutes than if have unlimited time to do it. The other thing that helps, divide the room into sections and only do one section at a time.

Well, the housekeeper, of course! But when that’s not possible, just scoop up everything and shove it in a closet. Hmm…do you think the housekeeper would accept a gift card??

My toddler likes to imitate me, so I give her a couple of wet paper towels and let her wipe the floor.

I also have a cleaning lady out of pure selfish-ness.

Cleaning short cut… hmmm… Clorox wipes and a big box I keep in the basement where I throw all the crap if someone is coming over!

spray tilex or other brand that you just spray in the shower and then walk away!

Clorox wipes.

I didn’t read the other comments so someone may have beat me to this one but…..my short cut came about after I had back surgery. We have a huge monster size bathtub and cleaning it was like cleaning a huge monster.

I bought a toilet brush especially for the tub (it was kind of important to me to keep them separate) and I now spray the tub and then use the toilet brush to scrub it clean without having to bend and break my back……and I have in the past bought a mop just for that tub (like when I was pregnant and had 3 herniated disks in my back and could barely walk)….it worked just fine to spray the tub, let it set and then use the mop to reach all the corners and crevices…..

I have hardwood floors, so I put a really big doormat just inside the front door to catch most of the dirt from shoes as they come in the house. We also use an industrial sized dust mop to sweep the floors. It goes much faster than a swiffer or broom and even gets dust bunnies from corners.

Pretty boxes and tables with secret compartments and drawers are my secret to a clean (well, maybe not clean, but at least clutterless) house. All the crap sitting around the house gets stuffed into a decorative box or into one of the drawers or compartment before anyone comes over - out of sight and out of mind

Mine is to clean as I go along. If I get too lazy, dust bunnies get company as things get pushed hither and tither, lol. My one clever shortcut is to use whitening toothpaste to clean all the silver with. Leaves them shining like new!

Thanks for this great giveaway!
callmeabookworm at gmail dot com

cleaning wipes & dusting cloths — stashed in every corner of the house.

my best tip is … uh … a cleaning lady?

heh.

I keep a pack of baby wipes underneath my bathroom sink. Every night after I brush my teeth I do a quick wipe down of the sink and toilet and bathtub. Cuts down on the amount of time I spend cleaning the bathroom on the weekend.

Remove all knick-knacks, photos, and ornaments from shelves and move to basement storage room. All surfaces can then be cleaned easily. Once items are missing for about a month…you will not miss them. Hang special photographs on the wall.

I like to wipe down the sink/counter/mirror while I brush my teeth. I’ve also swished the toilet, but that’s kind of gross to tell you. Oops!
Another thing, I’ve read most basic household chores can be finished in under 15 minutes. Encouraging, no?

It’s not a shortcut, but it does keep my house clean. Whenever I’m talking on the phone I pick up a cloth and wipe all the cabinets down. It’s mindless and it means greasy fingerprints don’t accumulate.

I call my mother-in-law and beg her to come help me clean so that Child Services doesn’t take her grandchildren and place them in “the system”. She comes willingly and she doesn’t fuss at me, although she would be justified. My friend suggested that she is probably talking about me behind my back, but I don’t care. I HATE CLEANING! She can say whatever she wants, just please get that stain out of my carpet!

Swiffer. Cleaning buckets under each bathroom sink for a quick wipe down when I have the time…

Oh, and a husband who gets way more disgusted than I do about the state of our house… so he ends up mopping the floors, vaccuming, etc. Oh, and the dishes. I cook. He does the dishes!

I think my favorite would be using my son’s crib as a hamper for clean laundry. He refuses to go in it anyway. =P

I am embarrassed to admit it is a Flylady one. Wipe the basin and toilet seat down when you go into the bathroom of a morning. It takes one minute.

the guest room bed makes for a fabulous laundry folding station and storage if you are too lazy to put all the clean clothes away!

Cleaning service! I started when I worked WAY too many hours and hated spending my little free time cleaning. When I was planning to stay home after my first baby, my husband said, “So we won’t need the cleaning service anymore?” As if!

Of course I have to do basic wipedowns and vacuuming in between, but it’s so nice to know everything will be really clean every two weeks.

Shortcut? Hire someone else to do it!

Silver polish wipes…because when your silver is gleaming, no one notices anything else!

Usually on a Saturday (but unfortunately not every Sat), we all have to (I have 5 children, but only 4 of them are able to help…the 1yr old gets off the hook)”pick a room” to clean. We are responsible for declutering, dusting, vacuuming. Sometimes the little kids even WANT to do windows!
They have to do their rooms too!
One hour is all it takes…and every room is (mostly) clean!

I spray the shower with the scrubbing bubbles and leave it. When I am done with all other cleaning, I take a shower and clean the inside before cleaning myself. THe scrubbling bubbles do most of the work.

One of the four (seriously, four) vacuums I own is the Hoover Floormate. I have a ton of ceramic tile, and although it doesn’t get into the grout 100% (probably more like only 60%), at least I’m not down on my hands and knees. I like the fact that it picks up the dirty water rather than pushes it around.

My favorite shortcut is those Chlorox cleaning wipes - just whatever a swipe and kill some germs. I use it mainly to clean the seat and outside of the toliets - made dirty by one 7 year old little boy who can’t aim to save his life!

Thanks for the great giveaway!

I have a newish baby so I learned this by accident…baby wipes. They work for everthing! If you use them to last minute dust your house they leave surfaces sort of shiny.

Buy a dyson, the best vacuum ever!! Also, cleaning service - twice a month bliss

I have my daughter help me. She is eight years old and far more responsible than I am.

My cleaning tip is to put ice cubes and 1/2 a lemon down the garbage disposal the ice sharpens the blades and the lemon deodorizes

clorox wipes. They cure a variety of evils I wish they took care of icky boy laundry

my favorite cleaning trick is using old socks to dust. About once every 6 months I go thru my husbands socks and find all the ones w/holes, etc. Then put them in my pile of “rags”.

When dusting I put them on my hand and can quickly dust tables, picture frames, etc. Then I turn it inside out when I take off, go outside, shake off, toss into the laundry and then back to my pile for use next time!

I’m with the tip to hire a cleaning lady, even if it is only once or twice a month. It has saved my sanity every now and then.

The Swifter and Clorox wipes are great. Also, having my 13 yr old, as part of his allowance, empty the dishwasher put away his laundry & take out the trash/recycling daily.

Clorox Wipes man. Is there nothing they can’t do? Clean toilets, clean countertops, clean floors.

Mine cleaning shortcut? Her name is Eva. She comes once a week.

I love the Method wipes.

My trick is to quickly vacuum and clean the floors. Clean floors make it easier to ignore the other dirt around the house.

Mine is shoving everything into the spare bedroom. Then when my parents come I shove everything into the basement. Someday I will go through all that crap

Clorox wipes and a dust mop for the wood floors. And dreams of a cleaning lady.

clorox cleaning wipes…all over, all the time!

Baby wipes, baby wipes, baby wipes!

(and clorox wipes for anything nasty)

My favorite cleaning short cut is to thank my mother for helping out. She will throw in a load of laundry or change the sheets on his bed while she’s at my house with my son. It’s awesome and leaves me less to do on the weekends when I’m home.

I get on the phone with my sister and dish the longer we talk the more cleaning I get done and it does not feel like I am cleaning, I know this sounds nuts but it really works for me.

Caffeine and anger make me clean like crazy.

Not doing any cleaning - best short cut ever!

Child labor. Nothing like telling 15 y.o. last night that I was going to bed and the dishes had better be done when I got up this morning. They were!

Gotta start ‘em early.

Our cleaning shortcut is to invite people over. We don’t really clean unless we have some extrinsic motivation.

Another good one is to clean off a table or a counter by stuffing the contents into a shopping bag and stuffing that bag into the closet.

I got into the habit of always keeping the sink clean (flylady.net) and taking 10 minutes to go into each room to pick things off the floor before going to bed. Took about 3 weeks to get into the habit of doing so but now it’s just automatic.

I missed the time limit (dang!), but I thought I’d give you my best cleaning shortcut: Clorox Wipes. Also, having a dog to clean up the crumbs everywhere.

Anything I can do while on the phone with a friend or my mom, I do that way to make it less annoying.

I also try turning on loud exercise-y music.

Not exactly a “shortcut” but I will rinse the dishes and get them in the dishwasher, wipe down the counters, stove and table and then pick up toys in the living room, and what do you know - I FEEL like I cleaned a ton. Just don’t look in the bedrooms, or the family room downstairs. Or sometimes the bathrooms. Um. Yeah.

My new “short cut” is that when cleaning, I do all the dusting on the whole first floor at one time, use a clean untreated rag to clean/dust pictures, etc. at one time, then vacum the whole first floor. I have found this does save time using the 1 cleaning item at a time!

Clorox wipes are a God send! Stash a container in each bathroom and every couple of days, wipe down everything! It smells and looks fresh with hardly any work involved!

My cleaning shortcut, soft lighting-the dust shows up so much less then in a bright room!

Wiping down the counters with Fabulosa. Makes the house smell clean–and of course stuff, stuff, stuffing the closets with random things.

Umm, cleaning? What’s that? But, seriously, with 4 kids in the house, two who are autistic, most of my cleaning is the “wash the crayon off the walls AGAIN” kind. But, BK (before kids) may favorite short-cut was to wipe the bathrooms down once a day with Clorox wipes, which would keep me from having to do a big clean as often.

Magic Eraser!!! Love it and can’t clean without it.

I’ve found that boiling hot water gets stuck-on food off your pans so easily.

When I have friends over last minute and I know there is no way I can get my house together before they show up, I throw everything into a closet, then wipe down my kitchen counters. People always seem to notice dirty counters.

We try to keep things picked up, taking time before bed to put everything away. I hate big cleaning days so I do a little here and a litte there!

my short cut has been to hire a housekeeper.. things have gotten out of control here. Lots and LOTS of dirty boy hidden laundry. gross underwear. enough said.

My shortcut is to add cleaning as a usual portion of the day. For instance, always putting laundry in the hamper and sorting the mail right away. Small steps throughout the day make cleaning an easier task.

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