How to Clean an Apartment Fast and Efficiently

It’s five in the evening and your friends have just informed you that they will visit you in an hour. You take a look around and you realise that you’ll have to speed clean everything to make the apartment look more presentable than its current condition. Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Whatever the nature of cleaning; friends coming over, your mom coming over, or you just want the apartment looking clean without spending hours on it, you need to be smart about it.

This guide will take you through some practical, time saving home cleaning tips that will help your apartment become “spick span” clean quickly and effectively. It will teach you how to prioritise tasks and how to get a job done in under an hour while covering all essentials. You may be doing a quick cleaning before guests arrive or carrying out a detailed task like cheap end of lease cleaning Hobart; these tips are designed to make the process go smoother. Now, ready, set, go.

1. Prioritise Cleaning High Impact Areas First

When you’re in a hurry and need to clean your house or apartment, you will need to focus more on those rooms that are frequented the most. This means, you need to direct more of your cleaning efforts to the living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. These areas usually leave a strong impression on anyone who visits your place and they can be cleaned relatively quickly if you stay focused.

In the living room, clear all clutter, fluff up the cushions, do a quick round of vacuuming and sweep the floors. For the kitchen, wipe down all the counters, load the dishwasher or sink, and take out the rubbish in the bins. The bathroom should also be freshened up quickly; wipe the sink, toilet and mirror. Change the towels in the bath and refill the toilet paper if it’s running out.

2. Set a Cleaning Timer and Stick to It

The best way to ensure that you don’t spend too much time on any one particular task is by setting up deadlines for yourself. Set a timer, maybe around 15 minutes for each room, and stick to this deadline. Don’t try to sneak in a few extra minutes. This will stop you from getting bogged down by the urge of perfectionism or get distracted by old receipts, tangled cords or that drawer full of mystery items.

Time blocking encourages you to stay focused on the task at hand and move more efficiently through each job. If you finish cleaning a room earlier than anticipated, move on to the next or spend a few bonus minutes on the tricky spots. You’ll be surprised by how much you can get done with a bit of time pressure.

3. Gather All Your Cleaning Supplies

It’s a good idea to put all your cleaning items in one caddy that you can carry around with you through each room. This will keep you from wasting time on running back and forth to grab cleaning sprays or towels from around the house. The tools you would need include things like paper towels or microfiber cloths, disinfectant wipes, multipurpose sprays, a broom or vacuum and a few rubbish bags.

Having everything on hand helps you move smoothly from one task to another without breaking your momentum. This is a small step, but it’s one that increases speed and efficiency in your cleaning routine. This is especially important for meticulous end of lease cleaning Hobart tasks which require you to stay organised and pay attention to the details.

4. Use The “Top To Bottom And Left To Right” Rule

Professional cleaners will often swear by this tried and tested method of cleaning: always clean from top to bottom and left to right. Start by dusting the ceiling fans and high shelves, then work your way down to the counters and finally the floors. This prevents you from having to reclean surfaces when dust and crumbs fall down from the higher surfaces.

Likewise, moving from left to right (or right to left, basically move in one direction), ensures that you don’t miss any spots while cleaning and aren’t bouncing around the room randomly. This system keeps your movements efficient and prevents wastage of efforts.

5. Declutter As You Go Through Each Room

Clutter can make even a clean space feel like it’s unclean. As you move through each room grab the items that are out of place (clothes on the floor, mugs on the bench, shoes in the middle of the hallway, etc.) and quickly return these items to their proper places or put them in a catch all basket so that you can sort them out later. If you’re short on time, don’t try to reorganise everything or try to deep clean your wardrobe. Just aim for clean surfaces and visible order. You can tackle the deeper cleaning later when you have more time.

6. Don’t Forget the Finishing Touches

Once you’ve got all the essential areas clean, a few small finishing touches will help put the cherry on the cake. Light a scented candle or spray a natural air freshener to eliminate any odours from your space. Straighten out the rugs, cushions and towels. You can also open a window or two to let in more light and fresh air into the home.

These final steps take less than 5 minutes to complete, but they create a big impact on how clean and fresh your space feels. It tells a person that not only is the space clean, it’s well cared for as well. It’s a detail that you can utilise even during more thorough tasks like the ones required for expert end of lease cleaning Hobart, where good presentation is just as important as the hygiene of the space.

7. Create A Speed Cleaning Routine

Once you’ve cleaned your apartment quickly a few times, you’ll start to develop a rhythm for it. Consider creating a checklist or routine that you can follow weekly to keep things more in control. Stay on top of daily tasks like wiping surfaces, doing 5 minute evening tidy ups, etc., and you’ll rarely need to spend more than 35 to 45 minutes on doing a full refresh. Building cleaning into your daily routine can also reduce stress and make your home more enjoyable to live in. Plus, when bigger cleaning jobs come around, it won’t feel like such a big mountain to climb.

Infographics: Tips on Efficient and Fast Apartment Cleaning

Wrapping Up

Cleaning fast doesn’t have to mean cutting corners. All it means is that you need to be smarter and more strategic about your approach to the task. By using the tips and tricks listed above, cleaning will become second nature to you, and slowly you won’t even have to bat an eyelash when it comes to cleaning. So try these out yourself and see the difference. Good luck and Happy Cleaning!