When I was in college I worked a couple summers as a hotel maid and house cleaner. I picked up a few tricks and I’m telling you that yes, you can clean an ENTIRE average size house in an hour but it takes work-and focus! No getting distracted while gathering up those old magazines, or checking your phone for the latest on Facebook. If you keep moving and follow this guide you’ll have that house sparkling in no time!
Start at the Top
No matter what room you’re cleaning, clean from the top down so that dirt and dust from higher surfaces falls on lower surfaces that haven’t yet been cleaned. Dust ceiling fans, then furniture wiping dirt directly on the floor. Clean all of the floors as your last step to remove the dirt and dust.
Bedrooms-6 minutes per bedroom
- Strip linens and remake beds. When making beds rather than hunch over tucking bottom sheets under the mattress use one hand to lift the corner while tucking the sheet with the other.
- Clear all clutter, if you’re in a hurry gather clutter in a spare basket or bin for later organization and tuck out of sight in a closet.
- Wipe down furniture with a dusting spray and microfiber cloth, working top to bottom.
Bathrooms-7 minutes per bathroom
- I like to clean all of my bathrooms at once-make a quick trip around all the bathrooms in the house to clear counters and spray counters and tubs with cleaner, allow to sit while you clean toilets and wipe down the outer toilet surface.
- Go back and wipe down counters and rinse tub then clean mirrors.
- Come back to clean the floors when cleaning the kitchen floor.
Living/Dining Rooms-7 minutes
- Clear all clutter.
- Starting in one corner of the room and working around dust all surfaces top to bottom. (If you have blinds and/or ceiling fans, dust those first.)
- Use an upholstery attachment and vacuum upholstered furniture.
- Vacuum floors along with all house carpeting as last cleaning step.
Kitchen-12 minutes
- Load all dirty dishes in the dishwasher and fill sink with hot soapy water. If your stove top has removable burner pieces that need to be cleaned, place in water as well.
- Clear counters.
- Dunk sponge in hot water and squeeze out excess, wipe down cabinets, counters and other surfaces again working top to bottom. Rinse sponge in hot water as you clean-you’ll be amazed how much dirt comes off!
- Wipe down appliances. (When you have more time consider doing this trick for preventing fingerprints on stainless steel!)
- Finish cleaning any stove pieces and replace.
- Clean floors last along with all hard flooring surfaces in the house.
Floors-15 minutes whole house
- When vacuuming carpeted rooms work your way backwards out of the room moving quickly and without too much overlap to save time. (I use this vacuum and have for 3 years now, it’s the best vacuum I’ve ever had, amazing at getting pet hair out of carpets, I highly recommend it!)
- Vacuum, don’t sweep hard floors-use an attachment to get corners where dust and pet hair can accumulate. This helps prevent kicking dust into the air that will quickly settle again and aggravating allergies.
- Steam mops or Hardwood Floor Cleaners (this is my favorite) also make cleaning hard surfaces much faster than traditional mops, so I highly recommend investing in one of those to keep your cleaning quick!
Want a printable version of this list to help you clean your house fast? Become part of our community for a subscriber-only Printable One Hour Cleaning Flowchart!
Do you have any additional tips? This is obviously not a deep clean but a general day to day surface clean. For deeper cleans check out my Spring Cleaning Checklist and Fall Cleaning Checklist, you can also see my Daily Cleaning Checklist if you prefer to work a little each day!
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keri @ shaken together says
Great tips, Melissa – I am absolutely pinning this as our schedule gets busy with ball games and holiday events!
Courtenay @ The Creek Line House says
Woohoo! I’m such a nerd for cleaning tips. I’m feeling so inspired to run around cleaning my house right now!
Paula says
Great tips for quick cleaning! I’m a Norwex girl so I prefer to wipe my surfaces with their microfiber cloths, to clean everything off the surfaces. Sponges always get funky fast. Dusting with their tools keeps the dust from flying around, so less to clean up later. The Norwex mop system is great for getting all the dust off your floors and cleaning them quickly with no chemicals! I’d love to share more, but don’t want to hijack your great post.
Melissa says
I’ll have to look that up Paula, I haven’t heard of those before, thanks! ~Melissa
Anna Grist says
Norwex is fabulous, it’s Swedish, high standard, antibacterial cleaning cloths/products, the cloths actually kill bacteria (silver fibres), you can just get them wet and clean anything, even raw chicken. This post btw is a fabulous guide, thanks so much for sharing these steps!
Leslie says
I had my own cleaning business for years and we used “Spray Away”, it originally came out as a commercial glass shower door cleaning spray used by shower door installers, eventually it became available to the public. It’s a glass cleaner but no ammonia & can be used for cleaning almost any surface, works great with no smears unless the surface is really greasy to begin. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the old SS cleaners off, but so well worth not using them. I hate SS cleaners. Also, another thing I used is actually furniture polish, mainly on SS sinks. I use a lemon scent endust, a little more expensive then pledge or behold but I use less, smells great, & a shiny finish without the greasy feel. I’ve taken a sink from a move out clean the owner thought he would have to replace, clean it with a magic eraser, takes off crud, stain, brings back the stainless finish, helps with scratches, ect, gets it very clean but still a dull look. Then I dry the sink, spray some endust, not too much, and then with a dry towel/paper towel, shine the sink. It can look like a brand new sink in a few short minutes. My customer could not believe his sink looked almost better then when he first purchased it!
Katie says
Hi Melissa, I’m curious to know what your trick is for keeping finger prints off of appliances? I saw that you mentioned it as something to do when you have more time to clean, but didn’t see a link or anything.
Thanks!
Katie
Jennifer says
Katie, If you click on the red font it’ll take you to her posting where she talks about cleaning SS appliances! To answer your question, incase it won’t work 4u, she said she cleans 1st with something like Windex, u could use vinegar for hard 2remove smudges) then go back & applies thin coat of Turtle Wax & buffs off & Voilá, Done! 🙂
Beatri says
Woo hoo,sounds great, except try doing this with 4 little boys around. They make mass faster thank you can clean.
Melissa says
That’s why I have to clean so fast Beatri-I have three boys of my own trying to mess things up as fast as I can clean! I use this list when expecting company usually-put on a movie for the kids upstairs and do a fast clean of the house just before guests arrive!
Mary A Day says
Use pledge it works wonders on stainless steel
Keeya says
I don’t know if my house is bigger or dirtier but I can’t keep your time frames… I only got my master bedroom and one bathroom done in an hour, and that’s with a 1 year old and the floors not done yet…
Melissa says
Hi Keeya, My home is about 3000 sq foot-but like I mentioned in the post to do it in an hour you really have to move out-no distractions. And keep in mind this is a surface clean, not a deep clean, think of what you would do before having guests to make sure your house was tidy and presentable, not spring cleaning. I’m probably faster from having done the same routine numerous times as well!
Linsey says
Same! And I was moving fast too!
Pria says
That was just so fast! Thanks for making this with a timeline. Now I don’t have to spend more time thinking how many hours I’d spent cleaning my space. It’s soooo much doable with your post.
Joanie says
I am sorry but putting things in a basket to sort later is not cleaning. It is the equivilent to putting all items under your bed as a kid. Put it away!
Melissa says
I agree Joanie but the intent of the post is only having an hour to have your house presentable. I get emails all the time from readers who get overwhelmed by the clutter and can’t get their entire house clean so I offered that option for those that may have more clutter about on a regular basis and just need a presentable home as fast as possible! For more thorough cleaning I have Spring and Fall Cleaning Checklists that are very thorough!
Karen says
I go thru house with wicker laundry basket and put things in it, if I have someone coming and put basket in my closet. .i sort thru it and put away, throw away later when I have more time! I’m sure this is what she is talking about, remember you have guest coming real soon! Not a complete cleaning!
MLW says
I do the exact same thing. My 3 kids all have their own basket that I tell them to collect their random toys,homework papers, crayons, sports equipment etc. in and then THEY put it away while I’m cleaning. Keeps them out of my hair.
To be honest though I sometimes don’t get around to those baskets in the closet for weeks. By then I just dump it in the trash if it’s not obviously important.
My husband cleans out his truck the same way, everything gets dumped in a box and stacked in the garage to be sorted later. There are like 20 boxes waiting to be sorted out there lol!!! Heaven forbid you touch one of his boxes though!
Melissa says
At least the truck is clean!! 😉
Tanya says
I was taught to start in each room by thinking, “go left to right”, and like you stated, “top to bottom”. I wonder if I might move even faster if I put a stop watch when cleaning each room? 😉
Karen says
Funny you said that, alot of times I will set the timer on my stove!;)
Lisa says
Thanks for the tips! My living room and dining room will take longer than 7 minutes, but still … I am short so I always cleaned from the bottom up. I’m going to do it top down now because it makes so much more sense. I feel like it’s a big DUH moment. LOL Thanks again!
Melissa says
Glad it could help Lisa! Have a great weekend!
Ashley says
So.. whats your trick for the kitchen if you DON’T have a dishwasher.. cause I dont. 🙁
Melissa says
Ugh, Ashley, I feel your pain on that one, we didn’t have one when my husband was stationed overseas and I HATE handwashing dishes! For me I had to wash the dishes immediately as they were dirtied…I can’t stand having dirty dishes stacked up so it was just a matter of making myself keep on top of it. :/
Corrine says
Paper Plates?????
Kathy says
Ashley I don’t know if this will help you with the dishes and not having a dishwasher but my Aunt always had a plastic dish pan under her sink to place them in and do them in the evening.
Rpyzik says
I do the mirrors first in the bathroom because the lights get the mirror hot. If you wipe it hot, it streaks.
Shelley Ramsey says
Thanks for this….I am so behind on cleaning for a very long time, (2 deaths in the family; months ago, but I can’t seem to “get it together”). I’ve been so overwhelmed that I don’t know where to start. This will do that for me. Blessings to you!
Jennifer S says
My house is currently a WRECK! I’ll be using these steps to get things back in order tomorrow 🙂
Clean Connect says
very nice sharing with good techniques and experties. Clean Connect follows such type of method for cleaning services. https://www.cleanconnect.com.au
Rhian says
Excellent article, I’ll be giving this a try, it should save me hours!
Melissa says
Let me know how it goes Rhian! Take care!
Lynn Cix says
Seven minutes would not BEGIN to clear the clutter in my living room! Maybe I’ve let it go too long….
Melissa says
It may take longer the first time you do it Lynn but I promise it will speed up!
Ewa @ SHM Cleaning says
helpful ideas, thanks for sharing.
Karen McCauley says
Great article..!
Christine Lapina says
Can’t wait to start cleaning Thanks
Melissa says
You’re welcome Christine! I hope it helps!
Dee says
Great tips, and ones I will be sure to use! A word on clutter… we’ve lived in the same house for 23 years. Over those years we’ve accumulated LOTS of useless, sentimental clutter. Well, ths past summer I realized no matter how CLEAN my house was it just never LOOKED clean. I rented a medium sized dumpster, had it placed in our back yard, and painfully, systemically, went through bedrooms, closets, the space under the stairs, cupboards and cabinets. If an item wasn’t seasonal or I hadn’t used it within six months, if it was outdated or looking worn… into the bin. It’s an amazing feeling and my house looks wonderful!
Melissa says
Wow-I’m sure that was hard to do Dee! I’m lucky that with our military moves every couple of years we naturally seem to purge extra “stuff” but once my husband retires I’m sure it will be a different story!
melody says
Sorry Melissa, but I don’t buy it.. Cleaning a bedroom in six or seven minutes? There’s no way you can clean a bedroom in that amount of time unless you’re running behind the vacum and doing a lousy job of dusting. I can spend five minutes just changing and making our king size bed!
,
Melissa says
I get a lot of non-believers Melody but it can be done! If you’ll note in the post-I don’t count vacuuming in the bedroom step-we do the entire house flooring in a later step all at once-that’s a time saver rather than doing one room at a time! This is my experience and what works for me-we don’t have a lot of knick-knacks or other decorations that might require more extensive dusting, it literally takes me a minute or two to wipe down everything in my bedroom when I’m “in the zone” working quickly!
Amy says
This is an AWESOME post and has me totally INSPIRED!! I am not in the mood to clean, but I am making myself!! lol.. I can’t take this house another minute.. I work full time 12 hour shifts (graveyard shift too) and I am usually so tired after work, the only thing I can think about is getting some sleep.. But I can’t take this MESSY house! This post has got me ready to get this DONE!
Melissa says
I’m so glad Amy! It’s an intense hour of work but it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you have a plan!!
Mary says
When I had a smaller home (1700 sq. ft,) I had what I called a “15 minute walk-through”. It involved Windex and paper towels. The bathroom the guests would use came first. Just squirt and wipe. I figure this is the most important room to clean, then the kitchen. Tidy the other rooms, pick up and sling onto your bed. Wipe down the furniture with damp paper towels. Spray upholstery with Febreeze. No time to vacuum in the abbreviated version. Just open the door and smile!
Melissa says
That is VERY similar to what I do with last minute guests Mary! That’s the bare bones version of this plan! Thanks for sharing!
Kim says
How in the world do you you do all your floors in fifteen minutes? I use a symphony that vacuums and mops simultaneously and it still takes me 20 to 25 to do the main floor and that’s having prepped first. That’s not including the upstairs and downstairs kids rooms vacuuming. Just curious. My main cleaning tip is “if I’m cleaning you’re cleaning”with the kids. Even the two year old can dust and pick up toys. That way there are no fights to break up and all I have to do is the floors that need mopping, tubs, and toilet bowls. You’d be amazed at what a nine, seven, five, and two year old can accomplish in thirty minutes!
Donna says
After you finish each room, close the door. It is finished.
James Bergman says
I think the most full proof way of making sure the house is cleaned quickly is to get help. Not necessarily a cleaning service, although if you can get one, why not, I mean making sure you get help from your kids and significant other. It cuts cleaning time in half. I normally split the chores with my wife and one of us runs through the house picking up clutter while the other follows behind to dust and vacuum. I do really appreciate your tips on cleaning the bathroom and kitchen faster though.
Darlene says
That can’t happen in an hour in a 3000 sq ft, 4 bedroom, 3-1/2 bath house !
Melissa says
Our house is 3000 sq feet, 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath and I *CAN* do it in an hour but I’m sweating my you-know-what off when I’m done! The first few times you’re trying to get the routine down it will take longer but I promise that it can be done (I’ve done it live on twitter before!) But again, this is a quick surface clean not a deep clean-I always tell people this is what you’d do if you found out your inlaws were coming to stay for the weekend and you needed the house clean in an hour!
Jan says
Melissa, your tips are inspiring! Thank you! Now I just need to follow them……
Melissa says
That’s always the hardest part Jan, even I go through phases where I just don’t feel like it! Routines are the best way I’ve found to keep things up though, it’s easier to make a habit of small actions than try to take on huge tasks every now and then! Take care, ~Melissa
Simply Moms says
I use a lot of these ideas. Like the spraying down the bathroom one. It makes it so much faster to just let it “soak” as opposed to scrubbing it. Some really good tips here. However what really caught my eye where the check lists. I LOVE them! Thank you.
Organized in AZ says
I live by the “if you don’t touch it once in 365 days get rid of it” rule. So, if I want to keep something, I have to use it, wear it, dust it, wash it, or wipe it at least once a year or it’s history. That way every item in my house is clean because it has to be attended to at least once a year. My other rule is only three items on any flat surface, because that’s all I’m willing to pickup and move when I dust. As for my kitchen I try to organize and clean one thing daily (1 shelf, 1 drawer, etc.) after I clean the kitchen for the day, it only takes a few minutes, and it never seems difficult because you’re only cleaning for a few minutes. One drawer or shelf a day and your kitchen cabinets never get disorganized because you constantly keep on top of it. Same with my pantry, freezer, fridge, one shelf at a time all the time.
Melissa says
Fantastic method-I love that idea to be constantly working on varying areas to ensure the entire house stays clean and organized, thanks for the tip! ~Melissa
Julie says
Great tips for cleaning home. Actually I am working women and I have to clean my home as fast as possible. Thank you so much for sharing.
Kaitlny says
Cleaning your whole house in an hour?! That’s impressive! I guess I get distracted too easily – it’s usually all an-day thing for me. I’ll definitely use these checklists.
Tara says
I just found this info today as i was in a rush for time and needed to clean my 3bdrm, 3bath, 1500sq ft house in a major hurry! i liked the idea of all the tips, however, it still took me 1hr and 20 min to clean the whole house (1bdrm is a sewing room so just vacuumed,, and a 2nd is the responsibility of my kid, so i don’t clean it). i don’t know what i’m wasting time on, but is there a way to get faster? I have two dogs so i keep up the cleaning all the time (also have OCD tendencies if i’m honest, lol). When i clean I switch all the linens, dust, wipe down all furniture with animal friendly cleaner, windex all glass, clean the bathrooms (excluding tub and shower, hubby does those), vacuum and wash floors. I do a thorough job, but want to find out tips to it better, faster. i don’t have 2hrs to clean each week, i need it down to an hour. Any ideas? from Anyone? Much appreciation for anything! 🙂
Rebecca says
Everything has to have a place. This concept works for me and my family. thanks for sharing!