Not just the pick up clothes, put away books, etc. but really clean. Dust the back of the TV, sweep behind the washer machine or refridgerator, move the couches and vaccuum underneath. Clean the walls, lightswitches, door jams, keyboards. How often do you clean the windows, scrub the grout on your tile floor, take everything off your shelves and dust. Stuff like that that no one really thinks about.

How many hours per week do you spend. How big is your house? Do you like cleaning?

I now have a 3,000 + square foot house and I "really clean" once a week to every month. I clean everything daily as it needs it toilets, counters, sinks, etc. As for moving furniture and cleaning underneath, that’s an individual thing. Everyone in my house is allergic to dust, so I have to pretty much keep everything dust free which means for us, cleaning the non traffic areas, moving things off the bookshelves and dusting about once a month or so. Oh, and windows, those get cleaned a couple of times a week in my house. (I have toddlers that smear them up, so I clean only the dirty portion when needed). The high traffic areas get cleaned up a couple of times a week as needed.

As for lightswitches and door knobs, those are cleaned with sanitary wipes a couple of times a week… especially during cold and flu season and with a toddler learning to toilet train!

For my floor grout, I clean it once a week with a Hoover Floormat and the grout in my shower doesn’t need much cleaning since I use Method shower spray and wipe down the shower after use.

Do I like cleaning? Yes and no. I’m OCD so, yes, but if I’m cleaning up a mess that someone like my husband carelessly made, then no.

For more great cleaning tips, see http://www.LifeOrganizeIt.com/house-cleaning-tips.html for some excellent tips to clean get a house clean fast.

In today’s weakening economy, consumers are less likely to invest money to professionally clean their homes. Unfortunately, this means many people have to spend a large amount of their own time cleaning. How can you clean your home without spending a lot of time and money?

I have searched/googled "frugal" everything for years. And I have saved every thing I could find, and use a lot of them.
(1) every 6 months I clean my clothes dryer front and back, clean the dryer hose too. Cost savings: replacing the dryer after the lint catches fire, getting a repairman to fix the dryer, even finding a new place to live after it burns down
(2) Making cleaners out of these cheap items: bleach, vinegar, water, cheaper dish soaps, borax, and baking soda.
(3) adding borax to my washer to make the soap clean better so I can use less laundry soap.
(4) Use dollar store hair shampoo to pre-treat collars of shirts …works really good.
(4) using a broom for a lot of things, cleans most stuff economically, good solid exercise
(5) for those mop and clean things that have a replaceable pad…cutting up a worn out t-shirt or worn out socks to make washable pads for it.
(6) putting a clothes line out back (in my case, the back porch/patio of my apartment) and hanging things that would dry better there
(7) when I go around the apartment and find things out of place, I drop them in a box I take with me, then I start at the end of my rounds and go back thru and put them back where they go….saves a lot of walking back and forth…and time
(8) when deciding to discard clothes as no longer wearable (torn, stained etc.) I make a decision if they would make good rags for the apartment or the car. I then cut off salvageable stuff (buttons, zippers etc) and cut them up into useable sizes. I put some in a grocery sack under the front passenger seat in the our car where they are easy to find and use for car spills or muddy shoes or other car cleaning chores. I put some in a container I have next to the washer and dryer. I use them rather then paper towels, etc for a multitude of household tasks. Then toss in the washer for a quick wash.
(9) I make a large glass bowl full of water with vinegar and soap in it. I then stick household sponges in it and heat until boiling hot in the microwave. The steam loosens the stuck on stuff in the microwave making it easier to clean. You have just killed any mold or germs in the sponges. You can use the hot soapy vinegar water to wipe down the kitchen and the cabinets.
(10) Bleach mixed with baking soda makes a paste that you can use to clean you cabinets with. I also rub the paste into areas of the tub and shower where mold is trying to grow. Bleach kills the mold and the paste made with the baking soda holds it in place long enought to do the job. Then you can use a sponge or cleaning rag to wipe it all over the shower or tub to scrub off the dirt.

…and so on.

How do you clean your house? Is there a way you determin which room your going to clean first. How do you try and get it done fast ?

Mind you Im pregnant, tired all the time and work full time (m-f)..
& NO a Maid is not a option ! lol.

I clean it weekly and daily.

Weekly is the day to deep clean and do extensive cleaning, and daily makes it easier for me when I deep clean.

Daily:
Clean the kitchen counters and dining table
Febreze the house
Make the beds
Air freshen the house
Fold blankets
Put stuff away
Put dirty clothes in hamper
Quickly clean the bathrooms(such as wiping down the counters or tub)
Do the dishes
laundry

Weekly:
Clean the kitchens(sink, counters, fridge, counters, floors)
Clean the bathrooms(sink, counters, shower, toilet, floors, mirrors)
Vacuum
Sweep and mop
Clean every room basically
Dust and polish
Shine mirrors and faucets…

I use products such as
Windex original
Pine Sol lemon fresh
Soft Scrub with bleach
Clorox toilet bowl cleaner
Formula 409

Start with the back of the house then move to the front

I have 3 children (between 3 & 6). I still know it’s possible to keep a clean house though. I go through stages. Sometimes it clean, other times… not so much. I guess I’m answering my own question, be consistent!

Just wanted to know what things you have found that make cleaning or keeping your house clean easier.

(i.e. I wash clothes according to how they will be put up, kids one load, parent another)

I first clean as I go along with whatever I am doing at the time, clean after every use of appliances etc whatever I use I clean right away then it is clean for next use

I then use household natural products to clean and never buy any store bought commercial cleaners use products you would find in your pantry such as Baking soda, White Vinegar, Lemons, even toiletries like Shave Creams, Baby Shampoo, products of this kind get use to clean and freshen my home, I also make many cleaners using the ingredients described above, no store bought cleaners as these do not clean well but have found that products I find normally in the food pantry or toiletries clean just as well and are alot safer and last the longest for a lot less money. You can also use empty spray bottles to carry around with you to make it easier to clean your home with your homemade cleaners Good Luck !