5 house cleaning tips and printable house cleaning schedule 

So, you have been looking forward to hosting this dinner party for two weeks, but two hours before it’s due to start you look up and realise the house is an absolute state. Every time, right? If you’re in need of finding out the quickest way to clean your house, you’ve come to the right place: our 5 house cleaning tips will help you address that mess in no time.  

If you want to whip around for the ultimate tidy and learn how to clean quickly, check out our 5 home cleaning tips for the quickest way to clean your house: 

1. Dusting from top to bottom 
2. Make a house cleaning checklist 
3. Working smart – not just hard 
4. Remembering the essentials 
5. Enlisting the help of others 

Now you know what we’re going to cover in this guide full of house cleaning tips, let’s get to it. 

A 5-step guide to the quickest way to clean your house 

Whatever the event you’ve forgotten about, or whomever the unexpected guest you have dropping in, it’s not as hard as you may think to get your house in order and ready for visitors quickly. Here are our 5 top house cleaning tips: 

1. Go top to bottom

Want to know how to clean your house fast? The first thing to remember is that, like everything else in life, the laws of gravity apply to dust and grime. This downward settling of dust is key to learning how to clean your house fast, without wasting any time or having to redo anything. Use these top-to-bottom house cleaning tips: 

• Start on the top floor. If your house has multiple floors, you need to start on the top floor to prevent the dust from upstairs heading down and settling on the lower floors – you don’t want to finish at the top and then come downstairs for a relaxing cup of tea only to find you have to start all over again! 

• Clean the upper surfaces first. Even if you’re worried about kicking up dust with a hoover or broom, larger particles like crumbs need only be a problem for you once. Start by wiping tables, drawers, and work surfaces, then tackle the floor.

2. Make a house cleaning checklist 

This might seem like strange advice when you’re in a rush, but it really is worth taking five minutes to jot down a house cleaning checklist. Why? Well, some of the things you do when you have longer to clean might be unnecessary when you’re working out how to clean the house quickly. 

Which tasks are most important when it comes to presenting your house at its best and making your guests feel comfortable? Obviously, you want to concentrate on the areas they are most likely to visit. Try adding the following to your house cleaning checklist:  

• Clearing clutter from surfaces  
• Dusting 
• Sweeping and mopping any hard floors 
• Vacuuming any carpets 
• Cleaning the bathroom 

3. Work smart 

Once you have your house cleaning checklist in order, it’s time to figure out the quickest way to clean your house. Here are a few things you’ll want to think about including when it comes to how to clean your house fast: 

• What order does it make sense to clean the rooms in? If you’ve got guests coming, where will you be spending the most time? 
• Are there any rooms that don’t require any attention? 
• Where should you start in each room?  
• What’s the last thing you should do in there? 
• What might you not have thought of? 

The moments you spend doing this will save you a lot of time and frustration once you get to work. Below is an example of using these questions to work smart when working through your house cleaning checklist:  

• Toilet cleaner needs time to work, so make that the first thing you do when you clean your bathroom.  
• Then spray all the surfaces, before wiping them down (starting with the first one you sprayed). 
• Finish cleaning the toilet.  
• Finally, clean the floor, starting at the back corner of the room and finishing at the doorway.  

Working smart isn’t just about cleaning your home in the right order, it’s also about ensuring your cleaning gear is organised and easy to grab and transport around the house. Set yourself up for success by having a basket or caddy set up with all your cleaning essentials. A few things you’ll need in your cleaning caddy are: 

• A duster
• Furniture polish
• An all-purpose cleaner
• Microfibre cloths
• Squeegee
• Rubber gloves

But it’s not just important to have your cleaning gear organised and in an easy-to-reach spot! Knowing exactly where to get rid of those bits of litter that seem to appear out of thin air around the house can also make cleaning that little bit easier. We all have a bin, and nearly all of us have recycling bins, but do you have a compost bin?

For those banana and orange peels, already-browning apple cores, and kitchen roll laying around after being used, having a compost bin in the house can make a real impact in keeping your home clean and tidy! Composting newbie? Don’t worry. Read our handy guide explaining the basics of composting.

Want to know more about Plenty’s compostable kitchen roll sheets? Check out the answers to your frequently asked questions. 

4. Remember the essentials 

When you’re thinking about how to clean your house, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the bigger tasks and forget about the little things. Here are a few you might not have thought of since you started following our tips for the quickest way to clean your house: 

• Make sure you have clean towels out. This includes in the kitchen and bathroom (and of course a set for your guests if they are staying the night!) 
• Change bed linen. Obviously, this is only necessary if your guests are staying overnight. 
• Vacuum your sofa. If you have time, don’t forget to lift it up and clean underneath, as well as removing the cushions to vacuum the seats. 
• Check the kitchen roll holder. Make sure there’s enough Plenty kitchen paper in the house. 

5. Enlist some helpers

The quickest way to clean your house is definitely to have as many people helping as possible. As the saying goes, many hands make light work, so get everyone involved. Here are a few ways you can include your loved ones, as working together is the quickest way to clean your house.  

• Use our house cleaning checklist to help divide up the jobs.  
• Give everyone their own room to tackle. 
• Designate some safe tasks to kids – like tidying and dusting.  

That’s all five house cleaning tips, but here’s some bonus advice: make sure you take a moment here and there to breathe deeply, clear your head, and remember you’ve made progress. You’ve got this!  

*Plenty kitchen towels are certified as home and industrially compostable according to NF T 50-800 and EN14995.