Lovely kitchen by Pretty Handy Girl // Photo via BHG
Cleaning and Housekeeping Tips
Summertime should be for enjoying sunshine and relaxing, but household chores still need attention. The good news is you don’t have to spend all your summer cleaning—what you need is a strategy to clean efficiently so you can get back to enjoying your free time.
My approach is simple: speed clean. In other words, be organized and purposeful enough to make your home “clean enough” quickly. The more efficient your cleaning routine, the more time you’ll have for outdoor activities and relaxation. A clean home and a fun summer are completely compatible.
Here are practical speed cleaning tips to help you maintain a tidy home with minimal effort.
1. Establish daily routines
Consistent daily habits prevent messes from piling up. A few simple routines can keep your home “clean enough” without hours of work. Develop a short list of tasks you do every day—making beds, quick bathroom wipe-downs, putting dishes away—and stick to them. These small actions dramatically reduce the time needed for deeper cleaning sessions.
2. Dress for the job
What you wear affects how productive you are. For many people, staying in pajamas signals a relaxed, slow pace. Wearing day clothes or a practical apron helps shift your mindset into getting things done. Comfortable shoes and clothes that you don’t mind moving in will help you tackle chores faster. If you prefer staying in comfy clothes, use an apron to make it clear it’s chore time.
3. Stay focused with a timer
Set short timers to keep yourself on track. It’s easy to spend too much time on one task or get distracted by something else. A timer creates a sense of urgency and helps you complete tasks instead of chasing perfection. Use alarms to move between tasks and keep momentum.
4. Keep supplies handy
Store cleaning supplies where you use them. Running back and forth to fetch a product invites distractions and interruptions. A small caddy or cabinet in each bathroom and the kitchen with the essentials makes it quick to tackle messes as they happen and prevents unfinished tasks.
5. Clean as you go
Adopting a clean-as-you-go mindset saves huge amounts of time. At first it can feel like you’re always doing something, but soon these actions become second nature and dramatically reduce the need for lengthy cleaning sessions.
Useful clean-as-you-go habits:
- Rinse and wipe the shower while you’re in it.
- Wipe the sink after brushing your teeth.
- Start a load of laundry before breakfast.
- Use timers for moving laundry to the dryer and for when the dryer cycle ends.
- Remove clothes from the dryer and hang or fold them immediately—don’t let them pile up.
- Empty the dishwasher before you cook or eat.
- Put dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher instead of piling them in the sink.
- Soak pots right after cooking.
- Clear the table promptly after dinner and start the dishwasher.
These small steps add up to hours saved each week—time you can use for relaxing or outdoor fun.
6. Clean in a logical order
Tackle rooms in an order that prevents doing the same work twice. For example, always dust before vacuuming so you’re not stirring up dust after you’ve cleaned floors. In the kitchen, wipe counters and appliances, then sweep and mop the floor last—working top to bottom helps you avoid repeating tasks.
Planning the sequence of tasks reduces effort and helps you finish faster, leaving more time to relax.
7. Declutter to lighten the load
Less stuff means less cleaning. When cabinets and closets aren’t overflowing, organizing and tidying become quick, even pleasant tasks. Use the summer to sort through items—donate, sell, or recycle what you don’t need. Even a few minutes a day spent clearing a drawer or shelf makes a noticeable difference.
Reducing clutter streamlines daily cleaning and creates a lighter, more peaceful home environment for the season.
By following these simple strategies—daily routines, dressing for action, staying focused, keeping supplies handy, cleaning as you go, working in a logical order, and reducing clutter—you can keep your home tidy with far less effort. That means more time to enjoy the summer and less time worrying about chores.