The Rules of Speed Cleaning

Free Yourself From The Weekly Grind of Housecleaning

Speed Cleaning allows you to systematically clean your house and get it over as soon as possible. No lingering, fussing, dawdling or dwelling. We've set up rules in order to help you avoid the pitfalls of cleaning and make “getting it over with quickly” possible. So here they are, one more time for the record, the rules that make it all possible:

1. Make every move count. The most important rule in our system. No more running marathons in your living room, hunting down paper towels, spray bottles and scattered tools. It stops here. No more wasting steps and repeating yourself. Quit making those extra moves – it wastes time.

2. Use the right tools. Put down that robot vacuum; let go of the electric duster! We are well aware that cleaning has accumulated more silly gadgets than serious tools. So we have come up with some serious tools to help you in your weekly housecleaning quest. What kind of tools you ask? Well, we like to call them 'grime fighters', our trusted legion of dirt busters! You’ll need a scraper, razor blade and beefed up version of a toothbrush. Where will you put them, you ask? Your apron! That’s right, we said it, YOUR APRON! What this tool lacks in modern fashion couture it well makes up for with time saving style! We’d also like to think that we have cornered the fashion market with the first ever aprons that are as stylish as they are functional.

3. Work from top to bottom. Centuries of common wisdom can’t be wrong. You can’t defy gravity so why try? Some things are eternal and this is one of them. Always, always work from top to bottom.

4. If it isn’t dirty, don’t clean it. Don't take cleaning angst out on a surface that doesn’t deserve it! Reserve your scrubbing power for surfaces that require it. When approaching a refrigerator door, for example, size it up, spot-clean the fingerprints and be done with it.

5. Don’t rinse or wipe a surface before it’s clean. Teach yourself to “see through” the dirt and grunge to know when a surface is clean. Well, most often your not actually “seeing” through but “feeling” though it. This is a process of self-discipline; to control the urge to wipe away the gooey mess until the surface your scrubbing is clean. Once you have mastered this rule, you are well on your way to being a Speed Cleaning aficionado.

6. Don’t keep working after it’s clean. (Or “Enough! Enough already!”). The point is simple: If you’re paying attention to what you’re doing, you are going to detect when you have hit ground zero more quickly.

7. If what you’re doing isn’t going to work, shift to a more heavy-duty tool or cleaner. You will finish fastest by shifting tools or cleaners as early as possible in the cleaning process.

8. Keep your tools in impeccable shape. Store your cleaning supplies coherently and always in the same place. Don’t let your razor get rusty or your toothbrush dingy. After all, would superman just leave his cape on the floor in a heap? Dull razors scratch; clogged spray bottles just create frustration. Treat your tools like you would an old friend and they in turn will last a long time and do a great job for you.

9. Repetition makes for smoother moves. Always put your tools and cleaning supplies back in the same predictable place. You don’t want to fumble around in a tizzy wondering where you left your scraper when you need it most. If you leave your tools lying round in alien places you’ll just create frustration for yourself.

10. Pay attention. Don’t loose your train of thought and get sucked into anything else. Stay focused at the task on hand. Don’t let yourself get sucked up into the music you are listening to and start doing the cha-cha in the middle of your vacuuming routine.

11. Keep track of your time. Watch yourself become the speed queen or king of clean. Once you get really good at your routine you can challenge friends and family to a cleaning duel.

12. Use both hands. Why not use what you’ve got? Don’t let one hand hang around while the other does all the work. Besides wasting half your work force, it just isn’t fair to the hand that has to do all the work!

13. If there is more than one of you, work as a team. Things will get done twice as fast!

Speed Cleaning requires practice but the reward is time and energy saved so you can have back your weekends and free yourself from the weekly grind of endless housecleaning! In no time at all with our tools, cleaners and methods you'll be a mean, green Speed Cleaning machine!

*For further reading check out Speed Cleaning written by Jeff Campbell, available at http://www.thecleanteam.com/