How to…

I’m excited to announce my new ‘How to…’ series starting on the blog today. Hope you enjoy!

how to clean home in 30 minutes

I’m kicking off the series with ‘How to…clean your home in 30 minutes.’ I wouldn’t say our apartment is a disaster. However, I wouldn’t say that it’s always perfectly clean and in order. When we have company coming over or I’m starting to feel a lack of inspiration due to piles everywhere or unhung clothes, I start cleaning, and the mood instantly changes. We are all so busy in our lives that rarely can we spend hours on end cleaning our living space. That’s why I have learned to master the ’30 minute clean.’

  • Put on upbeat music that will keep you rocking
  • Make a game plan that would even impress an NCAA coach
  • In each room, make pretty piles
    • Papers
      • Trash (anything you don’t need, won’t look at again)
      • File (anything you need to save, but don’t need right then)
      • Active (anything that needs to be handled in a timely manner – bills, etc)
    • Clothing/Shoes
      • Clean (items that are clean and need to be hung, folded, or put away)
      • Dirty
        • Wash
        • Dryclean
    • Miscellaneous Items
      • Anything else that needs to be put away
  • Now, put all those piles away. For those items that need to be handled (such as bills) put them in a neat pile on your desk
  • Do a quick wipe of the countertops and tables
  • Vacuum or sweep the floor, if necessary
  • Do this plan at least once a week. If you are one who puts away your clothes as you take them off, you deserve a cookie (that’s not me, unfortunately). Do this as often as possible, as to never let any pile get too high or any room too messy.

…and now your home is clean, and all is right again in the world. You deserve a large glass of wine.

 

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Leave a Comment

33 Comments

  1. Anna wrote:

    oh my goodness, adore this. So helpful. Sounds like a new Sunday must! Thanks for the tips! I hope you had a fabulous weekend, love. xo

    http://www.fashboulevard.blogspot.com

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  2. Heather wrote:

    I AM DOING THIS TONIGHT! Thanks for sharing!!!!

    XO
    Pearls & Paws

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  3. Rachel wrote:

    Listening to music makes SUCH a difference! I can clean an entire closet if I have some good tunes on!

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  4. Alyssa wrote:

    I have a small apartment, so you’d THINK that it’d be easy to keep clean, but it’s definitely not–especially with two crafting/fashion obsessed girls living in it. Usually every Sunday (or so) my roommate and I put on some serious jams and go to work…it ends up being fun and therapeutic!

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  5. Lauren wrote:

    These are great tips. I swear I’ve never cleaned my house faster than when company is on the way over!

    Fizz and Frosting

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  6. Rachel wrote:

    Haha, I am definitely NOT that person who hangs up their clothes when I take them off. It is horrible, I really should. My bathroom turns into dirty clothes central! I love this idea for keeping up with cleaning every week. It doesn’t seem as bad when you say in 30 minutes with upbeat music! I need to clean this week, so I’m going to try my hardest to do it this fast!

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  7. alison wrote:

    These are great tips! For me it is mail and clothes, too things I just cannot seem to organize! I did do some spring cleaning last weekend and that felt good! xo

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  8. Great tips! Music is definitely key, it always puts me in the mood and keeps me motivated!

    xo, Yi-chia
    Always Maylee

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  9. Alyssa wrote:

    This is a great resource! I always feel better when everything is clean.
    Alyssa
    glitterandgapske.blogspot.com

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  10. Great tips, I feel like I always leave cleaning until the point where it takes hours!
    xo Dina
    Sweetest Somethings

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  11. my bedroom is getting out of control right now and a quick clean is on the agenda for tonight! music is so key… or sometimes i put netflix on my laptop and half watch arrested development reruns. thanks for getting me geared up for cleaning… not always an easy feat!

    <3becky
    http://www.loosefromthezoo.com

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  12. I needed this a lot! I always have the hardest time keeping my house clean. its bad. xx. McKenna Lou
    http://www.lynnandlou.com
    p.s. Be sure to enter in our Lisa Leonard $50 giveaway! Today is the last day. http://www.lynnandlou.com/2013/03/double-outfits-lisa-leonard-giveaway.html

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  13. Hahaha I feel the exact same way when we have friends coming over. I wish I was super neat, it’s not that I don’t love to be organized I just think it falls by the wayside when I’m tired after work. Thanks for the awesome tips, can’t wait to use them!

    xo jen

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  14. Amy wrote:

    Great tips!! I need to be better at piles!
    If you get a minute, I’d love for you to vote for me the Wallis Blogger Contest!!:) Link to vote is on my blog. Thank you!!
    xoAmy
    http://www.dreamingincashmere.com

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  15. MFJ wrote:

    Ha, this is great and I deserve a cookie. I just realized that as I walk-in I start to take off everything :). I put my shoes on the shoe rack by the entrance door. I put my used clothes separate or in the laundry basket. I avoid sitting on my bed or couch with the same clothes because I sit on the train….a bit too obsessed 🙂

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  16. Darcy wrote:

    Music always helps me get stuff done 🙂

    http://www.corporategirlstyle.blogspot.com

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  17. NIIICE tips!!! I need to put on upbeat music bc that will make it a little easier to clean! I kind of put off cleaning and then when things get unmanageable, I go on crazy cleaning sprees…this happens about once a week. Thanks for making this a little easier for my crazy cleaning!! xoxo

    Posted 4.1.13 Reply
  18. ashley wrote:

    This is amazing and just what I needed to read right now!

    xo Ashley
    http://www.ashnfashn.com

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  19. Emily wrote:

    Yes! Great suggestions. Blaring music is a “must” when I clean – it helps get the task done so much faster!
    Isn’t That Charming.

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  20. Michelle wrote:

    Uhh great tips! I need to do this!!

    Michelle

    Fierce & Fashionable

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  21. Leigh wrote:

    Upbeat music is always a great way to get me on a cleaning roll!

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  22. Vanessa wrote:

    I love to clean but I still find my home looking messy all the time! Probably because I start and never finish and because I’m TOO detailed to do an over all clean before I empty out every individual drawer in my shelves and rearrange their contents. Thanks for this simple game plan, I’ll try to keep my next claning session to under 30 minutes and play something upbeat too!

    http://geekypinkness.blogspot.ca/

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  23. Rebecca wrote:

    Thanks for the great cleaning tips and I agree after cleaning you deserve a glass of wine! 😉

    Rebecca
    http://www.winnipegstyle.ca

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  24. Carina wrote:

    Great tips, wish I took such an organized approach like this every time my place gets messy!

    xx,

    Carina
    http://www.thefashionstudent.com
    twitter.com/carinainthecity
    instagram.com/thefashionstudent

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  25. Kristin wrote:

    Needed to read this!
    Thank you for posting!

    http://everythingsalwayssunny.com
    Kristin
    xx

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  26. Great tips! Couldn agree more! The glass of wine is my favorite part!

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  27. Ah! Yes, Spring Cleaning! Xo Megan, http://www.TfDiaries.com

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  28. Great tips!! I am getting better at cleaning up quick, but it is so hard to understand why my house gets messy every other day!! LOL! Hope you are having a wonderful day!
    -Jyoti
    Style Delights Blog

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  29. Cecily wrote:

    Esential, the music! if not it’s extremely boring!!!

    Posted 4.2.13 Reply
  30. anngelik wrote:

    Great tips and idea! I take a while to clean mine, not because it’s that dirty, but because I get distracted easily by other things haha

    -Vogue&Heels
    vogueandheels.com

    Posted 4.3.13 Reply
  31. Nora wrote:

    Such helpful time saving techniques!

    Nora

    Posted 4.5.13 Reply
  32. P&F wrote:

    Love the content AND the way it is written! XO
    http://preppyandfunny.wordpress.com/

    Posted 4.9.13 Reply