Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines
Before you delve in, take some time to get organized. Store all your cleaning supplies, including multi-purpose cleaners, cleaning wipes, rags, sponges, rubber gloves and
Pledge® Multi Surface Duster, in one large bucket. Then when it's time to clean, just pick up the bucket and go. First walk around the room and toss anything that belongs elsewhere—shoes, magazines, toys –into an empty laundry basket to be put away later.
Forecast: Cloudy skies, clear windows
Avoid cleaning windows in direct sun or on a hot day, if possible. On a cloudy day, you'll have more time to wipe the cleaning formula off window glass before heat dries it and leaves it streaky. If you have to wash on a sunny day, at least try to wash the windows on the side of the house facing away from the sun.
The secret to quick touch-ups
Stash cleaning wipes in areas of your house where they will come in handy for quick touch-ups you can do when you have a few minutes to spare. For example, keep a package of
Pledge® Multi Surface Wipes stored in the living room for super quick dusting of your wood cabinets and furniture, metal surfaces, mirrors and more—all without having to switch between cleaning products.
Windex® Original Glass Wipes are great for quickly removing smudges and fingerprints on windows and sliding glass doors. Keep a pack in each of your bathrooms for mirrors and countertops.
Extend your reach
You can lose a lot of time moving your vacuum cord from plug to plug when you are vacuuming an entire room. Just buy an extension cord for each room so that you can cover the entire floor without having to unplug and replug constantly. You’ll be surprised how much time this will save you.
Avoid sticky situations in the kitchen
Use nonstick cooking spray—generously! It makes cleaning any pot, pan or appliance easier. When baking cookies, line the pan with aluminum foil and mist the foil with cooking spray (the pan underneath will be practically clean after use). Spray a bit down the center shaft of a food processor to keep doughy foods from sticking. And use on the slow-cooker insert before adding ingredients.
Do you find that you often have to rewash flatware after one round in the dishwasher? A presoak in carbonated water will help to dissolve grease and crusted foods and make that one dishwasher round more effective. Just put your dirty flatware in a clean loaf pan half filled with carbonated water and then pour in some boiling water for added power. Let soak about 10 minutes, rinse off and then wash in your dishwasher.
And when it comes to avoiding spills and splatters, bigger is better. Reach for a bigger pot or bowl than needed when you’re cooking and you’ll avoid overflowing liquids and cleanup time.
A bowl game where you’re the winner
If you hate cleaning your toilet brush every time you clean your toilets, you’ll appreciate
Scrubbing Bubbles® Fresh Brush® 2-in-1 Toilet Cleaning System. The scrubbing pad (which conveniently has the cleaning formula) easily attaches to the brush handle and cleans tough stains like hard water, limescale and rust. When you're done cleaning, just press the button on the handle to release the soiled pad into the trash. It’s great that there’s no wet brush to store and that your hands won’t get dirty.