TIME FOR YOU THURSDAY
Household help for the holidays
BY:MARY ELIZABETH TERZELLA
With the holidays here, you well could have company coming. And it's no surprise that between your caregiving responsibilities, work obligations, looking for a few minutes to take care of yourself with a little exercise and seeing doctors, you don't have time for heavy cleaning. No problem. You can spruce up your house in a hurry if you target your efforts. Here's how:- Go with the Flow: The flow of guest traffic, that is. Concentrate on areas where guests will spend time and close the doors to messy rooms in the rest of the house
- Be in the Zone: Go through the "guest zone" with two carry-alls. In one container, trash out-of-date publications; in the other, stash out-of-place items and even tarnished silver that there's no time to polish, then hide it in a closet
- Chase Down Bunnies (dust bunnies, that is): Use "dirt trappers," like microfiber cloths, to dust furniture and use a long-handled lambswool duster for baseboards, blinds and light fixtures. Then do a quick vacuum.
- Spray and Swipe: Spray on the appropriate cleaner (all-purpose, glass, disinfectant), leave on for a minute, and wipe away dirt and grime with a few swipes of a clean cloth or paper towel
- Clean What Shows: Scrub the bathroom sink and toilet, not the tub—just close the shower curtain; shake out the rug and wipe down the floor with a cleanser-soaked cloth
Sources: Donna Smallin, author of The One-Minute Cleaner and Don Aslett, author of No Time to Clean