TIME FOR YOU THURSDAY
Household help for the holidays
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 In one container, trash out-of-date publications; in the other, stash out-of-place items and even tarnished silver that there's no time to polish, then hide it in a closet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