10-Minute House Cleaning Tips for Busy Moms

I found these tips for getting chores done quickly on the HGTV web site and thought they were useful.

What are some of your speed cleaning tips?

• Set an alarm for 10 minutes and have the kids race to pick up as much as they can before the alarm goes off.
• Run a load of non-dishes in the dishwasher when it isn’t quite full. Clean things like stove burners, vases, candlesticks and even children’s plastic toys contained in a mesh bag.
• To keep bathroom mirrors from fogging up, rub them with dish soap and let them dry. It will take vigorous rubbing to work the soap in, but it should prevent fog from forming for up to two weeks.
• If more than one child uses a bathroom, label old shoe boxes with each child’s name. It will keep the toiletries separated, organized and clean.
• Clean the dust off stuffed animals by running them through the dryer on fluff cycle with a dryer sheet.
• Take just five minutes a day to tidy up each room. This technique is not to be used as a substitute for deep cleaning, but it will keep the clutter under control.
• (If you don’t have a HEPA filter )Vacuum first and then dust, so the vacuum won’t kick dust back into the air and onto your furniture.
• Clean dingy vinyl dolls by slipping a soft sock onto your hand, then dipping the end of the sock first in water, then in baking soda. Gently rub the doll with the soda.
• To absorb refrigerator odors, place an open bowl filled with two to three charcoal briquettes on a back shelf.