Speed Cleaning During The Holidays (Less Than 30 Minutes)

After a long day of shopping for the holidays, the last thing you want to do is clean. I hear ya! So speed cleaning during the holidays ensures my home still gets cleaned and looks presentable without too much effort.

By doing speed cleaning sessions when you’re just too busy or you have company coming without much notice, you can get the cleaning done (less than 30 minutes), save your sanity, and get on with enjoying the holidays! Good enough is better than not done. Save the deep cleaning and the bathtub scrubber for another day.

Today I’m sharing my speed cleaning routine with you so that you could use it yourself plus there’s also a checklist to make it easy to follow.

You can grab the printable checklist to post on your fridge, bulletin board, or clipboard here…

Holiday Speed Cleaning Routine

Before You Start…

• Find an unused bin, laundry basket, or box to collect items
• Gather your supplies: duster, cloths, cleaning spray, window cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, disinfecting wipes, vacuum, small garbage bag, kitchen soap and sponge
• Play music while you clean or if you prefer quiet, use a timer for motivation to stay on task

Pick Up First (5-7 minutes)

• Go around your rooms and quickly pick up items that don’t belong and place them in your bin, basket, or box.Trash goes in the small garbage bag and place any dirty dishes in sink for later.
• Quickly tidy up any papers and bills, throwing out any junk mail.
• Stash your bin of misplaced items in a hidden area to go through later or when company leaves.
• Tidy and straighten any pillows and throw blankets on the couch, if any.

Surface Clean (5 minutes)

• Using a duster or dry cloth, wipe surfaces in high traffic areas (except bathroom & kitchen).
• Spray a cloth with cleaning spray. Wipe surfaces in high traffic areas (except bathroom & kitchen).
• Squirt toilet bowl cleaner around rim and let sit ( to allow time for disinfecting to work).
• Spray a cloth with window cleaner and quickly wipe mirror in bathroom and others, if any.

Bathroom(s) (3-5 minutes)

• Wipe sinks and counters with disinfecting wipes.
• Quickly scrub toilet with brush, along with rim and seat.
• Wipe down toilet seat with disinfecting wipes.

Kitchen (5-7 minutes)

• Quickly unload dishwasher (if necessary) and then load with any leftover dishes.
• Hand wash any pots and pans, dry, put away.
• Use soapy water and sponge to wipe down kitchen counter and table, dry with cloth.
• Wipe down sink with cloth and stove top if necessary.

The Finale! (3-5 minutes)

• Take out trash from the washroom and kitchen if necessary, replacing with a new bag.
• Vacuum floors in any high traffic areas including the kitchen, bathroom(s) and any rugs.

If you still got time after speed cleaning, light some candles and tune into some holiday music!

Do you have any speed cleaning tips you’d like to share? Feel free to share it in the comments below…