Here are her household hints:
1. Organise your time
Before you start cleaning, organize the chores that require waiting times. Laundry is a prime example. Sort the clothes and start the first load before you begin to tackle cleaning the rooms. This approach also applies to products that take time to work, such as tub and tile cleaners. In this case, apply them first and let them do their job while you clean the space.
2. Start at the top
Mendelson suggests you start on the top floor. Bedrooms, guest rooms or home offices and hallways get attention first (this also applies if your home is one level). After these rooms, move to the bathroom. Now, move to the first floor (and clean the stairs as you go). The hit-list for the main floor includes living room and dining room, then powder room, followed by the kitchen.
3. Think inside out
Mendelson also recommends a systematic way to clean within each room — inside out. The reason: "When you are cleaning a room, the basic idea is to avoid disturbing or soiling clean areas as you proceed to new areas." This means attacking the closets or cupboards, cabinets or refrigerator first. She also suggests you clean from top to bottom — meaning, for example, in a bedroom (after you've stripped the bed for laundry and cleaned the closet), you dust pictures and lampshades or clean mirrors before you move lower to dust the furniture.
4. Vacuum last
Mendelson's last tip for every room is to finish up with the vacuum cleaner. This way, you leave a room sparkling.
Hired help
Another way to help minimize your cleaning routine is to use smart products. Here is a list of helpful ideas.
- Swiffer Dusters® come with a pivoting handle that can extend up to 3 feet, making it easy to reach dust or the odd spider web that settles on ceilings, cornice moulding and the tops of bookcases, cabinets and the fridge. This also stops you from having to stoop over to reach baseboards.
- Mr. Clean® Antibacterial Multi-Surface Spray Cleaner is one product that can travel with you around the house. It cleans countertops, sinks, tile, small appliances, the fridge and stove, the outside of the dishwasher and microwave, and more. In fact, it cleans glass, too.
- By now, most of us have heard about the Mr. Clean Magic EraserTM (that clever cleaning tool that manages to eradicate scuff marks from walls, baseboards, floors, door jams and more with just a soaking of water). Now, there's Mr. Clean™ MagicReach™. Designed for the bathroom, this new tool (with an extending pole) cleans virtually every surface in sight, from the tub and shower to counters and faucets.
- Try using Febreze® Allergen Reducer™. It reduces up to 75% of allergens from cats, dogs, and dustmites that can become airborne from fabrics.
