Speed Cleaning

I hate housework.  Always have, always will.  I've always considered it a necessary evil that comes with living in a house.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) my tolerance for dirt is fairly low so the house does get cleaned.  Most often it coincides with the prospect of someone coming over. 

So when my friend, former co-worker and fellow blogger Adrian posted on the Speed Cleaning method, it struck a chord.  I actually own Speed Cleaning by Jeff Campbell.   I wish I could remember who I loaned it to.  I bought it while I was still working full time and my housekeeping service closed unexpectedly.  I decided to clean my own house and hoped to learn to do so efficiently.

I followed the method relatively closely while I was working.  After I retired, I rationalized that I had plenty of time and could do, say, one chore a day rather than cleaning everything all at once.  I planned to put together a schedule and follow it rigorously.  Ahhhh, the best laid plans….  I never did the schedule, and re-adopted the philosophy of “ignore it until someone is coming over and then clean like mad.”

Adrian’s post reminded me that there is a very efficient method of housekeeping.  Throughout my work life I strived to do my job in the most efficient way possible.  I joked that “laziness is the mother of efficiency.”  I could hear Adrian’s voice in the back of my mind, “OK, Cheri – why wouldn't you want to be just as efficient in cleaning the house?”

Adrian’s post at http://www.adrianscrazylife.com/2013/10/clutterbugs-cut-your-cleaning-time-in.html overviews the Speed Cleaning method.  Then she details how to clean a kitchen using the method.  The method advocates working in each room, left to right, top to bottom, never backtracking.  The method also advocates carrying everything you need with you, in a special cleaning apron, so you don’t stop your momentum to go get something you need to clean.  Adrian’s post tells you what goes in the apron.  Hmmmm.  I might need one of these.

I checked the book out of the library and re-read it.  My favorite quote from the book is “If it’s not dirty, don’t clean it.”  Now this is a method I can get behind.  My challenge:  to use the method next time I clean the house, time myself, and see if I can get faster.  Let’s see if I can set a personal record for housework.

You can read more of Adrian's posts at www.adrianscrazylife.com.