I like when my house is clean, but the process of getting there isn’t always my favorite. When our previous house was for sale this time last year, I became really efficient at “the stash and dash.” The procedure while our house was on the market was actually quite comical. We really did look like chickens with our heads cut off. The realtor would call and ask if the house could be shown that day. Many times he would ask if the house could be shown in an hour. My answer was always yes since the goal was to sell the house. The result was that I was actually able to carry over some of my lessons learned during the stash and dashes into my everyday cleaning. 

I now keep separate cleaning supplies at all the locations that I would need them. This does require that I have more than one of the same product, but saves me a tremendous amount of time while cleaning so that I have everything I need right there. Another option would be to have a cleaning bucket or basket that would allow you to carry all of your cleaning supplies with you from room to room.  

I know you’ve heard the term before, “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” The thing that I found when we did the stash and dash was that I had either a box or basket of miscellaneous things that took me weeks to go through, and only seconds to throw into the box or basket which resulted in more work for me later on. Having a designated place for everything really helps us speed up the cleaning process if miscellaneous items are scattered throughout the house and need to be put away quickly.  

I put my kids to work. I give them all the easy tasks, and let them use the Pledge Multi Surface wipes to clean all the mirrors, wood, glass, and the electronics that seem to grow dust. They are now old enough to sweep and mop so they do that as well. We have a traditional broom, but use a Swiffer Wet Jet to mop with Swiffer Sweeper wet cloths. The Swiffer Sweeper broke and I still had a Swiffer Wet Jet that I stopped using because of the cost of refills.

Put pots and pans in the oven when unexpected company comes over. I used this trick many times when I was about to show the house so that I could focus on other things that buyers would really look at, like my dust.

My house is always 15 minutes away from looking clean because of the little things that I do throughout the house during the day. As I’m walking through the house I pick things up and put them in the room that they belong, or return them to their “home.” What I always try to remember when I’m cleaning is that it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be pretty.