Have you ever watched the popular Food Network program “30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray?” On the show perky hostess Rachael Ray shows you how to whip up a delicious meal in less than a half hour. The rationale: the quicker you can get the food on the table, the more time you will have to spend with your family and friends. I thought about this concept the other day when my husband called to say that he was bringing a colleague home to review a project he was working on. The good news: He actually called before showing up. The bad news: I had just under 30 minutes to clean and organize a house that had been hit by Hurricane Taylor (our charming, yet mischievous 2-year-old).
Here’s how I applied the “30 Minute Meal” concept to housecleaning (note my heavy reliance on convenient cleaning products that you may or may not have):
Wet mop the floors
A few spritzes of an all-purpose cleaner from my Swiffer WetJet Mop and away I go. The updated version of this product has a scraper on the side of the mop head that is great for removing sticky patches on kitchen floors. I can’t tell you how many fingernails I have saved by using the scraper to remove dried raisin gunk from my floors. With no time to waste, I tear off the used mop pad, throw on a fresh one and hit the bathrooms. But before I do…
Spray countertops and the sink
I spray disinfectant on the countertops and the sink (in the kitchen and bathrooms). Mr. Clean Antibacterial Multi-surface Spray degreases, cleans, shines glass and metal, and sanitizes, but as I discovered a few months ago (see my previous blog), you need to let the product sit, otherwise it won’t have time to kill bacteria. So while that’s soaking…
Clean the refrigerator handle
It only takes a few seconds to wipe this bacteria-friendly spot with one of those oh-so-handy Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Speaking of wipes…
Wipe down appliances
I run the Clorox Wipes over my appliances too. I wouldn’t recommend the Clorox Wipes if you have Stainless Steel appliances (I recommended the wipes to a friend who damaged her Stainless Steel refrigerator by taking my suggestion). So for all you Stainless-Steel-appliance-Granite-countertop-owners, you are better off using Weiman Cook Top Quick Wipes and Stainless Steel Wipes. They are wipes specially designed to clean and protect surfaces that traditional cleansing formulas can damage. The Stainless Steel Wipes get metal shiny and streak-free, and the Cook Top Wipes spiff up ceramic, chrome, Corian, Formica, and granite.
Wash the cabinet fronts
As I am wiping up the disinfectant spray from the countertops I quickly wipe down the cabinet fronts (if you don’t have a toddler leaving the mark of Zorro in syrup on your cabinets you could eliminate this step). I do the same in the bathrooms (wiping and mopping) then…
Dusting and Vacuuming
I grab a Swiffer Duster and quickly run it over the TV, tables, and shelves. I then hand a fresh one over to my daughter (so she can “help” Mommy… it also serves as a great distraction as I get out the vacuum cleaner which she loves to ride, but with less than 7 minutes left, I don’t have time for passengers). I vacuum with one hand and throw toys into bins with the other. And just as I am coiling up the vacuum cord I hear the front door open… TIME’S UP!