No one really likes house cleaning. How would you like to cut your cleaning time in half. Sound like a sales pitch? Its not, we have just gathered a list of tips to help you clean smart not hard.

Get Organized

Give everyone in your house a job to do. Make sure everyone knows what is expected of them. Why should you be the only one working. Even if you only have your kids take out the trash, its one thing less that you have to do.
Keep all of your cleaning supplies in one area. This will prevent you from making unnecessary trips to find a rag or that other cleaner. Use a caddy to hold all of your supplies or an apron with plenty of pockets to hold your cleaning equipment.
Have a plan. Work in a certain order to prevent re-soiling cleaned areas. Generally that means working from top to bottom. For example don’t vacuum your carpet and then dust your ceiling fan.

Prevent Messes

If it never gets dirty you don’t have to clean it. Be neat.
Use disposable plates and dinnerware to avoid having dishes to clean. Why take out the good dinner ware if you do not have company coming over.
Take off your shoes. This will keep you from tracking dirt into your home. Leave the outside dirt at the front door. This should cut down on your vacuuming time.
Use an entry mat at all exterior doors. If you do not want to take off your shoes whenever you come home, use a mat. it will trap much of the dirt before it gets into your home. Even if people do not wipe their feet on it, just the act of walking on it will transfer some spoil to the mat instead of your clean floor.
If you have pets, bathe them often. An oily dirty dog can make a mess of your carpet and upholstery. Give them a bath at least every other week, more if you have a particularly oily breed like a Lab.

Don’t Spread Messes

When you dust, use a slightly damp cloth or one that traps the dust. If you just wipe blow the dust off, it will only settle on something else.
Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. HEPA filters trap over 99% of contaminants. It will keep dust, dander, etc from getting blown back out your vacuums exhaust where it will simply settle on something else. It is also better for allergy sufferers.

Use Quality Chemicals

A penny saved on your cleaning supplies may mean hours wasted. Use quality name brand products instead of cheaper watered down generics.
Let the cleaners do the work for you. Some cleaner require a wait time after being applied. Give the cleaners time to work. Why scrub when you can just let the chemical sit for a few minutes.

Don’t Delay Cleaning

Clean up messes and dirt as soon as possible. The longer you wait to clean something, the longer it will take to clean.
If you spill something on the carpet, blot it up quickly to prevent it from setting. Clean carpets on a regular basis to prevent stains from becoming permanent. Cleaning them 2 times a tear is recommended.