Too hot to clean? Pros say these 6 small tasks make the biggest difference

Work smarter, not sweatier.

Summer is a truly special time of year, filled with seeing friends and family, traveling, and spending lots of time outdoors. But all that fun doesn’t leave much time for cleaning. And who has the energy for a deep clean when it’s sweltering outside?

The good news is you don’t have to. We asked cleaning pros which tasks are the most important to prioritize during the summer, so your home can feel fresh and tidy with a lot less effort.

Meet Our Expert

• Trish Duarte, president and CEO of MaidPro Temecula/Murrieta
• Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of AspenClean

Related: I Tried the 1-Minute Cleaning Rule—and Now I Spend Way Less Time Tidying

01 of 07

Take Out the Garbage

There’s nothing that makes your home feel dirty quite like the smell of hot garbage. Luckily, this task requires minimal time and effort. Make it a regular habit to throw out the garbage every night after dinner or every morning before you leave for work.

02 of 07

Clean Up Spills Right Away

While we all expect certain spots in our homes to get messy, unexpected messes still happen, especially with pets and kids. Trish Duarte, president and CEO of MaidPro Temecula/Murrieta, suggests taking care of unexpected messes before they get worse.

“Wipe up spills before they have a chance to soak in and set,” Duarte says. “As food messes dry, they harden, while sticky fingerprints and splatters become magnets for dust and grime. And pet accidents can leave behind stains and lingering odors.”

So, don’t wait to grab the paper towels and multi-purpose cleaner. 

03 of 07

Keep Kitchen Messes in Check

If you’re trying to establish a regular hot-weather cleaning routine, Duarte advises starting with the kitchen. “Food residue, grease, and crumbs build up quickly in the heat and can lead to odors and attract pests,” she explains.

But keep in mind, you don’t need to spend too much time in this space with the right strategy.

“Think about a bustling restaurant kitchen during the dinner rush. If the line cooks waited until midnight to clean everything at once, the kitchen would collapse into chaos long before the last customer left,” says Duarte. “Instead, they practice ‘clean as you go,’ wiping a cutting board here and sweeping the line there between orders. Treat your home the same way.”

04 of 07

Give Bathrooms a Quick Refresh

Duarte recommends tackling bathrooms next. This is especially important because these rooms harbor a lot of germs, and no one wants to get sick during summer break. “Wiping the sink, toilet, and shower surfaces instantly makes one of the most frequently used rooms feel cleaner,” she adds.

However, if you live in a humid climate or you’ve been experiencing an abundance of summer rain, you may want to clean the bathroom first, says Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO at AspenClean. “On especially hot and humid days, direct your attention to moisture-prone areas (bathrooms, sinks, garbage bins) as mold, mildew, and smells tend to build up faster,” she explains.

05 of 07

Tidy High-Traffic Areas

Are you having a lot of company this summer? A house full of people means more germs and dirt in living rooms, hallways, entryways, dens, and family rooms. “Giving these areas a quick mop or vacuum goes a long way, especially if people are constantly coming and going from outside,” Sokolowski notes.

Again, there’s no need to give your home a top-to-bottom deep clean. Instead, focus on resetting the essential spaces that have the biggest impact on your daily comfort.

06 of 07

Vacuum or Sweep Main Walkways

Cleaning your floors properly can make a major difference in the overall cleanliness of your home. It’s also crucial if you have allergy sufferers in your home. Duarte recommends taking just a few minutes to vacuum or sweep your main walkways. “Pet hair, tracked-in dirt, and crumbs make an entire home look dirty, even when the rest of it is clean,” she says.

07 of 07

Do a 20-Minute Reset

There are days when we simply don’t have the time, energy, or wherewithal to thoroughly clean our homes. But if you can muster just 15 to 20 minutes, Sokolowski says you can make a big difference.

“Choose one area that needs to be cleaned the most and will make the greatest impact on the overall cleanliness of your home,” she explains. “This could be cleaning the kitchen, refreshing your bathroom, vacuuming the main walkways, or doing a single load of laundry.”

Related: 7 Things You Can Do to Make Your Home Easier to Clean, According to Redditors

Read the original article on Real Simple