We moved into our new home last August, and I’ll admit that staying on top of keeping it clean and organized has been a struggle since we had a second child.
When I went back to work after my maternity leave, we decided that we would hire a cleaning lady twice a month and we would maintain our home in between her visits. With both of us working full-time and wanting to spend as much time as possible with our children, it’s a luxury we’re glad we invest in.
Though we have help, there’s absolutely no way we could go two weeks without cleaning our home, so in between our professional cleanings, we spend time wiping down counters, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. We also got a Roomba that has been a Godsend in keeping our dark hardwoods clean since they show every.little.speck. 
The time we can (or want to) devote to cleaning on evenings and weekends is very little, so I try to find ways to get a lot of our home maintenance tasks done quickly.
Recently I got to test out new Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes with Micro-Scrubbers. I’ve been using Clorox wipes for years in our home and at work, but the reason I especially love this new version is because one side of the wipe has a micro-scrubber texture that works on more stubborn messes and grime. It still has the same germ-killing power of their regular wipes (they kill 99.9% of germs*, including E. coli, Salmonella as well as the cold and flu virus) but the textured side really helps you get those harder-to-clean messes: perfect if you’re in the mood to get your deep spring cleaning on! 
I love that they’re safe for granite (as well as many other surfaces) because we get build-up around our bathroom faucets and these wipes remove it so easily. I also love using them in the kitchen and even keep a pack on my desk at work. You’d be surprised at how grimy your desk can get especially if you eat your lunch there which I do almost daily (and don’t forget to get some compressed air to clean your keyboard too!) 
It’s so easy and convenient to just grab a wipe and toss it when you’re finished. We keep a package on every floor of our house and like I mentioned earlier, at work. Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes with Micro-Scrubbers come in a citrus scent which is my preference because it’s not too strong (I’m sensitive to smells).
*When used as directed
Thanks to Clorox, a product we’ve used in our home for years, for partnering on this post. We’re giving away a $100 Visa gift card to one of my readers! To enter, leave me a comment on this blog post telling me what your cleaning hacks are. I would love to hear how you all maintain your homes quickly and efficiently!
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I am OCD about having a clean house- to a fault! I have two little kids and work full time, so I just do a little bit everyday instead of letting it all pile up and having hours of housework to do! I really want an every other week housekeeper though 🙂
Doing a little bit every day is a great strategy! Our cleaning lady is such a wonderful investment- no regrets! It’s so nice coming home to a deep cleaned house.
I’m jealous of your semi-monthly housekeeper!! Keeping up the house definitely takes away from quality time with the littles…especially when you’re a working mom as well. I’m lucky in that my husband cleans our floors and does the dishes so I have a little bit of help….but during a typical week, I clean one room a night and then just keep up with the laundry and general pick-ups as needed. My house is by no means spotless, but it’s not dirty and that’s an A in my books. 🙂
Sounds like you’re doing great! My husband helps a lot too. It really takes a village.
I like to do a quick bathroom cleaning while my son takes a bath.
The swiffer sweepers and dusters are also great for quick cleaning.
My cleaning hack is to split the work with my son.
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/728251411247599616
Here are some of my cleaning hacks:
I use salt and lemons to clean your chopping board without leaving any chemicals!
I use vinegar and baking soda can be a great combo for cleaning your oven.
I use lemons to remove stains from faucets.
I clean stainless steel appliances with cream of tartar. It really works!
tweet-https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/728252553536765952
yep, I do a little everyday. I get overwhelmed if I let it pile up and try to do it all at once.
We have two littles and both work full time. We find if we pick up 20 minutes every night after the kids go to bed the house stays much cleaner. On the weekends, we will do a deeper clean.
I just clean a little bit every day
One of my hacks is that I scrub tile grout with a baking soda paste. I also find the Clorox wipes are great to keep in the bathrooms for quick daily clean ups.
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/728264765810737153
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/728264806663327744
This post makes me sad we just bought a HUGE pack at Costco without the scrubbers!!! You are so right about having 2 kids and jobs – we are in the process of hiring a cleaning service because to us it is something to take off our very full plate! Right now we keep Clorox wipes in every bathroom, laundry room and kitchen. We also keep baby wipes in each bedroom and kitchen.
The scrubbers are really good! I don’t know if this happens to you but we get this grime build up around our faucets and it just wipes it away so easily (much better than paper towel or anything else). Next time you can get the scrubbing ones 🙂
We recently moved as well and our biggest struggle was the deep clean needed at our old place. We live in Florida and deal daily with hard water and the lime stains they leave behind. While we use the daily shower spray for our glass shower, there still was hard water stains and lime build up. I tried everything in the book to clean it (vinegar, dawn, power scrubbers, etc.) I even used a flat tool to scrap the build up off the glass and in the end good ole chemical sprays for the win. With one spray of Lime-a-way it instantly came off! After I got over the frustration of all the hard work I put into getting it clean that was instantly wiped away, it was a nice relief to see it disappear!
We have a house cleaner come as well since we’re a working family, too. Between visits, we just keep up with not letting things get out of hand. Last night I threw in a load of laundry, and ran the dishwasher. Today I’ll fold/hang that laundry and unload the dishes. Keeping a schedule like that helps us to enjoy our children (ages 3 years and 6 months) and not spend hours cleaning every weekend.
I’m totally with you! Time with kids > perfectly clean house. We love our cleaning lady—she helps us keep things in check and we are supporting her small business!
One of my favorite hacks is to use fabric dryer sheets to wipe down the trim in the entire household. Oh how it catches the dust and truly leaves it clean much longer than using a regular cleaning rag.
what a great tip! I don’t use dryer sheets at all so I will have to buy some to try this.
I stash supplies to clean in every room! Wipes, disposable dusters, a little sprayer of vinegar and water- open a drawer in my house and it probably has a cleaning supply in it. Then things get a quick dust or shine whenever I have a quick moment because it is all right there!
that is very efficient! love this idea 🙂 I also keep cleaning products in different parts of the house because easy access means I’m more likely to use them when I need them!
Tweeted – https://twitter.com/AlinaConn/status/728290568833515520
I use newspaper instead of napkins or towel to wipe the mirrors in the bathrooms. It leaves them spotless and streak free.
I have heard of this trick— glad to know it works!
Tweet – https://twitter.com/Brixstaff/status/728291009269014528
I use vinegar to wash the inside of my washer to leave it odor free and also use it to wipe down appliances.
Can you let me know how much you use and if you run a cycle with it? we really need to do this to ours!
My sister told me to leave a small mug of vinegar in the top rack of the dishwasher and run it with just that. It helps with smells and build up.
To deodorize I use a squirt bottle of dish soap and vinegar. Once you scrub the sink with it, you’ll really notice a nice clean smell.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/connsean71/status/728290235730243584
My favorite cleaning hack is using an old toothbrush to get into hard to reach areas.
I have a dollar store small spray bottle filled with a vinegar water mixture in every bathroom so i can quickly clean anything as needed! i’m enjoying reading these other tips in the comments too!
I set a timer to get as much done as I can in 20 minutes, and get an upbeat pandora station going 🙂
I keep Clorox wipes in all of our restrooms so if anyone makes a mess they can easily spot clean. I also do a load of laundry every night before bed. Then, first thing in the morning when I wake up i put the clothes into the dyer. When I get home from work I fold and put away. You would be surprised how one small load of laundry a day can really prevent the dreaded laundry build-up.
One of my cleaning hacks is to use Clorox disinfecting wipes in the kitchen and bathroom, I even keep them in the car.
We don’t have kids yet and my husband jokes about hiring someone to clean our house. We both hate doing it, but when we clean together we get it done a lot faster.
I love these clorox scrubbing wipes for quick-clean up when I don’t have time to wipe down my entire counter. To add to the vinegar in the washer tip, it works great! I run an empty load in our front-load washer with about a 1/4 cup of vinegar. When it’s done, I run the machine again- this time with no vinegar/ no detergent. Then I wipe it down inside and out with a little bit of a 50/50 vinegar and water combo. I recently started using vinegar as a fabric softener as well (no, your clothes don’t smell like vinegar!). I find that this helps reduce the smell with front-load washers. Keeping the door open after every load always helps to make the smell go away too.
I keep dustpans handy in areas of my house with hard floors. With a shedding dog, this makes it much less stressful for me to clean up clumps of hair, etc. when I see them than wait to do it all at once!
I tackle one room completely a day. Tidy up the rest and that seems to leave me with time for the kiddos.
https://mobile.twitter.com/arress83/status/728387519381962753
put some lemon juice and hot water in the microwave to clean it out easily
groogruxking40 @ gmail dot com
Does using baby wipes count as a cleaning hack ? Once you have two kids, you bleed baby wipes.
I also love using vinegar in the bleach or fabric softener slot in the washing machine. Keeps everything smelling fresh while cleaning the washer at the same time!
In the morning I wipe down counters, clean mirrors and put out fresh hand towels. Feels so good to never worry about my bathroom being a mess for guests and only takes three minutes.
With 3 little ones, our sinks and mirrors in the bathroom would be covered in splashed water from over eager hand washing! I started wiping down the sink and mirror with the towel after drying hands and it keeps me from having to clean them constantly to get rid of the spots. Best of all, the kids can add this easy step to their hand washing routine too. My 4year old would correct my husband when he’d forget to wipe the sink down, haha.
My best tips are to create a calendar detailing specific rooms or tasks to be cleaned/performed each day. I also make it a rule to take something with my (piece of trash for instance) every time I leave a room.
https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/728551403241779200
My cleaning hack is a ‘clean as you go’ strategy. Just took a bath? I wipe down the entire bathroom while it’s still warm & damp and easy to clean. Just cooked a gourmet meal? I’ll immediately do the dishes & clean up all surface areas of the kitchen. Work like a charm!
Clutter drives me crazy so I always do a quick clean up right after my daughter goes to sleep. I usually give myself about 10 minutes to get things put back in their place and then I have the rest of the night to relax with my husband before bed!
My best tip is to clean messes as they occur and keep after them if possible. That way, cleaning isn’t such a chore and much easier. Thanks so much.
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/peg42/status/728727748529815553
Thanks again.
I do certain chores on certain days of the week: Wednesday is either cleaning bathrooms or dusting, Thursday is vacuuming, etc. No cleaning at all on weekends!
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/728751136128286721
God bless Clorox.
Vinegar works great in getting rid of hard water build-up
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
My cleaning hack is using vinegar and baking soda to clean the oven and stove top.
tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/728919774382559233
I don’t really have a cleaning hack I just make sure I clean regularly so that I don’t have to clean a lot by the end of the week.
https://twitter.com/mommysweetiepie/status/729033121157386240
I just try to clean up after myself so that everything isn’t a mess at the end of the day.
I’m not interested in winning anything, but after having kids I looked in to non toxic cleaners for my household. The ingredients in cleaning agents are not safe and it makes me sad that so many are not aware of how dangerous they are.
This is one of my favorite wipe to keep the house clean. Another hack of mine is using baking soda and vinegar to clean the sink. Works like a charm! 🙂
amy [at] utry [dot] it
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/729120178605187072
amy [at] utry [dot] it
I use vinegar to deep clean my washing machine to keep it odor free.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
tweet-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/729164467305484288
correct tweet link here. https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/729163788117639168
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/729911246523371520
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I try to clean up after myself that way the weekly cleaning is easier.
https://twitter.com/willgriesmer/status/730180725652258816
For Christmas my parents got me an awesome hardwood/carpet bissell vacuum that is so good on our dark wood floors and rugs.
I’m a neat freak, so I have to have the kids clean up a few times a day.
chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com
I use baking soda a lot in my house in either cleaning pastes or just to get rid of funky smells! It’s cheap and so versatile!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
I wash shower curtains with vinegar to remove mildew.
I use an old toothbrush to clean around in between the edges of the faucet
I always clean the room before I leave it, I won’t leave a room messy!
tweeted https://twitter.com/stephcouponsxx/status/731545511346483201
Buy lots of storage containers to hide the clutter.
https://twitter.com/RachelGriesmer/status/731656225318801408
I keep wipes under every sink in the house so everyone always knows where they are. I also keep some in the cars for spills.
I wish I had a good one. I just go around once a day to make sure that the place looks decent. Sometime though clutter can look like the regular scenery so I have to look at everything like it is new. We have bags in the garage for donations and then that which is for recycle and that which is just plain garbage and that helps clear clutter as well.
These look great.
use the kids to help and treat them afterwards
Have people over weekly for a church small group = instant motivation the night before!
Clean a little bit each day to avoid big messes.
I am terrible at cleaning!! My only real trick to save time is to heat up lemon juice and water in the microwave for about ten minutes and then you can just wipe it out, with no scrubbing! 🙂
Tweeted 🙂 – https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/734181375465521152
I use lemons to remove stains from faucets.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
tweeted https://twitter.com/cshell202/status/734203185489813505
cshell090869 at aol dot com
https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/734212373289013248
My only cleaning hack is to get rid of everything in the house you don’t need or love. With less stuff around there is simply less to clean!
I go by the same theory, if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it! If it ain’t dirty – don’t waste your time cleaning it! I also take advantage of rainy days when we’re stuck inside.
I posted a tweet: https://twitter.com/FireRunner2379/status/734530269605208064.
https://twitter.com/mitadav/status/734847001142132736
I use vinegar to deep clean and remove stains
I try to clean things regularly so I don’t get too overwhelmed with dirty dishes and big laundry piles. My kids also pitch in and clean their rooms which is a big help!
https://mobile.twitter.com/Michael64263870/status/735578970180182019
focusing on one section at a time always works for me 🙂
https://twitter.com/linjumimom/status/736623712246632449
getting my husband to help!
clorox is great for deep cleaning in the bathroom!
https://twitter.com/showstopper474/status/737455804475920384
At the end of every month, we have to donate something from every room. It can be small but it helps eliminate clutter
https://twitter.com/mijulinmarie/status/737828213578043392
I have a schedule of daily, weekly, monthly quarterly and yearly chores. I am a little OCD. I have these scheduled in my google calendar and every morning it gives me the things to do that day. It sounds like I am always cleaning . But other than daily stuff, dishes, cooking, toilets etc It takes less then an hour a day. And I always have neat and clean home.
https://twitter.com/sodahoney/status/737830877309214722
Let the dishes soak so you don’t have to scrub, pick up behind you and use qtips to get all the crevices of your home.
We always sweep the carpet before vacuuming…it helps so much!
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/740608153486663680
I typically focus on one room a day, this is where I deep clean it. And I tidy up the rest of the house afterward. I usually can finish in an hour.
https://mobile.twitter.com/arress83/status/740625312103424000
My cleaning hack is to clean top to bottom.
Thanks for the chance to win this!
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/allisonrswain/status/740628550877884416
I am pretty OCD so I had to feel like I am behind. I do different things on different days(like designated laundry days) and keep everything wiped down,vacuumed and dusted daily. Saves me time..and my sanity.
https://twitter.com/tatzgrrly/status/740655900961165312
I like to use baking soda to help clean my dishes. The grit helps remove food.
tweet https://twitter.com/prizepuzzle/status/741441223811072000
I clean a little everyday. Also I dedicate a day for two rooms, then the next day another two rooms and so on. If I’m cooking something on the stove and if it’s something that requires baking it right after, I put the food in oven in another pan and wash the first pot right away so they don’t pile up in the sink.
My cleaning hack is to declutter twice a year. I also do certain chores on certain days so I know they will get done.
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/742871054750650368
Everybody has chores to do.
I use lemons to remove stains from faucets.
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/743822905734209536
I spend about 30 mins per day doing some sort of cleaning, so tasks don’t get backed up and overwhelming.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/743912878248443904
I’m always looking for great new tips too! My favorite trick is to touch everything one time only. If it’s in my hand, I try to take the time to put it away correctly.
https://twitter.com/suburbsanity/status/743979271211851776
I wish I had tips for making cleaning quick and easy! For me, it’s a real chore, especially battling the clutter. One thing that does work for me is promising myself small rewards, like getting to sit down with a cup of tea after I’ve cleaned the kitchen countertops and stove top.
Here’s my tweet about your blog post and the Clorox giveaway:
https://twitter.com/NotherAnneOther/status/744142626702622720
Thank you!
i sometimes use the used dryer sheets to pick up fur
I use a squeegie on my glass shower doors after every shower to cut down on water spotting.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/746432666375852032
I clean one room at a time – I used to waste a lot of time running from one room to another to get cleaning supplies or put something away.
I just make a list and clean one room at a time.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
tweeted https://twitter.com/cshell202/status/746806247169503232
cshell090869 at aol dot com
Wish I knew of some good cleaning hacks, I assign different chores to family members.
Tweet https://twitter.com/Lindiac/status/747200007103668224
I just make sure everyone pitches in. Things get clean a lot easier if everyone works together.
I wish I could say I’ve developed easy ways to keep my house clean. The truth is it’s always been hard for me. I was a master at getting out of sharing housework when I was a teenager so I didn’t learn what I needed to know. Then I married young and promptly had 5 children. I lived with lists because if I didn’t follow my list something wouldn’t get done.
I’m much older now and my children are out of the house but with age comes other difficulties. I’ve developed arthritis, asthma and a very disturbing tendency to dizziness. As a result, I often can only work 5 minutes before having to rest.
I have to make that 5 minutes count. Surface cleaning comes first. Deep cleaning or scrubbing is done in short increments that often take an hour or more for a task that should have taken 15 minutes.
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/747273101801512969
My favorite cleaning hack is vinegar and baking soda for everything! Natural and cost effective!
My cleaning hack is to keep a couple of cleaning items in each room suck as the clorox wipes to do a quick wipe down as I go through that room everyday!
I use them to clean the patio furniture. truckredford(at)gmail(dot) com
https://twitter.com/eliza_elliott/status/747806328190447617
I just do a little bit every day so it’s not overwhelming at any one point in time.
tweeted – https://twitter.com/dmarie824/status/748180650025353216
With three cats, the biggest thing I ever did to help myself was to get rid of ALL carpet. SO much easier to keep clean!!! Highly recommend for ANY pet owner, not just cats!
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/748222426610302977
My tip is to clean and organize a little every day so it does not get out of hand.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/748261572410220544
I have decorative baskets in family areas to collect everything that gets left there that doesn’t belong there. At the end of the day I put everything back where it belongs.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/748282123354677249
https://twitter.com/Natashalamoreu1/status/748331702817292288
I try to clean a little a day so I don;t feel overwelmed with a large mess.
I like to use foaming cleansers which make it easier for me to wipe it down when the foam change colors
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/748324962449100800
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I won’t lie: some days my strategy is “no wine until the kitchen counters are clean” or some variation thereof. 🙂
tweeted: https://twitter.com/tinawoo21/status/748409055354494976
2nd entry https://mobile.twitter.com/Esham4life/status/748420813884391424
I just pick up after myself after I make a mess
I try to pick up a little each day so things don’t get out of hand; I also like using regular Clorox wipes – I haven’t seen the ones with micro scrubbers – I bet they are really good
I posted a tweet here:
https://twitter.com/purplepanda1966/status/748556332119138304
when i add a bag to the trush i put 2 in a time saver
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/748572461227094016
We never clean all at once. We always task a single room a day and keep things manageable.
I sent out a tweet: https://twitter.com/electricstar/status/748589927269548032
My best cleaning hacks to keep my home quickly and efficiently cleaned are keeping up with it every day, and staying on top of it.
I publicly Tweeted this giveaway: https://twitter.com/versatileer/status/748599554333765633
My cleaning trick is to put on my favorite show tunes and sing along while I clean. Makes the time go much faster.
Thanks for the contest.
https://twitter.com/slehan/status/748647628766740481
#SweepstakesEntry- comment
I use a cup or two of vinegar in the laundry to help disinfect clothes
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my #SweepstakesEntry tweet:
https://twitter.com/thrincor/status/748656284392636416
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