How to quickly clean your house with a power clean. Not to be confused with the olympic lift, although arguably just as intense, a power clean should be a tool in everyone’s cleaning (and sanity) toolkits. And let me tell you, even though I’ve been doing this forever (I’m pretty sure my mom had us do it when we were little), never has a power clean meant so much to me as it does now that I’m a mom (with destructive little humans getting into everything and time most definitely slimmer than my pant size).
At our house it takes about as much time as a snap of a finger to go from clean to messy. I know that life is being lived at our house and life isn’t a perfect picture of cleanliness, blah, blah, blah. But I don’t think that means we just accept that it’s always messy. I swear my house is a reflection of my mind. If it’s crazy bananas in my mind, my house is likely a disaster (and vice versa). I believe there is a balance between cleaning all of the time and letting things happen, but I do like to go to bed with a clean house and a clean mind.
Plus, isn’t there research out there somewhere that shows we are less productive and lack concentration when the space around us is messy?
What the heck is a power clean?
I repeat, this is not an olympic lift. In this context, a power clean is a short, timed, extremely efficient cleaning session powered by an unrealistically long to-do list.
Yes, I made up that definition, because this is also kind of a made up term 🙂 Here’s the breakdown of a power clean.
Power cleaning steps:
1. Make a list
How to clean your house quickly starts with a list. Whether it’s a mental list or you actually put pen to paper, take 30 seconds to think through some tasks that you want to accomplish. Some days my house is so chaotic that my list is just “kitchen, playroom, living room” and it becomes a mad dash to put everything back where it belongs and wipe down the counters. Other days, my list is more specific “clean bathrooms, put away laundry, vacuum” — either way works!
2. Set your timer
I use the timer on my phone, you could also ask Alexa or Google to set you up with a timer. The key is to make it a relatively short period of time; I usually go for 10 or 20 minutes. It should feel unrealistic to finish everything on your list. (That’s where the hustle comes from!)
Pro-tip: Get a playlist bumping! If you’re kiddos are sleeping Airpods work, otherwise get the speaker warmed up. Some of my favorites for this on Spotify are Galantis, Cardio playlist, or Just Good Music playlist. Music (especially with the right bpm) helps you get in the zone.
3. GO ALL OUT
Seriously. Just like it sounds. Clean your dang heart out, ladies. Peel through that list, maybe even dance for a few seconds. It should feel like a mini workout because you’re working it.
4. Finish up
Once your timer rings finish up what you’re doing and call it, or if you’re feeling it, finish your list. Sometimes I end up cleaning for twice the amount of time on my timer because I just end up on a roll and don’t want to stop until the list is all crossed off. That’s kind of the beauty of the unrealistic list, short time frame, and competitive personality 🙂
Get the rest of your family involved in the fun
How to clean your house quickly AND make it fun. Huh? A power clean is kind of like making a game out of cleaning, so it can be kind of fun. Seriously, it can be fun! It can also be a really easy way to get the rest of the family involved in cleaning things up, without feeling like you’re nagging. Because there is a very clear start and end time and you’re all pitching in together.
I know a messy house bothers me the most, but I am definitely not the only one who makes it messy. So from time to time when we put the kids to bed, I look around, and I’m suddenly overwhelmed by the tornado that is our house, I say to Jeff, “let’s do a 10 minute power clean”. And after 10 minutes I feel so much better. I also feel supported. Win win. Literally this will be me when my kids are older… “Ok, everyone, we’re going to do a 10 minute power clean!” Can’t wait.
Why is a power clean so effective?
Most of us don’t LOVE to do chores around the house. Even though we love the result — how our house looks, feels, and smells after cleaning — the act of cleaning isn’t our favorite. So without a power clean mentality, we get distracted and go at a slower pace. A power clean is meant to use a little bit of your competitive spirit to get a lot of cleaning done in a short period of time. I’m a competitive person and when I set a timer and give myself a list (that’s just a bit too long for that period of time), I become highly motivated to get. it. done. faster than I think is possible. You’d think competitiveness turns off or at least tones down when it comes to household chores, but apparently not for me.
I sooooo want to hear from you if you try out a power clean. Tag me on your stories or shoot me a note if you give it a try!