Mess and clutter just make life harder, especially when it’s in our homes. It’s tough to get excited about going home when you know your house is a mess. It’s hard to find what you need when things are scattered on countertops and other surfaces, instead of being put in the right cupboard or drawer. Regular tidying and cleaning can make your life happier and safer, and make your home the relaxing refuge it’s supposed to be. 
Here are some helpful cleaning hacks that professionals swear by

1. Invest in the right cleaning tools
Get a vacuum suited to your flooring. A quality vacuum that can work on your carpet should also have a vacuum wand that you can use to clean baseboards and pick up dust along the edge of hardwood floors. Robot vacuums can be wonderful if your home is open enough. Don’t forget to use barrier tools; you can reduce your need for drain cleaner in the shower, sinks, and tubs with a mesh drain protector for hair and other debris

2. Tidy up prior to cleaning
Before you pull out mops and rags, take the time to tidy up. Start out walking the space clockwise with a clothes basket and pick up everything that’s in the wrong spot. On the next circuit, work counterclockwise and pick up any trash or recycling. Put garbage bags in your pocket or your basket to make this simple. Final tip: If you need to declutter, put a cardboard box in the middle of the room and put things that are reusable in the box so you can drop it off at a thrift shop on your next trip out of the house

3. Schedule cleaning weekly
Block out a chunk of time once a week that you can tackle cleaning to prevent huge time to clean house. For example, you might make Thursday evening your cleaning time so you don’t have to do it over the weekend. If you live alone, put on your workout clothes when you get home and turn up the tunes. Get your home clean, work up a sweat, grab a shower and order dinner as a treat. If your house takes much more than an hour to clean when you’re really hustling, you will want to make a plan to tackle certain rooms, and split the cleaning into two nights

4. Use multipurpose cleaners
Most disinfecting can be done with a single multi purpose cleaner. If your countertop is marble, corian or stone, make sure you test a spot before you apply anything new to the surface. Keep an eye on grout as well. A tile cleaner can be a safer choice if you have light colored grout. Consider the chemistry; if you clean your toilets with bleach, don’t use ammonia in the same bucket

5. Combine tasks
Combining cleaning tasks helps professional cleaners move seamlessly from room to room with ease. For instance, when pulling furniture away from the wall to dust shelves and art, vacuum the baseboards and floors as well. When cleaning windows, use a damp sock over your hand to also clean blinds. If you need to do any dishes by hand, use a degreasing soap and plenty of hot water so you collect dishes from other rooms in the house and add them to the water when circling back. Then run the dishwater through your garbage disposal to avoid using an extra drain cleaner