012111-cleaning.jpg For many of us, just making sure the dishes are done and our dirty clothes make it to the hamper can be enough cleaning to call it good. To go that extra mile just seems as if it requires more time than we have — but that's just not true. Can you clean deeper in the same amount (or less) time as your regular routine?

1. Race The Clock: For the last several years I've used the "timer method" of cleaning. Mainly because I get distracted easily by bright or shiny objects and although my goal was to sort the laundry, there's a good chance I'll end up playing with makeup instead. Set a timer for 5 minutes. It's not long, but long enough to get a chunk of work done before resetting the timer. If the timer goes off and you find yourself distracted, that's your warning to get back to work!

2. Don't Put Things Off: So you head to the bathroom and do your business. While washing your hands you think, gee the counter top could do with a wipe down. Instead of just clearing the counter real fast so you can deep clean later, just do the whole thing. It will only take you an extra minute or two to go the extra mile instead of having to clear your schedule and pencil in deep cleaning later which is bound to take longer since you won't have the same sense of urgency.

3. Clean As You Go: For years I didn't really understand how to clean as I went. Sure I knew to do the dishes when I was done making dinner, but I had no clue how much the small things would impact my daily routine. Am I walking from the sofa to the kitchen? Take any dirty dishes or snacks back with me! By tidying as you go (without going out of your way to alter your routine), it means the time you have to put in some real elbow grease isn't spent taking care of the daily stuff. Instead you might have a few extra minutes to spend with a toothbrush on your bathroom tile grout! (oh joy!)

4. Know Your Cleansers: Have you ever reached under the sink and grabbed a bottle of something thinking it wasn't what you were looking for, but would do the trick? We have and it means two things. One, you need to clean out under those cabinets so you can find things and two, knowing what you have on hand and what it's capable of doing are important! Orange spray degreaser cleans stainless steel better than a multi-purpose cleaner and there's no buffing of finger prints left to be done!

5. Use The Right Tool For The Job: Although it sounds like something your Father would say (heaven knows mine always did), it couldn't be any more true. You can scrub and scrub with your washcloth all you want on crayon on the wall, but it will only take you 2 seconds if you use a Magic Eraser.

How do you get a deep clean on in your home with less minutes spent accomplishing it? Share your thoughts in the comments below to help us all learn to do that which we hate a little more efficiently!

Image: Flickr member awayukin licensed for use by Creative Commons