10-Minute House Cleaning

Follow these tips for getting chores done quickly.

Don't spend all day cleaning. Just 10 minutes will do it if you do it right. Here's how:

Set a timer for 10 minutes and have the kids race to pick up as much as they can before the alarm goes off.
Use the dishwasher for more than dishes. When it isn't quite full, fill it the rest of the way with things like stove burners, vases, candlesticks and even children's plastic toys contained in a mesh bag.
To keep bathroom mirrors from fogging up, rub them with dish soap and let them dry. It will take vigorous rubbing to work the soap in, but it should prevent fog from forming for up to two weeks.
If more than one child uses a bathroom, assign an old shoebox to each child to keep the toiletries separate.
Clean the dust off stuffed animals by running them through the dryer on the fluff cycle with a dryer sheet.
Clean dingy vinyl dolls by slipping a soft sock onto your hand and dipping the end of the sock first in water and then in baking soda. Gently rub the doll with the soda.
To absorb refrigerator odors, place an open bowl with two or three charcoal briquettes on a back shelf.