We all live in an accelerated time. It seems everything — meals, mail, music downloads, instant messages — can be accomplished in no time at all. Everything, that is, except cleaning! In this modern, ultra-efficient world, it takes just as long for you to clean your house as it took your grandmother — or her grandmother — to clean hers. But until someone comes up with the cleaning equivalent of paying bills online (a completely dust- and grime-free house), you can at least tailor your cleaning schedule to fit, well, your schedule. Because sometimes you can do the whole spic-and-span routine and sometimes (OK, most times) you can’t, Real Simple asked a dozen housekeeping experts for tips on what to do around the house if you have a limited amount of time:
KITCHEN
KP duty isn’t easy. The main culprit: grease. Before you start combating it, move small appliances off the counters to ensure that bacteria (kitchen enemy No. 2) won’t flourish underneath the toaster oven or the coffeemaker.
Clean countertops and the sink
Spray disinfectant in the sink. Mr. Clean Antibacterial Multi-surface Sprayis an all-purpose cleaner with a solid fan base. It degreases, cleans, shines glass and metal, and sanitizes surfaces without an overly harsh scent. ($2.50 for 22 ounces, at drugstores) Let it soak; otherwise, the product won’t have time to kill the bacteria and viruses you’re trying to remove. Meanwhile, spritz the counters with disinfectant. Then scrub the sink with a sponge, rinse well, and dry. Return to the counters and wipe dry with a fresh cotton or microfiber cloth.
Clean the refrigerator handle
It takes only seconds to wipe this bacteria-friendly spot with disinfectant.
Wet mop the floor
A few spritzes of an all-purpose cleaner and a damp microfiber mop will do the trick. With Real Simple’s new Microfiber Squeeze Mop with scraper in handle, you can finish the kitchen floor in minutes — with no dirty water bucket. Plus, this mop’s two-in-one function gives you something other than your nails to remove food, like that sticky raisin, that somehow gets ground into the kitchen floor. ($14.99 at Target)
Wipe down appliances
Avoid damage by using wipes made to clean the surfaces of gadgets. Weiman Cook Top Quick Wipes and Stainless Steel Wipes are towelettes made to clean and protect surfaces that traditional cleansing formulas can damage. The Stainless Steel Wipes get that metal shiny and streak-free, and the Cook Top Wipes spiff up ceramic, chrome, Corian, Formica, and granite. ($5 for 30 wipes at Target or www.weiman.com for retailers)
Wash the cabinet fronts
Wipe from top to bottom with a soft sponge and a solution of warm water and dish soap. If the cabinets are wood, use a wood cleanser, or olive oil.
Deep-clean appliances
To freshen the refrigerator’s interior, clean it with a solution of three tablespoons baking soda and four cups warm water.
Clean your tea kettle by boiling a mixture of water and white vinegar and then wiping away the grime.
Fill the reservoir of your coffeemaker with a mixture of white vinegar and water, and run it through the brewing cycle. Follow this with several cycles of water to rinse thoroughly.
To clean your dishwasher, run a cup of vinegar through an entire cycle (with the machine empty) to reduce soap buildup on the inner mechanisms and glassware.
Clean drains
Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar after it. Let sit for five minutes (covered, if possible). Follow with a gallon of boiling water.
THE FAMILY ROOM
Clear the clutter
Tour the room with a laundry basket or cardboard box, and pick up any out-of-place items. You can either redistribute these later, or store them to create a less-cluttered environment.
Clean from top to bottom
When you dust, let gravity work for you. Start up high, and work your way down, saving vacuuming for last. This is the most efficient way to clean.
Speed dust at eye level
Grab two electrostatic or microfiber cloths. Rotate out the grimy cloth, or opt for quick, two-handed dust-busting. Don Aslett Microfiber Towels (cleanreport.com, $10 for four) are a must for any room. Fibers one-hundredth the width of a human hair grab dust and dirt off any surface, with or without the aid of a cleanser. To minimize scratches, these washable towels are 100 percent microfiber, including trim and tags.
Dry-clean special items once a year
For special items, like decorative pillows or throw blankets, send them to the dry-cleaners during spring cleaning. In between, spot clean as needed.
Vacuum
It’s time consuming, but important. Dirt can cut carpet fibers and damage wood floors. Concentrate on the areas around doorways, which harbor tracked-in dirt.
Tackle upholstery and window treatments
Use the vacuum’s brush attachment or a lint roller to get dust off sofas and chairs (also good for lamp shades). Clean under and behind cushions, then flip them to distribute wear evenly. Wipe each slat of your blinds with a damp microfiber cloth. You can also dust blinds with a fabric softener sheet.
Spot clean the walls
Take off dirt, stains, and scuffs with a damp eraser pad. Wet a Scotch-Brite Erasing Pad (drugstore.com, $2 for two), wring out the excess water, then gently rub the foaming side on marks on walls and floors. Flip it over and use the polyurethane blue side to lift off any excess residue. Each sponge is good for multiple uses, until the white foam has worn away. Another Real Simple solution: Use a damp sponge with a sprinkle of baking soda to erase crayon, pencil, ink and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces.
Combat hidden dirt and dust
Get behind, underneath, and on top of all furniture with a long-handled duster. The Swiffer Duster with Extendable Handle (Target, Wal-Mart or drug stores, $8 for handle and two heads) gives you three extra feet of height. And the head pivots into four different positions, so you can skim the tops of ceiling fans and window frames and reach into tight spots behind furniture.
For more Real Simple solutions for spring cleaning, check out Real Simple’s April issue, on newsstands now, or visit .