But if you have decided to roll up your sleeves to do it yourself, we have a handy list to help you speed clean your home. Before you begin, if you are interested in thorough deep cleaning your home, we have a comprehensive cleaning guide here that might help.

So let’s jump in

1 . Start by getting the right cleaning supplies

Nothing makes your work simpler than having the right tools for the job. Before you start your cleaning exercise, refer to our cleaning checklists listed here to see if you have everything you need. Missing something? Don’t worry. Most cleaning supplies can be substituted with common household items. Don’t have a grout brush, a toothbrush can come handy. Don’t have a microfiber cloth for cleaning glass? An old newspaper or tissue papers can help.

2 . Six month rule for decluttering

If you haven’t used an item in the last 6 months, you can safely clear them from your house. Decluttering your house can go a long way in easing your cleaning. We have a habit of unknowingly gathering items which we rarely use, this follows the 80-20 rule where 80% of our work requires only 20% of the items. Clearing up the unused stuff can save the hassle of cleaning them and preventing dust gathering on them. Olx or Quikr can be your friend, or your street side raddiwala. Btw, don’t apply this rule to your winter wear or other seasonal stuff.

3 . Organize the items and supplies

Once you have cleared the unused items and decided what’s required, quickly organize them. If you have an attic where you can stock away stuff you don’t need immediately or on a regular basis, that can create a lot of breathing space in your home. Also take some time to organize your kitchen and other rooms. During the day to day course, we often pile items on tables or shelves due to lack of time. Take a few minutes to empty things into containers or storage boxes. The more decluttered your house is before you commence cleaning, the lesser stressful the entire activity becomes.

4 . Take professional help for sofas, upholstery, etc

The results yielded by hiring a professional to shampoo your sofas, carpets, or steam clean your kitchen can last months. The domestic vacuum cleaners cannot achieve the same amount of suction compared to the professional vacuum cleaners. Similarly steam cleaners can remove oil and grease more effectively and save a lot of effort needed to manually scrub the surfaces.

5 . Inside out – Top to bottom

Life is easy when you plan your cleaning activity beforehand, you don’t want your weekend to feel wasted after all. The thumb rule that works best is Top-Down, Inside-Out. Start cleaning your ceilings by removing cobwebs in all rooms. Then proceed to the shelves, cabinets, wardrobes, etc. Finish with the carpets followed by floors. Similarly go inside out. Start with the cabinets, shelves and wardrobes. Also clean inside the refrigerator, ovens, etc. Once you are done, proceed to rest of the house interiors, followed by balconies and exteriors.

6 . Do not over stretch yourselves

Remember, you do not want to stretch yourselves beyond a limit. After all you are doing this to enjoy the upcoming festival, so don’t burn yourself to achieve perfection. Ideally you need more hands on the deck to make the cleaning work fun and fast. You can take the help of your family or domestic help. Professional help is just a click away, you can always outsource the activity to a professional home cleaning agency to sit back and enjoy the weekend.