Cleaning the house will of course take time. However there are general guidelines you can use that will make the task easier.
Planning
This is the most important part. What kind of cleaning do you want to do? Are you just going to take out some old trash and belongings or completely overhaul it? Also decide on the schedule; the ideal time would be the weekends.
One Area at a Time
Make a list of the rooms or areas that need to be cleaned. List it down according to priority (i.e., cleaning the basement, the bedroom, the study room etc). If you are cleaning the house, the last thing you want to do is tackle everything at once.
Instead, you should start with the room that needs to be cleaned right now. Do not move to the next room until one section is cleaned out. If you go back and forth, you will never finish.
Prepare the Cleaning Utilities
Get everything you need right now prior to starting. These will include buckets of water, cleaning cloth, broom and the vacuum cleaner. You should have the trash cans nearby so you can dispose of the garbage.
Moving the Furniture Around
Before cleaning the house, move some of the furnishing out of the way. If you’re cleaning your room, move the desk aside so you can properly clear the area behind it. Have someone help you when moving large furnishings like the fridge or cabinets.
General Tips for Cleaning
Start with cleaning the room before organizing the contents. Vacuum / sweep the floor prior to organizing the documents on the desk. Clean the windows and polish the desk before arranging the paper clips or DVDs.
This rule must be followed when cleaning any room. For the kitchen, clean the general area before putting all the spoons, forks and utensils in place.
Throw away stuff you don’t need. Cleaning the house will be useless
if you keep everything. Dispose of those yellowed stacks of papers, years old coupons and receipts. Give away those old ill fitting clothes.
Donate those old toys to charitable groups. Get in touch with the local recycling organization and hand them recyclable materials you no longer need. Getting rid of these things is part and parcel of good housekeeping. No matter how well you clean, the house will still be cluttered if you keep unnecessary stuff around.
Warnings
Turn off all electrical appliances before you clean. Check the manual for each appliance; they may require specific cleaning methods. Use a damp cloth for cleaning windows. Wash the cloth when it gets very dirty.
Replace the bucket of water every now and then. Wear a mask so you don’t inhale the dust. Some people get watery / reddish eyes when cleaning dust. Put some protective eye goggles to prevent this from happening.
No question about it, cleaning the house will require many hours of work. But if you clean the rooms one by one, you should be able to get rid of the clutter and better organize your home.