Lightning fast ways to speed-clean your kitchen

I have a tiny kitchen. It is so tiny that I can't stand it when my husband and I, or even my two year old and I, are in the kitchen together. That is a recipe for driving me bonkers. When my counter (seriously, I only have one, and there is a sink between the counter space!) gets messy, I get upset because the kitchen is way too small to have any clutter at all.

In the time it takes to brew a fresh pot of coffee, you can de-clutter your kitchen counters, clean the stove, and have a shiny clean kitchen floor. Here's how to speed clean your kitchen:

1. Start with cleaning the sink. After doing the dishes, I always sprinkle some baking soda into my stainless steel sink and let it sit for about five minutes. Then I pour white vinegar on the baking soda, and when it is done bubbling and fizzing, I scrub with a mesh pot scrubber. I have to do this quite often, as our well water is very rusty.
   
2. Wipe down the stove. I use my homemade cleaning wipes. Basically, any cleaning wipe will do, but I enjoy the smell of vinegar, so I use what I know will not give me a headache, as most commercial cleaning products tend to do that.
3. Wipe down the counters. If my countertop is really bad, I sprinkle baking soda on it, wet down with my vinegar spray and then wipe off after five minutes. If is relatively clean, I use the vinegar spray and just wipe clean.
4. Sweep the floor. I still use a regular old broom. I should probably give in and buy a Swiffer, but the broom and dustpan have served me well for all these years, and we have a great relationship. The broom picks up anything I need it too, especially all the cat hair and food.

All of the above should take about five to ten minutes, and should be done on a daily basis. For a more thorough cleaning, and to know what should be done once a week, and even on a seasonal basis, check out this great to-do list.

Source