To embrace lazy cleaning

[Springadorable]

I'm a corner cutter who is time poor. To get around this I've had a cleaner for the last few years. Unfortunately she's now retiring. Most things have short cuts - aibu to think cleaning must do too?
How can I keep my house nice in 5-10 mins a day? What are your top products and hacks? What makes it smell nice - I have a dog. Please help me in my efforts to not put in more effort!

I have toilet cleaner, brushes and cif spray with a cloth in each of my bathrooms, then I can give them a really quick clean when I'm there rather than having to hunt out my cleaning materials, etc. I like to make cleaning as easy as possible. I also have a list of about 10 things I do every week, a little routine which takes me maybe 15 mins or so.

I dust once a week. Clean bathrooms once a week. Give all kitchen surfaces a daily wipe. Sweep up twice a week. Hoover carpets etc twice a week. Mop whenever I think it needs it (once every 10 days approx). Making sure things are tidy & put away is the best tip I think. It also helps if you don't have small children!

My advice would be to get another cleaner. In the interim designate jobs to others too.

Always have a dustpan and brush to hand for crumbs

Wasteful- but blue roll/kitchen roll to wipe up spillages instead of cloths. If you are short on time, means you can just bin the bits and wipe at the same time

Good quality bathroom wipes for porcelain in the bathroom. Do daily to get rid of dust and toothpaste.

Roomba is a must for pets, and a regular carpet clean booked in years. Windows open everyday for a good air. Even the undoggiest hypoallergenic dog will give off dander.

Wiping the shower down directly after I’ve finished my shower is a fast and easy way to keep it clean. I take a microfibre cloth and a glass cloth in the shower with me - no spray, no squeegee. Hang the cloths up to dry, adds about two minutes to the showering process once you hone your technique.

Adopt the mantra “don’t put it down, put it away”, and eliminate clutter at every opportunity. Keep a waste paper bin in every room.
Don’t allow dirt to build up - 30 extra seconds will squeegee the shower, wipe the bathroom, dry around a sink,
Eliminate items that create work: eg hang photos on walls instead of displaying in side boards. No decorative knickknacks (art on walls to create interest)
Empty bins daily, invest in a good hob extraction filter, and open the windows for a few minutes every day whatever the weather.
No shoes worn indoors - preferably not stored indoors either, or spray with vodka.
when you’re “proper cleaning” always look for one more thing. eg change the hoover attachment and do the dusting/ lightshades/ baseboards/ ceiling cobwebs… a different one each time.
Make a habit of resetting a space when you leave it - eg plump the sofa cushions, straighten your chair.

Well, I don't do anywhere near as much as the people above...

I do agree about the roomba (although not the Lidl one - my eufy died recently so I got that one, and it's worth what I paid for it (60 quid)), and keeping duplicate cleaning products where you use them (eg bleach/brush/wipes in each toilet)

Less stuff is the only thing that really helps me - it's easy to wipe down the sides/hoover when you don't have to pick stuff up and move it first. (although I only do either of those things once a week - outside of spills which obviously I do immediately)

I mop perhaps once a year - but we're a generally shoe-free household (not rabid about it, but we all prefer bare feet)

I do have an air filter, in an attempt to keep the cat hair down, but honestly it doesn't work. Brushing them every day is the best thing there.

Then I do one 'bigger' thing most weekends - clean out the fridge/a cupboard, mop, clean a bathroom (toilets done throughout the week as needed) etc.

Lowering your standards is the secret. Or just getting another cleaner.

How can I keep my house nice in 5-10 mins a day

You can't unless you live alone in a small minimalist home and are naturally tidy so you don't have to do any tidying before cleaning.

Even if you literally vacuumed one day, bathroom another, then dusted, kitchen clean, changed beds another, laundry another, that's going to take all week on rotation, take more than 10 mins a day and doesn't account for washing up, bins, any tidying etc.

Add in needing to tidy up, the actions of another person who makes mess faster than you can pick up, and cleaning up after a dog and you've no chance.

Burn incense for dog smells

only clean in spring and when you put the Christmas decorations up, otherwise have candles and low lighting

I think save yourself the stress and load and just get another cleaner. 5-10 min a day won’t make a dent and with a dog you actually need a proper clean.

5 or 10 mins a day? You can't.

Get another cleaner.

I live alone with 2 dogs and I often do less than 10 mins a day.

I have 3 bathrooms, each with their own cloths and sprays. To quickly wipe down the sink and loo takes no time.

I dust twice a week and hoover downstairs every other day. I hoover upstairs once a week. I don't have much clutter which helps.

I mop once a week, but I have one of those microfiber mops so takes no time. I wipe down the kitchen after dinner every day.

If I'm expecting someone I spray fabreeze on the cushions and dog bed.

Get another cleaner!

Try not to make the mess in the first place. Clean as you cook, the one touch rule, take things when you leave a room, wipe the sink after you use it, etc.

You can go further and have less stuff. I used to have a wall of art stuff and nick- nacks that would need dusting and vacuuming every week. I put it all in a nice box and hey presto, the job disappeared.

Buy a robovac; it will both vacuum & wash your floors. One big job sorted without my input. Floors look great & the rest is generally possible in much smaller amount of time. Got mine on the recent Prime sale so it didn’t cost a fortune either.

We use an app called ‘to do’ and list all the cleaning jobs broken into manageable 15 minute tasks.

We then assign a frequency to each like daily, once a week etc then mark them off when they’re completed.

I love my (ancient) Dyson stick hoover. The battery only last about 10 minutes on full power so I have a valid excuse to slump down with my laptop again!

If you’re buying home fragrance things make sure they’re actually pet safe. Lots of air fresheners and wax melts etc are harmful to dogs or can cause them discomfort due to strong unnatural scents.

I use wax melts from a company called Foxy & Ruby that are totally safe around pets. As much as I want a clean house, I don’t want to harm my pets in the process, so please do be careful when buying those things.

Have you seen the organised mum method? I’ve not tried it but did join the Facebook group optimistically… It’s 30 mins a day of set jobs Monday- Friday (there’s an app) and I think there are podcasts where you can ‘clean along with’… as I’ve said not tried it despite good intentions but have picked up some cleaning tips, basically like others have said- I have double cleaning products in bathroom and downstairs loo, do a quick spray and whizz round when I’m in there, hoover a couple of times a week while I wait for the kettle to boil etc.

A "clean as you go" or "little and often" attitude helps. As above, having sprays and cloths handy makes it easier. My must haves are Pledge fluffy dusters and microfibre cloths. Good storage is a bonus. Less stuff on surfaces.

Thanks all, some great tips. You might all be right that I'll have to go and try and find another decent and reliable (so often you only get one or neither quality) cleaner as they are like goldust, but as that is hard in itself I'll try and do it myself for a month and see if I crumble!

My shower screen gets disgusting quickly. I've started the habit of taking my cif into the shower and giving it a good clean before I get myself clean