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When you need to clean your house fast, using the right cleaning supplies achieves better results in less time. These speed cleaning tools combine multiple products, eliminate cleaning steps, and help you speed clean with ease.
“Headed to your house!”
My heart jumped into my throat as I read the text. I’d completely forgotten.
My friend would be at my doorstep in 20 minutes to hang out. A panicked stream of thoughts rushed through my head. Were my bathrooms clean? Kitchen counters clear? Living room clutter-free?
No, no, and no.
Heaving a sigh, I threw the blanket off of my lap and checked under the sink. Yeah, I’d forgotten to replenish my cleaning supplies. No disinfectant wipes, no toilet cleaner.
It looked like I’d be hacking through a speed cleaning session with nothing more than paper towels.
11 Useful Speed Cleaning Tools
When it comes to keeping speed cleaning supplies on hand, I’ve learned my lesson (the hard way). Even if you clean your house regularly, quick touch-ups are sometimes needed. If I have unexpected guests en route, forget about plans at my house, or just need to clean my house fast, I always keep certain speed cleaning supplies on hand.
Cleaning when you’re busy is no small task. In learning how to clean my house fast, I’ve discovered that multitasking cleaning products are the secret to getting great results in less time. Every single item on this list:
- Combines 2 products in 1, or
- Can be used in multiple ways, or
- Is ridiculously good at its job
Some of the links below are affiliate links, but I only recommend products I use myself.
Rubber Gloves
Seems obvious, but I was surprised how many of my friends skip the gloves when they need to clean house fast. Cleaning products are harsh on your skin and can ruin your mani. As a result, it’s always a good idea to wear a pair of sturdy rubber cleaning gloves when you’re speed cleaning.
Clorox Wipes
Clorox Wipes might be the most versatile and handy of speed cleaning tools. They deliver a one-two punch of cleaning and disinfecting, and they work great on synthetic counters, the outsides of toilets, spot-cleaning floors, and non-porous surfaces. With gentle use, they can also spot-clean cabinets.
I’ve found that they’re not great at cleaning stainless steel, chrome, mirrors, or glass. But they’re great in a pinch for quickly cleaning lots of other things. Think non-stone countertops, décor items, toilets, even spot-cleaning laminate floors.
Swiffer 360 Duster
This little baby is my dusting secret weapon. Each duster head holds a ton of dust and grime.
Swiffer 360 Dusters are fluffy, so they grab lots of dust. At the same time, they can fit in all the cracks and crevices in your home. They’re also delicate enough to safely dust precious knick-knacks with just a few wisps of the duster.
I can generally get 1-2 whole-house dustings out of a single duster head (My house is dusted every week or so). Once you’re done dusting, simply throw the duster head away, and pop on a refill for next time. Just be sure to keep plenty of the duster head refills on hand.
Large Lint Roller
You might be surprised to see a lint roller on a list of speed cleaning tools.
Lint rollers aren’t just for clothes. In fact, they’re perfect for removing dust or pet hair from lamp shades, curtains, and furniture. When it comes to speed cleaning tools, my favorite lint roller is extra wide, with a long handle.
To safely clean a lamp shade, place 1 hand on the inside of the shade. Use it to support the lamp shade as you lint-roll the outside of the shade. As a result, you’ll prevent the shade from denting or collapsing.
Windex Wipes
Good old spray-on Windex works well. But when I’m in a hurry, I reach for the Windex Wipes in my array of speed cleaning tools.
I love Windex Wipes because they combine paper towels or cleaning cloths with Windex. They allow you to clean and be done. No worries about finding a clean microfiber towel, or dealing with the little bits of paper towel that rub off when it’s used to clean glass.
Don’t think they’re only for windows and glass tables, either. I love to use them on:
- Chrome fixtures in my bathrooms (They absolutely sparkle)
- Bathroom countertops, for extra shine
- Glass top stove range
- Mirrors
- Windows
- Glass tables
- Chrome or mirrored tables (We have some chrome-base coffee and side tables that Windex wipes work great on)
All that being said, I also keep a bottle of Windex on hand, just in case I run out of wipes at the last minute.
Simple Green Stone Cleaner & Polish
Simple Green Stone Cleaner & Polish is a big time saver when you need to clean natural stone tile or countertops quickly. It works great on granite, marble, and quartz. Since it cleans and polishes, you can knock out 2 birds with 1 stone. You’ll want a microfiber cloth to wipe down surfaces after spraying. Don’t forget to wear rubber gloves.
Clorox Toilet Wand
The Clorox Toilet Wand has been a staple at our house for years.
It has disposable heads that are pre-loaded with cleaning solution, so you don’t have to deal with a gross toilet brush. Once you’re done cleaning the inside of the toilet bowl, just pop the cleaning head in the trash and stow the handle for next time.
Fyi, you’ll want to have plenty of the Toilet Wand refills on hand. I can just barely clean all 3 of our toilets using 1 cleaning head. If your toilets are a little dirtier than usual, or you have more than 2 or 3, you might end up needing to use more than 1 wand head per cleaning session.
Lysol Mold & Mildew Remover
If your tub or shower is worse for the wear, Lysol Mold & Mildew remover will cut through it fast.
I like to spray it on when I first start cleaning. Next, I let it sit for a while as I power through other cleaning tasks. Then, I come back to the shower at the end. It’s easy to get it nice and clean with just a little scrubbing. This is a huge time-saver because it cuts down on the amount of time you have to spend scrubbing.
One quick tip – be sure to switch on the bathroom exhaust fan or open a window so the room is well-ventilated while this stuff is working its magic. And, those rubber gloves are a must.
Stiff Bristle Brush
A sturdy shower brush will help clean up any dried shampoo, dirt, or mildew left hanging around on the hard surfaces. I prefer a rectangle-shaped brush that comes to a point on one end (Sort of like an iron). They’re easy to grip and the pointed end is perfect for digging into corners and crevices.
Resolve Pet Stain Remover for Carpet
Have you ever been horrified when you have guests over and realized you missed a carpet stain? That’s the worst.
In a house with 3 felines, we’ve bought more bottles of Resolve Pet Stain Remover for Carpet than I’d care to count. (We clean up our fair share of kitty vomit.) It takes care of all manner of animal output, and also works on dirt and food stains in a pinch.
If you know about a stain, spray it down as soon as you come in to speed-clean a room. Next, dust, declutter, etc, in that room. By the time you’re done with those tasks, it will probably be time to blot up the stain remover with a towel.
Bissell SpotBot Pet Portable Carpet Cleaner
An alternative to spray-on carpet cleaner are Bissell’s automatic spot cleaners. They’re currently sold under several names, including Little Green, SpotBot, and Spot Clean Pro. I’m sure they’re all great, but the one we’ve used and loved for years is the SpotBot Pet.
The beauty of these is that all you do is fill a tank with water and specialized cleaning solution, press a button, and walk away. They spray and scrub the pet stain right out of the carpet.
I think we’re on our 2nd SpotBot now, and we’ve been using them since 2007. They eliminate stains from pets, food, wine, dirt, etc. There are even 2 settings based on how severe the stain . The lighter setting (Surface stain on my machine) almost always does the trick.
If you can afford it, a portable carpet cleaner is an awesome speed cleaning tool to have in your arsenal.
Cleaning Caddy
Last but not least, you’ll need something to help you lug those cleaning supplies from room to room. A double-sided, hard plastic caddy is my favorite. They’re lightweight, large enough to hold a variety of products, and the easily wipe clean after leaks or spills.
By the way, if you need to get your house clean AND organized, check out my list of top organizing tools!
11 Useful Speed Cleaning Tools: Conclusion
Whether you have unexpected guests or you’re just in a hurry, having the right tools on hand makes speed cleaning quick and easy.
Here’s a recap of my favorite speed cleaning tools:
- Sturdy rubber gloves
- Clorox Wipes
- Swiffer 360 Duster (Remember to keep refills on hand)
- Large lint roller
- Windex Wipes
- Simple Green Stone Cleaner & Polish
- Clorox Toilet Wand (Remember the refills)
- Lysol Mold & Mildew Remover
- Stiff bristle brush (Angled at 1 end is best)
- Resolve Pet Stain Remover for Carpet
- Bissell SpotBot (Stock up on cleaning solution)
- Plastic cleaning caddy
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