Clean your home in 19 minutes a day - RIGHT!

I am a terrible housekeeper, so when I saw this article about being able to keep your house clean by spending just 19 minutes a day, I had to read it. Now I realize that they were talking about someone who has a 600 sf 1 BR 1 BA apartment not someone with a house.

So here is the article content - with actual times for me next to their estimate...

Kitchen, 4 1/2 minutes daily - REALITY: 16 minutes (21 minutes if you count time to find the vaccuum)

Always start with the sink. A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen's benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stove top spick-and-span, too.
Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds). (2 minutes)
Wipe down the stove top (one minute). (at least 2 minutes - because it probably has something burnt on)
Wipe down the counters (one minute). (4 minutes - this person obviously has a very small kitchen that is not used much)
Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes). (8 minutes - plus it takes me 5 minutes just to find the vaccuum, swiffer, swiffer pads, broom, and/or dustpan!)


Bathroom, 2 minutes daily (REALITY: 10 minutes daily)

Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. But don't stop there. Get the most out of your premoistened wipe by using it to clean around the edges of the tub and then the toilet before tossing it.
Wipe out the sink (30 seconds). (2 minutes)Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds). (1 minute - or 2 minutes if a man lives in the house)
Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds). (1 minute - all you can do in 15 sec is move the water around...)
Wipe the mirror and faucet (15 seconds). (1 minute)
Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds). (4 minutes - I don't have a squeegee and I like to actually get the soap off too, not just surface dry it)
Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use (15 seconds). (1 minute)


Bedroom, 6 1/2 minutes daily (REALITY: 13 minutes daily)

Make your bed right before or after your morning shower. A neat bed will inspire you to deal with other messes immediately. Although smoothing sheets and plumping pillows might not seen like a high priority as you're rushing to work, the payoff comes at the end of the day, when you slip back under the unruffled covers.
Make the bed (two minutes). (5 minutes - if it only takes you 2 mins then you aren't making the bed, you are barely pulling the covers up!)
Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (four minutes). (5 minutes - but then I don't wear jewelry)
Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds). (3 minutes - I actually use my nightstand...)


Family Room, Living Room, Foyer, 6 minutes daily (REALITY 20 minutes)

Start with the sofa -- as long as it's in disarray, your living room will never look tidy. Once you've fluffed the pillows and folded the throws, you're halfway home. If you pop in a CD while you dust, you should be able cover the whole room by the end of the third track.

Pick up crumbs and dust bunnies with a handheld vacuum (one minute). (5 minutes plus another 2 minutes for the chair)
Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (two minutes). (5 minutes - in 2 minutes you have not fluffed the pillows!)
Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (one minute). (5 minutes - more if something sticky has spilled!)
Straighten coffee-table books and magazines. Throw out newspapers. Put away CDs and videos. (Two minutes.) (5 minutes - this person obviously has not owned a home long enough to actually get mail.)

So, their 19 minutes is because they live alone, have no pets/children/spouse, live in a small one bedroom apartment, have minimal furniture (note they said nothing about having to clean off a table after eating, wash dishes, etc.) for the real world is actually 1 hour - 2 hours if you don't live alone and have more than one bedroom - 3 hours if you actually live in your house and don't just stop by between hanging at the mall with your friends and going to parties.

Get REAL!