How to tidy up the whole house in 4 hours or less, according to professional cleaners

Whether you have guests arriving, or you have had enough of living in chaos, learning how to tidy up the whole house can help you feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

Of course, no home is perfect. Mess and doom piles can occur because of a combination of factors – from not dedicating enough time to tidying, to having too much stuff. But according to professional cleaning experts, this doesn't have to be the case.

Our pros share their tidying tips and if you’ve got more time to spare, it’s perfectly possible to tidy up the whole house in four hours or less. Here’s how.

Can you tidy up a whole home in four hours?

Step 1: Start small

Some people put off tidying because they don’t know where to begin. Or they feel so overwhelmed at the thought of tidying up their home that they don’t start at all.

But according to Audra George, professional organizer and owner of Pretty Neat, one way to overcome a decluttering roadblock is to start small. ‘Maybe a small closet or something that is fairly easy to declutter and tidy is the best place to start,’ the expert suggests.

For example, perhaps that small closet is in your entryway that is still overflowing with last season's coats, or the console table filled to the brim with unopened mail, or piles of ‘stuff’ that have built up on your stairs.

This way, instead of tackling your tidying as one mammoth task, frame it as a series of small jobs you can tick off one by one.

Step 2: Tackle the main rooms one by one

‘Let's be honest: sometimes tidying up needs to happen pretty quickly before unexpected company or you are just so tired of the clutter and want you to change it fast,’ Audra says. ‘So tackle the main rooms of the home that guests will see, or that you live in the most.’

For example, mains rooms might include:

• Your hallway: ‘A messy hallway is stressful and causes you to have nowhere to walk,’ Audra says. If you’ve already installed one of the best hallway storage ideas, with full-height storage or fitted furniture, you might already have a place for everything. Therefore, you should try organizing your hallway closet by placing all coats, shoes, bags, keys, and animal leashes away and organizing your entryway by dealing with incoming and outgoing mail.
• Living rooms: ‘These are the main areas of the house that guests see first typically and that your family lives in the most,’ Audra says. ‘A clear and tidy living room allows for relaxation and makes together time easier’. One way to streamline and tidy this space is to reduce the visual clutter in your living room. For example, clear kids’ toys away, stash throws in a stylish basket, and organize magazines into holders such as the MyGift Mid-Century Design Magazine Rack, available on Amazon.
• Kitchen: ‘This is the heart of the home and impacts the whole family,’ Audra explains. ‘From morning routines and packing lunches to family dinners, a tidy kitchen makes cooking and entertaining more fun.’ Learning about the things people with tidy kitchens never do, can help you stay on top of your mess. For example, avoid leaving dirty dishes overnight in the sink, and try to tidy up after yourself, like putting hardly-used appliances away once you're done. With your kitchen being a space you use daily, keeping it tidy can be an ongoing job. However, there are a range of clever ways to organize a kitchen that can help you achieve a neat space and keep clutter at bay.
• Dining Rooms: Hopefully, this room will just need a quick spruce, like tidying away placemats and pushing chairs back underneath the table. But you might wish to read up on the things that always make a dining table look cluttered – including piles of paperwork or OTT centerpieces that are making your space look untidy.
• Bathrooms: ‘Getting ready in the morning is more efficient and less stressful when you are organized,’ Audra notes. Some bathroom organization ideas including investing in a caddy, like the Relaxdays Bamboo Bathroom Shelf Unit, 3-tier Basket Rack for Bathroom, which could help keep your space tidy.
• Bedrooms: ‘This should be a place to relax and rest,’ Audra explains. ‘Clutter adds to mental overwhelm and difficulty unwinding.’ Therefore, make sure your bed is made and free from clutter, like piles of clothes or glasses of water left on bedside tables.

Step 3: Clear all surfaces

As you go through each of the main rooms don’t forget to clear the surfaces. ‘In each space, focus on the major surfaces and things that you can tidy up pretty quickly so that you see the most results,’ Audra says.

This includes putting clean laundry away if it’s piled on a sideboard, ridding kitchen countertops of paperwork, and loading your dishwasher properly to clear your sink space.

Step 4: Put items away

Immediately putting items where they belong instead of setting them down is one tidying tip and method professional organizers swear by.

‘This is a rule I've started implementing in my life and house: if you use something, put it away as soon as you're done,’ Forrest Webber, cleaning expert and owner of Bear Brothers Cleaning says. ‘This is a simple rule, but it can be difficult! Yesterday, I finished my dinner and started to do the laundry. Instead of continuing to do the laundry, I realized I needed to put my plate away first before I could fold. This simple rule helps create a decluttered lifestyle, so deep cleaning becomes less of a frequent need.’

According to Forrest, one way to keep your home tidy is by simply putting your dirty clothes in the hamper. ‘You think this wouldn't be a big deal until you have sweatshirts all over the house,’ the expert says. ‘Simply making the conscious choice to put your clothes away, whether in a hamper or back in the closet, leads to a tidy home.’

Step 5: Throw out and donate

As you go through each room, it’s wise to have some trash bags by your side, like these Glad ForceFlex MaxStrength Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags from Target which will help you fight odors, thanks to the steady release of Beachside Breeze with Febreze. Doing so can help you declutter and tidy at the same time.

Whether it’s paperwork you no longer need, out-of-date magazines, or items of clothing you or the kids have outgrown. Sometimes it can be hard to know what to do with the items you are decluttering or tidying. But if they no longer serve a purpose, it’s time to get rid.

‘Just remember to load donations in your car to drop off on the next outing.,' Audra highlights that this will leave your home tidy and not bogged down with piles of rubbish.

Meet our experts

Audra George

Audra helps restore some calm to family homes that are unorganized, overwhelmed, and busy. Going seven years strong, she estimates that her company has helped tidy around 285 different homes in that time.

Forrest Webber

Hailed as Alabama's number one-rated cleaning company, Bear Brothers Cleaning has more than 100 five-star Google reviews. The cleaning completes more than 50 monthly cleans in North Alabama and beyond.

Now you’ve learned how to clean a home in four hours or less, why not consider getting clued up on the best decluttering tips for a tidier and more manageable home? Or, discover the most valuable decluttering lessons to live by according to someone who talks to pro organizers every day.