Don Aslett is THE cleaning guru. His books on cleaning, time management, and “tidying up” are as enormously popular as they are entertaining and educational. (I also really like his books on other subjects). “No time to clean! How to reduce and prevent professional cleaning” is Aslett’s new approach to cleaning a new day.
The book is written in Aslett’s easy-to-read and entertaining style and is accompanied by the artwork for which many of his texts are known. Personally, I think the style, layout, and illustrations enhance the reading experience, but make no mistake about it; Aslett’s books pack a lot of meat with that sizzle. Her practical tips for the home are straight to the point.
This cleaning book is just under 200 pages and contains 10 chapters. They include:
Introduction: There is no time to clean up! Aslett knows you don’t have time to clean, so he points out that he’ll show you how to avoid cleaning and other strategies to solve your “no time to clean” concerns.
One: The biggest mystery of modern cleaning: when to do it. Three page chapter with the focus on whether you are cleaning more than a couple hours a week, you are cleaning too much or inefficiently. Quick motivation to start now!
Two: Adjusting Our Standards and Schedules. If it’s not dirty, don’t clean it. Some of the great tips in this chapter include tips on how clean things really need to be and how to set standards instead of cleaning by charts or schedules.
Three: Cleaning as you go. Aslett shares some “whys” regarding cleaning and some tips on how to get things done before they get too big. She’ll also be amazed at what he can do in a very short time, and the chapter shows her how to clean faster and how to keep things clean longer.
Four: The best way to reduce cleaning: Avoid it! This chapter is about preventing those future problems. Aslett provides excellent suggestions on how to do just that.
Five: Too Much = Too Much Cleaning Time. Aslett is known for getting rid of trash. This is a very short chapter because this topic is focused on in several other books. “Clutter’s Last Stand” and his other books on clutter are great if he needs more help with clutter.
Six: Do Your Housework With A Hammer. This is an interesting chapter on designing your house, or parts of it, to make it easier to clean.
Seven: Other hands that can help. If you are going to hire other people to help you clean up, you will benefit from reading this chapter first. Aslett provides some great advice on how to get others to help you with your cleaning needs.
Eight: The Big One: Get the kids to help clean up. Aslett suggests that this could be the most important theme of the book. In addition to the help you get to clean your house, it will help young people well into old age. He has some great suggestions for getting kids to help.
Nine: Quick room-by-room cleaning. Tips and strategies for cleaning every room in the house, as well as the garage and exterior. Just implementing a few of these would make a world of difference.
Ten: Quick Cleaning Guide. This “guide” is 68 pages long and covers a ton of professional cleaning tips, from dusting to pet messes. If she wants to clean like the pros and get more done in less time, Aslett shows her how.
Face it, cleaning is a huge pain. It is one of the necessary evils. We have to, but none of us really enjoy it. (well… maybe some do…) Cleaning isn’t a topic you read about easily either. So grab this book, read it (it won’t take you long) and implement the tips so you can clean more in less time and then get on with the better things in your life, after all, that’s what living is all about. Highly recommend if you want to clean faster, better and cheaper.