Speed-Clean Your Laundry Room

This article was in the latest Real Simple magazine...and I can't remember the last time i actually "deep cleaned" my laundry room

Keep your laundry room as spic-and-span as your freshly washed clothes with these essential tools: an under duster, a deep clean brush set, a dryer vent brush, disinfecting wipes, cotton cloths, a bucket, dish soap, a vacuum (with attachments), a mop, and a bottle of distilled white vinegar.

• Minute 1: Toss all trash. Remove rugs or mats and shake them outside. Drape them over a fence or a rail to air them out.
• Minute 2: Run a dust mop over ceiling corners to catch cobwebs.
• Minute 3: Use wipes to clean the sink and the shelves. Clean the light fixture with a dry cloth.
• Minute 4: Pull the washer and dryer away from the wall and unplug them. Remove the dryer’s lint trap. Rinse it in the sink, then dry it with a cloth. Set aside.
• Minute 5: Push the vent brush straight down into the vent where the lint trap fits. Twirl it a few times to grab accumulated lint, which can restrict airflow.
• Minute 6: Fill a bucket with warm water and a few squirts of dish soap. Dip in the angled scrubber (or a hard-bristle toothbrush) and use it to clean the rubber gaskets on both doors, plus all knobs and buttons.
• Minutes 7 to 8: Swish a cloth in the bucket, wring it out, and clean the outside of the machines. Look inside for random items (pennies, safety pins). Dip and wring a fresh cloth and wipe down both interiors.
• Minute 9: Disconnect the dryer hose. Vacuum it out using the crevice attachment (you need to do this step only once a year), then reattach.
• Minute 10: Vacuum the backs of the washer and dryer and the floor using the brush attachment. Plug in the appliances, then push them back into place.
• Minutes 11 to 12: Run the dust mop over the floor, especially in corners. Swipe under each appliance.
• Minutes 13 to 14: Dip a mop in the bucket and wash the floor, working from the farthest corner of the room toward the door. Open any windows to air out the space and help the floor dry faster.
• Minute 15: Replace the lint trap. Fill the washer with hot water and a gallon of white vinegar and run a rinse cycle to remove odors. Head to the living room and take a load off—you’re done.