Whether you live in a small cottage or a huge mansion, cleaning the house can seem like an overwhelming, and never-ending, task. By the time you get done deep cleaning the final room, there is a fine layer of dust settling where you started.

If you want to keep your home spotless and still have time for a normal life, you may need to make a few trade-offs. Knowing how to prioritize your cleaning can reduce the amount of time you spend without sacrificing the clean home you crave. Here are some tips to get you started.

Make Decluttering a Priority

A cluttered home is much harder to clean, so make decluttering your first priority. If your shelves are overflowing with knick-knacks and useless items are piled up in every corner, just getting started can feel like a full-time job.

Clearing away the clutter before you start cleaning will help you in two ways. Your newly cleared space will be easier to access, making deep cleaning both possible and more effective. And the next time you need to clean, you can breeze through the job far more quickly.

Is Company Coming? Put Your Best Face Forward

Unless you are a true neat freak, you can probably live with a small amount of dust and dirt, but when company is on the way, you want to scrub your home and put the property in the best light. If you are expecting visitors on short notice, you may not have time to give your entire home a top to bottom scrubbing, but you can prioritize the guest rooms and common areas.

Start by tidying up the guest room and making sure everything is ready for company. Once that is out of the way, you can focus on the parts of your home where you and your visitors will be congregating, like the living room, dining room and bathroom.

Focus on the Issues that Really Bother You

There are bound to be some issues that simply bother you, so focus your efforts there. Whether it is the dust bunnies under the bed or the dirty fan in the bathroom, prioritizing those items will set your mind at ease and free you for more important things.

You can also use this strategy to divide and conquer your housekeeping duties. If your spouse is particularly troubled by a particular room, just hand them the cleaning supplies or point them to the vacuum.

Outsource the Kids’ Rooms

If you have teenagers in the house, chances are their bedrooms look like disaster areas. If you cringe every time you go by their rooms, you may be tempted to clean things up, but a little strategic outsourcing could be a better solution.

Those disaster areas may be under your roof, but they are the responsibility of the teens. Employing a carrot and stick approach could encourage those youngsters to tidy up, so think about which incentives will be the most productive. You could entice your sloppy teens with extra screen time or a later bedtime, or threaten them with grounding or the loss of privileges. Just focus on what works and watch those dirty clothes disappear.

Deep cleaning your entire home can seem like an overwhelming task, but you do not have to do it all at once. If you are ready to clean up your home, setting some priorities can ease the burden and help you get more done.