When you move into your own place as you jump into the hectic pace of a work-life, maintaining a nice, clean and comfy home is one of the hardest challenges you will face. At least that's what we found out. Well, that's why, in many ways, this book turned out to be a life-saver. Concise and easy-to-read, How To Cheat At Cleaning: Time-Slashing Techniques to Cut Corners and Restore Your Sanity detailed various useful ways in which you could keep your little place smelling minty fresh.

The author, Jeff Bredenberg, neatly organizes all his guidelines according to the different parts of the house. And so you get a chapter that tells you how to polish up a sparkly looking bathroom in just under seven minutes while the next one will suggest the best ways to tidy up the kitchen. There is also a helpful list of cleaning products. Most of the readers will be familiar with these products. At the same time, there are other slightly non-conventional items listed in this group which, by the way, work just as well. For instance, consider the anti-bacterial wipes. You know how you are expecting someone to drop by and you only just came back from work? And the bathroom is looking a bit messy? Surprisingly, these wipes turned out to be a fantastic way to wipe down the sink and cabinet surface right before company popped over.

Some of my friends were initially put by the idea of 'cheating' at cleaning. It's quite misleading and doesn't really mean that these methods will product less hygienic results than other traditional methods. Rather, Bredenberg is offering the most efficient ways to eliminate the more harmful dirt (e.g. bacteria in the kitchen) while finding time-saving methods to reduce other types of dirt or messes. His main point is that your house is or should be as clean as you want it to be ...as long as you take care of the really important chores that are vital for your overall health and wellbeing.

This book might not be for everyone. As it is, there were a few tips (e.g. eating at the sink) that was a bit far-out for me. It will be perfect for those of us who are a bit clueless at first about learning the ropes. As it is, I do recommend sending off the young ones to their very first flat with a copy of this book firmly tucked into their luggage.