We have all experienced the moment when a friend or family member calls the house phone, asking if they can pop in for a quick visit. This is usually at a time when the house is a mess and you haven’t had chance to tidy up. In order to quickly clean up, you have to know where everything is and where everything goes.
Here are a few tips to help you clean up quick before your guests arrive:
Step One: Basket Of Cleaning Supplies
The most important thing to have in your cupboard is a basket of cleaning supplies, this helps save time from going backwards and forwards to the cleaning cupboards and keeps all your products in one place.
Step Two: Clean The Bathroom
This is the one room your guests will be using, so it’s important for this room to be the cleanest of them all and this job should be done quickly. First, you will need to use your basket of cleaning supplies so you can scrub the toilet, clean the sink and use a spray so the room smells nice. Lay out a fresh clean hand towel as it’s important for your guests to not use yesterday’s hand towel to dry their hands. Make sure you have nice smelling hand soap as this will make your guests hands and your bathroom smell nice. You may even receive some compliments on it.
Step Three: Tidy The Kitchen
This will be the place where you will be preparing the drinks or food for your guests, so it’s important for it to look spotless. First, you will need to empty the sink of dishes, either wash them or load them into the dishwasher. It helps make your house look clean and gets rid of any unwanted food smells. Give everything a good wipe from your sink to your work-tops, use a gentle sponge, then load the soap into the dishwasher or quickly clean the suds out in the sink to kill any bacteria. Make sure your work-tops look tidy by gathering the fruit from the fridge into a bowl. It’s also nice to have plants or flowers in the kitchen to make the room smell nice and look presentable.
Step Four: Focus On The Other Rooms
Your guests may not see all the rooms in the house, especially when your guest is just popping in for a drink and a chat and not a house tour. Start cleaning from the front door towards the living room or kitchen depending on where your guests will be. Clean all surfaces and any clutter lying around. Brush and hoover the floors in the path your guests will take while visiting. Stack things such as your remote controls, books and any other items in size order to make it look clean and presentable. Invest in some baskets, as they are great for hiding any extra clutter. Try buying more than one so you can assign them to each room which makes it easier to sort through once your guests leave. Last, but most importantly, close all doors on the rooms you do not want your guests entering, especially if it’s untidy, as this is usually a sign for please do not enter without the need of door signs.
This quick clean up should take no longer than fifteen to twenty minutes, depending on the size of your house.
Words by Savannah Lloyd-Smith
Zest For Life 