Last Minute Visitors? No Problem!
We would all like to have a reputation for having a sparklingly clean and tidy home at all times. But the truth is, most of us rarely have the time or energy to keep our homes spotless all the time. So what do you do when you receive a call from a friend or a relative. Saying they’re coming for a last-minute visit? If you’re looking to keep your “tidy house” reputation intact, even when you have surprise visitors, keep on reading! Here are some helpful tips to make your last-minute emergency house cleaning easy, and your guests will never know!
1) Have realistic expectations
When it comes to last-minute cleaning, you must give yourself realistic expectations of what you can accomplish. It wouldn’t be practical to try and do a deep clean of every room in the house, but a superficial clean/tidy of the rooms your guests will enter is completely manageable! Save the deep cleaning for a day where you have plenty of time.
2) Ask for help
Many working hands make for a lighter load! When you’re pressed for time, take advantage of every helping hand you can find. Not only will this make your job a whole lot easier, but it will also make it go much faster as well!
3) The empty laundry basket
Your good laundry basket will be an invaluable tool when doing a quick clean. Place all loose items that are cluttering up your space into the basket and store elsewhere. After your guests leave, you will have all your things in one place, which will make it much easier to put everything away later.
4) Have a system
Take everything one task at a time. A great place to start is by using your laundry basket to collect all loose items before doing anything else. Start in the room you think your guests will be in the most, and then move on to the less important rooms. If you find items in your basket that belong in any of the other rooms, you can quickly place them back in their correct spots. If you feel you don’t have time, you can save this step for later and simply place the laundry basket out of sight. A good second step is to start straightening everything in the main room (pillows, books, etc.)
5) Last touches
If you feel you have time, go over the surfaces of the main room with some furniture polish or surface cleaner. You can also vacuum or sweep at this point as a finishing touch.
Keeping your house clean for longer
While these tips for last-minute house cleaning are very useful and will make your life a whole lot easier when it comes to unexpected guests, there are ways to help keep your home tidy and even eliminate the need for last-minute cleaning altogether!
1) Lose the clutter
Put aside one weekend to go through all of your belongings and get rid of all the things that you no longer use/need. Donate everything you can, and throw away the rest. Your home will instantly feel cleaner, and you will feel so much better knowing that you have a clutter-free home. Not to mention, you will have more space, and your home may even feel much more significant.
2) Organize the toys
We know, when you have children, it may feel like sometimes your home is being taken over by piles of toys. This is why it’s so important to have an organization system to keep your home nice and tidy. You can sort out your kid’s toys into multiple containers. Consider only bringing out one container at a time, so you only have a manageable amount of toys out at once. You can rotate the containers every week or every month, making sure to donate the toys they’re no longer using.
3) Multi-purpose furniture
Having furniture with storage space always comes in handy, especially when it comes to finding a quick storage area for any extra bits and bobs you might have found around the house while tidying. You can also store extra blankets, books, supplies, etc. in these areas.
4) Stick to a routine
Keeping your home clean will become easy if you have a routine that you stick to on a regular basis. Cleaning a little bit every day will make sure you never have a long and tiring day of deep cleaning. It could be as simple as running the dishwasher every night and wiping down the surfaces of your kitchen. If you get into the habit of sweeping every other day, you’ll never have to worry about dirty floors when a surprise guest comes to visit.
5) Keep up your supplies
It will be useful to always have a supply of eco-friendly cleaners, dusters, rags, and brooms around so you can clean up messes immediately as they happen.
6) Consider hiring a professional cleaning service
Life is busy, and it can be hard to find time to give your home the deep clean that it needs. This is when you should consider hiring a professional cleaning service to get your home shining and spotless. After your professional service, use these tips to keep your home clean for longer and never worry about last-minute visits again.
Keeping your home consistently clean may seem like nothing but a dream, especially if you have small children. However, by following these tips, this dream is one you will be able to reach. You’ll always be prepared for last-minute visitors no matter what, and you’ll be able to make any neighbor believe you have a spotless house all the time!