Thursday, June 1, 2017

Company is coming: Speed-Cleaning Tips

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Generally, my house is decent. In my world, decent means that there are only a meal’s worth of dishes in the sink, a few handfuls of toys around the living room, a small pile of papers on the table, and dog hair (damn that dog hair). 
I have my usual cleaning tasks to help me stay on top of the muck that can build up in a well-loved home full of people and dogs. But even I dread the extra cleaning needed because company is coming over. I don’t know why, but it can cause me to panic and start doing a million unnecessary things. Next thing I know, I’ve cleaned out all the closets, repainted the foyer, bought new throw pillows, and I’ve worn myself out to the point of not enjoying myself when they are here. 


So nowadays, I’ve adopted the following routine to speed-clean the house. This routine is efficient and doesn’t completely drain my energy before anyone has arrived.
  • First of all, don’t touch the rooms/places your guests will never step foot in! Generally, you just need to tidy the entryway, living room, kitchen, hallways, and bathroom. If you have overnight guest, skip this whole post and just clean the whole house (I’m kidding… kind of).
  • In the bathroom, scrub the toilet, wipe down the counters and pull closed the shower curtain. Set out fresh towels and refresh the toilet paper roll if it’s low.
  • In the hallway to the bathroom, just run the vacuum quickly through, if needed. If you have any table tops, clear them of clutter (toss in a basket or drawer to hide away).
  • In the kitchen, the dishes should be one of your main priorities. Wash and put away any dishes. Wipe all the counters down and set out fresh dish towels. Take out the trash if you haven’t already that day.
  • In the living room (including dining room), focus on getting all the clutter out! Grab a basket or bag and fill it with items that aren't supposed to be there. Hide this in another room until you get a chance to go through it. Also, clear the table tops of papers and miscellaneous items. Run the vacuum through these rooms, if necessary.
  • Then tidy up the entryway (inside & out). I like to make sure the front porch looks decent, sweeping away leaves or debris. Inside, make room for your guest’s coat or bag and clear up any messes from entry tables.
  • Lastly, light a candle to make your home smell wonderful and lay out some snacks… guests can always forgive any messes if you have snacks.
If I have extra time, I will go back to the same spaces and do some deeper cleaning (dusting or reaching above to clear cobwebs).

Some of my favorite cleaning items include:



Are there any other things you’d add to this list? Have you found your perfect speed-cleaning routine? Please share with me in the comments!

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