You wake up, it’s 11.45 a.m; and your mother-in-law arrives in 15 minutes, and the house is a mess! We have all been in a situation like this, and usually what follows is flailing of arms and shoving everything we can get our hands on into a cupboard until it’s nearly bursting. Instead of doing that, follow these tips, and you will have a clean house and (hopefully!) a happy mother in law!
De-Clutter
Don’t hesitate to re-think whether you need all your stuff. The less you have, the less you need to take care of, clean, and dust: check the books, magazines, papers, DVDs, furniture, toys the children have outgrown. Putting stuff in a bin bag is a lot faster than putting it in its proper place!
If you do this first, it will quickly lessen your workload, plus it might actually be an excellent way of getting rid of stuff you don’t need but don’t want to throw out due to sentimentality. Remember, if you leave a job till the last minute, it will only take a minute to finish!
Strategize
Cleaning is significantly more efficient if you choose one thing (tidying, vacuuming, wiping) and do it in each room in the house instead of cleaning the kitchen, the restrooms, and afterward the bedrooms. Doing it that way keeps you from feeling like you’re in an eternal cleaning cycle.
Dusting
Dust each room, including the sides of all the furniture, undersides of shelves, and all handrails. Don’t forget the frames, TV screens and knickknacks. Use a Microfiber cloth for this, and if the dust is hard to remove, just wet it a little, and you should be able to easily dislodged it!
A wet cloth tied to a mop will make quick work of dust on high surfaces, not to mention cobwebs! Slatted blinds can be a particular pain, but if you close them one way and dust them down and repeat on the other side, it’s a much more efficient way than doing it a slat at a time!
Be Prepared
One of the easier things to do is neaten everything up. By that, I mean making sure the beds are made, fluffing pillows, opening curtains/blinds, and ensuring no undeniable things are out of place! If you’re prepared then anyone can “pop in” and it would not be a problem.
Bathroom Maintenance
The bathroom is one area where it can be hard to quickly clean and make things look presentable. If you pour some all-purpose cleaner on your cleaning tool, it will help. Some examples are microfiber fabric, wipe, and so on). Wipe down any towel racks, cabinets, baseboards, entryways, blinds, and windowsills. By doing this, you will make your bathroom look a lot more presentable.
Make sure to work in segments from the highest point of the space to the base and left to right. Cleaning the toilet, even if it is just a quick go over with a cloth, will make a world of difference here.
The Kitchen
If you have the average home, when people stop by, they will see your kitchen. If you have dishes piled up and things all over your counter, then it will be noticeable. The best solution is to, of course, be prepared and always have your kitchen clean, but if you ever catch yourself in a bind, then placing the dishes quickly into your dishwasher is a solution.
It’s not ideal, but placing them in the dishwasher and out of sight until you wash them later is a quick solution for getting rid of unsightly dirty dishes and pans. This will be a fast time saver that you can do in literally a couple of minutes.
No dishwasher? Well, from experience, I’ve had to place dirty dishes quickly into the cabinet and out of sight. Again, this is not ideal, but this article is all about speed cleaning, so in this case, it’s just about ensuring you have everything looking “clean” in a short period.
The Living Room
If you have kids, then your living room is probably always a mess. Thankfully quickly putting the throw pillows back on the couch, quickly arranging the furniture back into its place can take just a few minutes. Quickly wiping down any tables with a damp cloth will get rid of any food marks that may have been on the table as well.
The Entryway
The entrance to your home is crucial; it’s the first impression. You’ll want to pick up anything on the floor quickly, and if you have enough time, mop the area if it is hardwood or tile. If it’s carpet, then a quick vacuuming would help.
Most importantly, a plugin wall air freshener would definitely help give your home that “clean” scent. I recommend lavender as it’s not too overpowering. It’s a light scent that most people would love.
General Tips
Over the years, what I’ve noticed is to ensure that your home is never too “dirty.” By that, I only mean doing a quick clean before heading to bed at night. It will ensure that your home is never in a manner that’ll leave a wrong impression if someone stops by unexpectedly.
Before heading to bed, wash any dishes in the sink, wipe down the countertops. You can also make sure that any shoes on the floor are back in the closet or shoe racks. Putting any throw pillows back into their place as well and merely wiping down tables.
If you do this every night before bed, even if someone pops by early in the morning, you’ll be ready to confidently open your door and welcome that person to your home. Your in-laws or nosy neighbors can now never catch you “unexpectedly” as you have a good plan that you can use to ensure your home is always “show ready.”
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