Quick Cleaning for Company - LifeSkill Secrets

You have company coming and the place needs some quick cleaning up to do. Where to start and what do you do first.

There are four main areas to attack when you need to quick cleaning; clutter, flat surfaces, making it sanitary and making it sparkle. The last step is to make it company ready.

Quick Cleaning Clutter

Quick cleaning starts with a clutter attack. The first thing guests notice is if there is stuff lying around everywhere. Grab a laundry basket or box and go around collecting all the clutter Start at your front door and before you begin, close your eyes for a minute and pretend this isn’t YOUR home, but someone else’s.

There is a thing called Familiarity Blindness. If you look at the same thing over and over your stop processing it- you get used to it and don’t really SEE it. Which means you used to your own out-of-place stuff and don’t notice it anymore. Kind of like the way you can get used to your own body odor and, though offensive to others, you may not even notice it.

Doing this exercise before you start will help you to see the stuff you’ve gotten used to and that may appear messy to someone else. Now start at the front door and go to the right through your entire home until you are back at the front door. Collect everything that is not where it ought to be or that might get knocked over or broken with company. Also remove any valuables that you don’t want to leave lying around.

If you have time at the end, go through the box or basket and put things where they belong. If you really don’t have time, stash the box in a closet but put the stuff away tomorrow.

Flat Surfaces

As you go through your home, be sure every flat surface is clear. Sounds obvious but again, we let stuff rest on counters, dressers, nightstands and even the floor and bed. Then it starts to get busy and multiply while we are not looking. Become the flat surface police and make each flat surface look good. If really pressed for time, just put the things that are out of place in your box or basket as you go.

Then clean the flat surfaces: Wipe down counters, dust everything, vacuum carpets and rugs and sweep floors.

Quick Cleaning to Make it Sanitary

Be sure that areas that need to be sanitary are by using appropriate cleaners for them. Clean the toilet and the bathroom sink. This only takes a few minutes. Squeeze toilet bowl cleaner into the toilet and spray the counters and sink with bathroom cleaner. Let them sit for a couple of minutes. Then swish the toilet with a toilet brush and wipe down the counters and sink, first with a bathroom sponge and then with a microfiber cloth.

Clean the kitchen sink. What you use depends on the type of sink you have. I have white porcelain so use a product called SoftScrub with bleach to get tea stains out of the porcelain. Whatever you are using, spray on then wipe down with a kitchen sponge (one used just for cleaning, not also for dishes).

Make it Sparkle

The art of quick cleaning lies in the sparkle factor. This takes little effort but really makes a place look cleaner. Be sure that any surface that is supposed to shine does. Using a microfiber cleaning cloth and very little water, wipe down mirrors, faucets in the bathroom and kitchen and anything else that ought to shine.

Make it Company Ready

Check there is a clean hand towel in the bathroom and a fresh roll of toilet paper. If bad weather, be sure there is a mat at the front door for people to wipe or remove their shoes. Have enough room in the coat closet for their coats or provide a place for them (on a bed in the guest room or over a chair that they won’t be sitting on).

Be sure there are enough places for people to sit.

Super. Now go to your front door, close your eyes and then take one last look around to be sure everything is ready. Do any additional quick cleaning and you are ready to go!

Don’t forget to sort through and clean up the things in your box or basket either before company comes or the next day.