Having guests over to your home can be lovely, but when they arrive with hardly any notice you have limited time to prepare and clean your house.
Here are some tips to help you speed clean in order to be ready to host.
Tip #1- Only focus on key areas
Decide which rooms you are more likely to spend your time. Often this will be the kitchen or living room so focus on these rooms first. Close the door on any other rooms. Thinking you must clean the whole house is unrealistic and can be overwhelming, leaving you in a less than ideal state to greet your guests.
Tip#2- Light a candle
Before your guests arrive, light a scented candle. Not only does it make your room smell lovely, it provides an inviting and calm environment for your guests.
Tip#3- Get rid of the dishes & wipe down the sink
The kitchen sink is the place that can make your entire kitchen look untidy. One of your first jobs should be to remove the dishes. If they are on the drying rack, put them away. If you have a pile still waiting to be cleaned, place them in the dishwasher to hide them. Alternatively, place them in a bin liner and store them in a cupboard or in the garage until your guests leave.
Tip#4- Focus on tidying
Walk around the main rooms with bin liner or box and tidy things up as you go along. Put all your clutter in the box or bag and store it in a room to sort out when your guests leave.
Tip#5- Distract guests with music, TV and food
Proving your guests with music to listen to, having the TV on in the background or providing them with a drink and some food will help them relax, feel welcome, but will also distract them from looking around the room and inspecting your home.
Tip#6- Freshen up your carpet
Use a carpet deodorizer or sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on the carpet, leave it for 15 minutes, then hoover it up. It’s a great way to freshen up your carpet and banish any smells.
Tip#7- Get changed
Once you have finished cleaning and change into clean clothes. If you have been rushing around you could be sweaty. A change of clothes will also help you feel fresher for when your guests arrive and not make it obvious you have been cleaning.
Tip#8- Empty the Bin
Emptying your bin doesn’t take long but makes a big difference. You don’t want your guests spotting a full or overflowing bin as it makes the room look messier and smells.
Tip#9- Open the windows
Wherever possible, open windows whilst you are cleaning, it will make the room smell and feel fresher when guests are there for your guests.
Tip#10- Wipe surfaces down
Wipe down the kitchen worktops, and tables. Don’t worry about doing a deep clean, just making sure there are no big marks or smudges will give the room a cleaner feel.
Tip#11- Do not apologise for the mess
It can sometimes be a habit to immediately apologise for the mess, when in reality your guests don’t even think your house is untidy. An apology will draw more attention to the subject, and they will be more likely to notice a small amount of mess.
Tip#12- Do not forget the toilet
It’s important that you clean the toilet before your guests arrive. If you have more than one toilet, focus on one and ensure your guests are guided to that toilet if they need to go.
Tip#13- Use your outdoor space
Weather permitting, guide your guests to your garden or outdoor seating space. If it’s sunny, then lead them outside to enjoy the sunshine. This also has the added benefit of your guests not spending as much time indoors to notice untidy areas.
Tip#14- Dust
You can use a lindt roller to pick up dust. Use this trick when you are running short of time.
Tip#15- Do one room at a time
Start with one room and don’t move onto the next room until you have finished. Although you want to try and multitask, it’s not always efficient moving around the house will waste precious time.
These are some tips to prevent you entering panic mode when you have unexpected guests due. Follow them and you’ll greet your guests into your welcoming, clean home with a calm and friendly smile.
Do you have any other cleaning tips for when you are expecting guests? Let us know what they are by connecting on social media at @TimeForYouGroup
