Most people like to tackle cleaning the house as one big job. They will dedicate an entire morning or even a full day, turn on some good music, and devout themselves to cleaning the house. It can be great for the mind and for the home as well. However, we are all busy people and there will come a point when that big clean is badly needed but you haven’t got round to it. Suddenly you receive a message from a friend that they will be there in 15 minutes. You look around the room and see dust and clutter. How can you greet them with open arms in 15 minutes if your house is in need of a two hour deep clean? Fear not. We have devised the perfect plan that will allow you to make your house appear clean in just 15 minutes time – you may even spare a couple of minutes so you can look relaxed too. Read on to find out.
The key to cleaning a house in a short amount of time is to set realistic expectations. This is not the time to break out every cleaning material that you have and to start scrubbing the floor tiles with a toothbrush. At this moment you should be cleaning big spaces, identifying the key issues, and moving on.
The best way to make a house look clean is not actually by cleaning it all but by tidying it. Many people think these are the same thing but cleaning involves wiping, scrubbing, brushing, mopping while tidying involves picking stuff up. If you look around the room now you will likely see many things that are not in their rightful place – this makes the place look cluttered. If you remove these items your home will look tidier and therefore cleaner.
If you have time you can put all these items back where they belong. If you only have fifteen minutes then simply grab a washing basket and put the items in there for now. Your house will look clean and you can deal with the clutter later.
The next step is to decide what rooms need to be cleaned. Depending on your guest you should know what rooms they are likely to visit. If it is a romantic guest then the bedroom may be an area you want to focus on. If it is a friend that will stay in the living room, focus there. Whoever it is always give the bathroom a special focus – everyone uses the bathroom.
For the bathroom, you should use a toilet scrubber and remove any stains or smells from the toilet bowl. If you have some good smelling toilet cleaner, pour it in the toilet and let it sit while you clean elsewhere. Wipe the mirror and the sink and clean the toilet seat. Have a quick look at the floor – if it needs a quick sweep do it. If you have a fresh bathroom mat put it down. If your bathroom mat is looking ugly – get it out of there. Bathroom done.
If the kitchen is an area of importance then a smart move is to put a lemon peel in the garbage disposal and run it. Clear the countertops and empty all the bins. Give the surfaces a quick wipe down. Kitchen done.
The dining room and sitting room are likely next on your list. Clear the clutter, dust the dining surface, TV, etc and if you have time get the vacuum out for the carpet. Living area done.
Finally, walk through your home and spray some air freshener in the spots you know your guests will be. Make sure that your air freshener is not too strong or it may have the opposite result. An alternative is to light a nice candle in the sitting room and allow the great scent to flood the house.
