Article shared from Heart of Texas Corners Magazine. Here comes the holiday season! In preparation, you decorate. You prepare your traditional treats. And you shop! Filling your home with what feels like double-the-normal amount of clutter. Keeping your home clean during the busy holidays can be a challenge! This season brings many opportunities to entertain family and friends. These gatherings can take weeks of planning or could be an impromptu dinner with friends. While it’s a treat to plan a party, there is a special joy in sharing an unplanned night of fun with friends.
Whether you’re expecting guests you invited weeks ago or a few hours ago, getting your home “guest-ready” will help you enjoy your time together. Here is an easy plan to quickly get your home ready for visitors in just one hour.
ONE HOUR HOME CLEANING PLAN:
Before you start: Turn off you’re your phone or put it out of reach. It’s time to focus! Turn on some upbeat music to keep moving. Now grab a laundry basket and carry it with you through the house, placing clutter in your basket. Clean only the areas of your home that you guests will see in the following order.
10 Minutes – ENTRYWAY
- Sweep your front porch. Spot clean your front door glass.
- Remove extra coats from your closet and move them to another room. Tidy the closet to make room for your guests’ coats.
15 Minutes – KITCHEN
- Tidy your kitchen counter. Stow unneeded items or place them in your basket.
- Wipe down your kitchen counters and sink.
- Tidy your refrigerator, tossing out leftover/expired items. Make room for food and beverages your guests bring.
- Empty the trash.
10 Minutes – BATHROOM
- Tidy your bathroom counters. Stow unneeded items or place them in your basket.
- Wipe the counters.
- Spot clean the mirror.
- Apply toilet bowl cleaner to the bowl and quickly brush it.
- Hang fresh towels.
- Empty the trash.
15 Minutes – LIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM & GATHERING AREAS
- Tidy as you go straightening pillows and stacks of magazines. Place clutter in your basket.
- Dust all tables or shelves.
- Stash your clutter basket out of sight. You can deal with those items tomorrow.
10 Minutes – FLOORS
- Dust mop hard floors pushing debris onto carpeted areas to be vacuumed.
- Vacuum only the traffic areas that your guests will see.
- Close the doors to rooms (e.g. bedrooms, laundry room) that your guests don’t need to see.
You’re done in just one hour (or less)! Now light some candles to fill your home with a welcoming, fresh aroma. Once you master your one-hour cleaning plan, saying YES to guests will be stress-free and you’ll have the chance to create more wonderful holiday memories for you and your family.