Need some ideas for cleaning your home quickly? Whether you have to clean for the cleaners, or you ran out of time for decluttering before company arrives, you need a strategy.
Take A Step Back
My mom would always go into panic mode when we’d host holiday meals. She’d take grocery bags and jam stuff into it, and then have us put it into the garage. I have no idea if she ever really went through the bags again, or if they just ended up being recycled. After she’d passed away, I found bags and bins full of paperwork, cards, checks that weren’t cashed, emails she’d printed out, etc.
Some stuff was five or six years old. So after my brother and I moved out, she must have taken to using our rooms to hide the clutter.
So where am I going with this? Well, after the event, make sure you have a plan to go through the clutter and thin it out. Use programs like Evernote to take pictures of things you want to save. And read Peter Walsh books about decluttering. It’s helped me tremendously. Not that I don’t have a long way to go….but I’m getting there.
Quick Cleaning Tips
If you’re cleaning for the cleaners…well, I have to say I understand. They pick up things and put them where you can’t find them. So you can leave out buckets and tell them to put the items into the bucket. Or use the bucket and quickly pick up what’s on the floor.
Limit Where People Can Go
Focus on cleaning where the people will be. Chances are, most people will be hanging out with you in the kitchen.
If you only have one bathroom available, get it as clean as you can. Then make sure the halls and other rooms where people will be are clean and dusted. Vacuum the baseboards and the doorframes.
Strategically Place Things
If you have a large tri-fold screen, use it to hide some clutter. I’ve also been known to use strategically placed tablecloths.
Tablecloths are also a great way to make a table look clean and fresh. I have paint and ink stains on my kitchen table. When I want to make everything look amazing, I just put down a tablecloth.
Spend the Time Washing the Windows
You’d be amazed at what a difference it makes. Suddenly the whole room seems brighter and cleaner. We get so used to dirty windows. But again, only wash the windows and glass doors where people will be. Also, wash outside as well as inside. Otherwise, it will look odd.
If you have pets, make sure you leave the window open a little bit to get some fresh air circulating.
Only Clean What Can Be Seen
Don’t spend time cleaning under the furniture. Instead, spend the time vacuuming the couch and chairs so they are free of dust and animal hair.
Dust The Light Fixtures
This is similar to washing the windows. If you wash your light fixtures or at least dust them well, the room will seem a lot brighter and more cheerful.
Also, one more bit of sage wisdom. Remember that people are coming to see you, not how well you clean your house. And if they care about that, then suggest you go to their place next time.
Resources
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