Keeping your home spick and span can be tricky when you have a busy schedule. If you’re expecting house guests or plan to entertain this season, here are some useful cleaning tips for pre-party spruce-ups:
Clean smart
Work with gravity and you’ll find things flow more easily. Start cleaning from the top to the bottom to avoid having to clean floors twice. Clean ceiling fans and picture and curtain rails before you dust. Then only should you vacuum or mop floors.
Always remove debris and dirt from the vacuum cleaner and clean the filters otherwise your efforts will largely be in vain.
Pay attention to areas frequented by guests
It’s easy to get distracted while you clean. You’re in the kitchen and start reorganising cupboards or searching for Tupperware lids but try to stay focused. Your guests are much more likely to notice a dirty toilet than an untidy pantry.
Concentrate your attention on the living room, guest rooms and bathrooms. Make sure that your linen is freshly washed and tackle any stains if sheets have been lying in the cupboard for extended periods.
Finally, add some flowers or spritz with room freshener and open windows to get some fresh air in.
Clean out your fridge
The fridge is going to be fully stocked so clear out old and expired salad dressings, jams and other lesser used items.
Remove the shelves and give them a good clean. Run your cloth down the seals on the doors and wipe on top of the fridge to remove dust.
Organise your shelves neatly so that guests can find what they’re looking for at a glance. Use the bottle rack if you have one and have stashed it away – it’ll help you cope with the increased number of bottles typically on hand over the festive season.
Make sure you have enough ice trays to accommodate more people, clean them, and fill them.
Place a basket or bowl of snacks above the fridge to save space.
Air your space
It’s time to open the windows and let in the glorious smells of Spring blooms.
Open windows in the morning to get some fresh air in and help with any musty smelling spaces.
Consider adding some carpet cleaning powder when you vacuum too.
Make space for your guests
You’ve probably got the tree and decorations out so use the empty space to store unnecessary items like your winter boots and coats.
Empty a closet and allocate some space in the kitchen for additional groceries so that you’re not left overwhelmed by the extra stuff necessary to feed extra mouths.
Try not to sweat the small stuff. The increased activity in your space is short lived but so very precious. Make sure that you focus on the present rather than worry about what everything looks like.