We love to have a beautiful, clean house, but sometimes it’s just not possible. Sometimes we’re just too busy and can’t find the time to clean as thoroughly as we would like. Sometimes, we get that surprise phone call that guests are dropping by. Maybe, like me, you’ve had your house on the market, and needed to have a system for getting your house in shape on short notice. That had happened more times for me than I could ever count. In today’s post, I’m giving you my system for a quick, light cleaning because sometimes that is just all we have time for. The following is a cleaning routine that you should be able to do in a short amount of time.
First, get your supplies ready. Here is what you need for a quick cleaning routine:
- Dusting rags
- Bathroom cleaning rags
- Glass cleaner
- All-purpose cleaning wipes
- Toilet cleaning brush
- Broom and dustpan
- Vacuum
Next, remember your goal is to make the house appear cleaner. You wouldn’t really want somebody to give it the “white glove” test. When you need to clean quickly, try to clean as if someone was coming to look at your house with the intent to buy. Make your house look good enough to sell!
Instead of cleaning each room thoroughly, you’re going to do a light cleaning of the entire house. The following are the steps for a quick cleaning. So, get your supplies ready and let’s get started!
- Remove all clutter. Do this quickly, not necessarily thoroughly. Don’t try to organize your clutter. Just put it away in a drawer or closet for now.
- Dust all furniture in the entire house.
- Wipe off all visible surfaces in the kitchen. Make the sink and countertops look as shiny as possible.
- Wipe down all surfaces in bathrooms and clean toilets.
- Sweep all floors, vacuum, and damp mop kitchen and bathroom floors.
Those are the basics that need to be done. Then if you have a few extra minutes, try to do the following.
- Lightly spray air freshener.
- Turn on several lights.
- Fluff pillows on sofa.
- Put out your best, fluffy towels in bathrooms.
Now, you’ve got your house looking neat, clean, and pretty. It’s almost showtime! If you have time, do a final check. Stand at your front door and look in your house as if you were a visitor. What needs improving? If you have time, do it. If not, distract from it. Don’t highlight it. Hide it away, if possible. Try to highlight and put focus on the BEST parts of your house. If you have too many decorations, put some away temporarily. It will look less cluttered. If you have things that you’re attached to, but are looking old and dated, put them away also. The idea is to make the house look uncluttered and clean.
That is my system for getting my house clean, quickly. This has saved me many times when having guests. Remember this also works when having your house on the market. I hope this helps, so you can feel relaxed and calm the next time your doorbell rings. Please leave comments below for more ideas for cleaning your house quickly. If you have more time to do a thorough cleaning of your house, please check out one of my previous posts, How To Clean Your Entire House.
Have a wonderful day!