Introduction
You may be a very organized person and keep things in place. However, if guests come over at the last-minute during weekdays, you can get overwhelmed. You don’t need to worry if you have a housekeeper. You can also get a subscription to daily clean-up sessions by searching for “home cleaning services near me”. However, if you don’t have any of those options, you can only rely on yourself. Let’s check out how you can prioritize last-minute cleaning:
The Details
- Batch tasks – When you switch around tasks you waste a lot of time. You vacuum a room, set it to the storage compartment, get to dusting furniture, put it back in place, and then pick up the mop. It’s a lot of back and forth that fails to use the limited time available to you efficiently. That’s why you need to batch tasks. For instance, if you need to vacuum, get all the rooms and furniture before you pick up another task. The same goes for dusting, picking up litter, wiping down surfaces, and more such tasks. Try to keep switching between tasks to the minimum required level.
- Keep the kids busy – Kids would be kids and leave a path of destruction wherever they go. They are curious about everything and that means keeping them occupied while you’re cleaning can be very difficult and take up extra time. However, there’s an easy way to do it. You can keep them contained in a room that can afford to stay messy. Give them their favorite snacks, toys and play their favorite video playlist on the iPad. When guests arrive, you can bring out your kids and close that room. If there is no such room, you can keep your kids occupied in a less frequented space that is easy to clean up at the very last moment. If kids aren’t contained, you have to wipe the glass top several times, vacuum crumbs off the floor repeatedly, and re-fluff the pillows all over again.
- Set reminders and timers – You may be one of those people who perform well under pressure. However, it’s best to be informed where you are at your hustle. Set timers and reminders in increments that let you know when you should be done with vacuuming or mopping and when it’s time to move on to the next task. If you’ve got a smartwatch and smart home device, put them to good use. This will help you keep your priorities straight and help you stay ahead of your schedule.
- Clear the clutter – Last-minute cleaning isn’t about meticulous homemaking. It’s about the crunch. How much can you get done to make your home presentable in the least possible time? Minimum effort and maximum impact. That’s why you need to be quick instead of taking your sweet time putting things in their proper place. Grab a large bin or wicker basket and go from room to room and collect clutter that doesn’t belong in that place. Remember that this doesn’t need to happen in all the rooms. Only those that would be visited by your guests. In this way, you can collect all the clutter within a couple of minutes and hide that in a closet or a room that would be closed when the guests visit.
- Clean the living room – This room takes the most priority whenever anyone visits. You would spend most of your time here along with your guests, chatting up and catching up on stories and events. However, that doesn’t mean cleaning it needs to take a proportional amount of time. Remember that you’ve already decluttered things that don’t belong in the living room. The remaining tasks are easy. Fluff up the couch pillows, tidy the blankets, straighten the fabrics and align things on the coffee table for that eye-pleasing symmetry. No need to worry about the floors. It would be handled later.
- Wipe the floors – Now that you’ve taken care of the most important room, it’s time to clean the floors throughout the home. No need to mop the floors. That takes a lot of time, and the floor may stay wet when the guests arrive. You don’t want that. Instead, vacuum or sweep the floors. Start with the living room and clean the pathways that connect the front door to the living room, bathroom, and other important rooms. This shouldn’t take more than five minutes. If you have saved half a minute or more, you can even sweep the kitchen or dining room.
- Clean your kitchen – When guests arrive you serve snacks, drinks, and dinner and they might visit the kitchen. That’s why it’s important to clean that up. Remember you need to prioritize your cleaning tasks and go for maximum impact with minimum effort. Don’t worry about the little things. Being a perfectionist at the last minute won’t do you any good. Take out the organic waste and clean the counters. Wipe them off with a good cleaning liquid.
If dirty dishes can’t be hidden in the dishwasher, reach for a plastic bin and trash as many dishes in it as possible. The bin can rest under the sink closet behind closed doors. Keep essential dishes and cutlery and clean them quickly. Make your way from small and less dirty dishes to the filthiest and largest pans or pots.
- Spot clean if necessary – If you’re ahead of time, then you can spot clean dirty spots and messes that are a constant source of anxiety. For instance, you can clean sticky spots on the floor, crumbs on the table, fingerprints on the window, and more such small messes. Make sure by the end you leave some time to tidy up and make yourself presentable. You don’t want to welcome guests in your pajamas.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about last-minute cleaning and how to execute it perfectly, you will be prepared when the time comes. If you want peace of mind, it’s best to get subscribed to the services of a cleaning company by searching for “home cleaning services near me”.