Forget the hands-and-knees pre-party cleaning routine.
When you’re getting ready for a party or guests, ideally, you’d have hours to prepare. You’d have a full-house clean, you’d have a manicure and pedicure, you’d get a chance to relax in a bubbly tub, and your family would be just begging you to help out.
Or not.
In my case, I’m lucky if I make it home from errands and carpool before the guests do! So here’s a speed-cleaning routine to get your house sparkling and good-smelling before your guests arrive.
The key is to hit the high-visibility spots. Forget about cleaning your closets and reorganizing your garage — just follow the ole’ 80-20 rule, which says that 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your time investment. So here are the hot spots to address before the doorbell rings:
1. Entryway. Walk through your own front door and see what’s hitting you as out of place. Get the clutter out of the way, sweep the floor, pull items out of your coat closet to make room for your guests’ things.
2. Guest bath. Change out towels, wipe out the sink, give the toilet a quick scrub, and clean the mirror. Empty the trash, and light a candle so the room smells good.
3. Kitchen. Even if the party is elsewhere, guests will congregate in the kitchen. Take all unneeded appliances off the counters, throw all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and give the counters a wipedown.
4. Living/Family Room. Grab a wipe like the Pledge Disposable Furniture Polish Wipes, Lemon Scented and do a once-over the furniture. Toss all the kid clutter into a big laundry basket and store it out of sight.
Voila! You’re ready to go!
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