You’ve just glanced at your schedule and realize that you're hosting a house full of people in a few hours. Learning how to clean for company with little to no time can be challenging, but it’s far from impossible. The trick to getting your home ready comes down to prioritizing, organizing, and keeping calm under pressure.
1. Take a deep breath and get organized. The last thing you want to do is sprint around without a plan. Take a moment to outline your cleaning tasks so you can work quickly and efficiently. If possible, ask for help from your spouse, kids, or roommate to speed up the process.
Here’s a basic run-down of what you’ll want to get done during this session:
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Clear and put away clutter.
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Wipe down and disinfect major surfaces.
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Clean glass and windows where needed.
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Put out clean towels and linens.
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Dust surfaces and vacuum the floors.
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Mop the hard floors in high-traffic areas.
2. Gather your supplies. If you're ready to tackle this task on your own, begin by gathering your cleaning supplies. You won't have to dig around looking for the hand vacuum later on if you have everything organized from the start. This is the true purpose of having an uncluttered home. Throw your all-purpose cleaner and a handful of clean rags in a handheld carrier to easily move from room to room.
3. Prioritize rooms guests will see. When you are figuring out how to clean for company on a deadline, avoid getting sidetracked in rooms your guests might not even see. Tuck away clutter and close doors so those messes are out of sight. There's no harm in shutting your bedroom door if it's in total disarray. Instead, focus on the main entertainment areas of your home.
The entryway, bathrooms, and living room are the most common areas to focus your energy. If you have to freshen up a guest room for someone staying the night, put this on the top of your priority list as well. Here is a breakdown of what to tackle in every room:
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Entryway: Wipe down tabletops and organize any shoe or coat clutter.
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Kitchen: Clean the stovetop, wipe down counters, and scrub the sink. Dust or wipe down appliance fronts to remove fingerprints.
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Living Room: Wipe down the coffee table and side tables. Dust the TV screen and disinfect the remotes.
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Bathroom: Scrub the toilet, wipe down countertops, and clean the mirrors. You can skip scrubbing the bathtub if you aren't having overnight guests.
4. Accomplish each major cleaning task as a whole. Many professional house cleaners follow the top-down method. That means you should start with the top of the room and work your way down to the floors. This ensures that any dust you kick up lands on a floor that hasn't been cleaned yet.
It is best to tackle your main cleaning tasks such as mopping, vacuuming, and dusting as a whole instead of finishing one room before moving on. That way, every room will receive at least a bit of love in case you run out of time. This strategy helps you avoid having a shiny bathroom while the kitchen remains a hot mess.
5. Clean up the visible clutter. Are there piles of bills hanging out on the kitchen counter or a sea of toy blocks strewn across the living room floor? Start your cleaning tasks by making space and decluttering your home. You may also want to tuck away personal items like toothbrushes and razors in the bathroom to make the space look cleaner and more inviting.
While it’s tempting to put things wherever they’ll fit, try to avoid hastily stuffing important items into places they don't normally go. It's easy to lose important paperwork in this phase, so stay mindful about where everything ends up. I would rather put all my paperwork into one pile than stuff it into a drawer. Often, we forget where we've put things when we are in a rush.
6. Tackle common chores like dishes and laundry. Next, make sure your standard chores are not caught in limbo. Now is a great time to clean all the dishes in the sink, fold the pile of laundry, and clean the cat box. If your guests will see any of your bedrooms, make sure the beds are made to give the room an instant lift.
You may want to wait to empty the main garbage cans until you're done cleaning the rest of the house. However, you should check smaller trash bins like those in the bathroom and guest room before people arrive.
7. Dust and clean surfaces. Dusting and cleaning surfaces are your next priority. Start with large surfaces used by guests in each room. Spend extra time on the bathroom sink, kitchen sink, kitchen table, and coffee or side tables. Don’t forget to sanitize doorknobs and light switches. Unless your windows are visibly dirty, leave them for another day to save time.
8. Vacuum and mop the floors. Now is the time to make a grand pass through the house with the vacuum. Afterward, break out a regular or microfiber broom to pick up the dust that eluded the vacuum. This step is particularly important in the bathroom or a kitchen with white tile.
If you have a quick-dry mopping tool, give the non-carpeted surfaces one more pass. Pay extra attention to the entryway so your guests get a burst of fresh air when they enter the house. This makes the whole home feel maintained and cared for.
9. Add finishing touches. Move through each space and make the fun last-minute upgrades. Are the couch pillows in order? Are there extra toilet paper rolls in the bathroom? Lighting a scented candle can also change the mood of the room. Now is also the time to bring out any food serving dishes and snacks you plan to serve. Your house feels so much cleaner than if you hadn't checked your schedule and made this dash around your home.
Declutter Deck® minimizes your need to continuously reevaluate and reorganize parts of your home because they are never quite right. Beyond just looking messy, clutter can actually increase stress levels. According to research published by The New York Times, cluttered environments can lead to higher cortisol levels and a decreased ability to focus.
While hiring professional organizers is a big financial investment, this inexpensive box of organizing prompt cards provides professional tips and tricks. Although the KonMari® Method is one style of organization, we include other decluttering and organizing styles. Simply draw a card and perform the decluttering or organization task. This allows you to declutter the most frequently used parts of your home and keep them organized. You can do more with less!
