Speed Cleaning!

We have all received that dreaded phone call. You know, the one where someone on the other line says that they are in your neighborhood and stopping by? This can call for a serious speed cleaning, especially for busy Moms. Here are some tips to help your speed cleaning become a success!

First, clear the path. Make things look as neat as you can from the front door to the area where you will have your guests sit. This generally means the foyer and living room. Grab a laundry basket and scoop up toys. Shuttle them quickly to your child’s room where they will be out of sight, or at least not judged! Make sure that you clear any shoes, coats, piles of mail or anything else that may be cluttering up your entry-way. This will give a good first impression.

Statistics show that most everyone judges the cleanliness of your home as soon as they walk in the door. They often judge by smell as well as sight. Odors coming from diaper pails or trash cans can give a bad impression regardless of how much you pick up. So, your next step is to make it smell good! A quick trick to make your house smell like you have been cleaning all day, is to put some pine scented mop solution into the sink with some hot water. The smell will quickly fill the room and immediately send the signal to your guest’s brain that you were either cleaning earlier, or they interrupted your cleaning, excusing some of the mess!

Dishes on the table or counter can make a kitchen look ignored. If your dishwasher is not empty, at least get those dirty dishes into the sink. Rinse off the top dishes so that the pile does not look totally disgusting. Quickly pile up stacks of mail from the counters, throw toys into toy boxes and rake pens, scissors and other office items into a drawer. Spray the counters and swiftly wipe them down.

If you still have time, make sure that the coffee table and kitchen table are cleared. This may require a quick maneuver with a cardboard box, but it will give the illusion that you always keep your house at least a little tidy!

One thing that ends up in most living rooms is a pile of coats. Clear all of the seating and make sure that coats are hung. This way you can quickly lead company to the couch and they might miss peering into that disastrous front room! Using cedar wooden hangers in your coat closet will not only repel pests, but also keep the entry-way of your house smelling nice and clean.

If you still have two minutes to spare, run the dust mop or vacuum cleaner through the path of least resistance. If you do have piles of stuff cluttering the room, you can at least say that you have been organizing. The floor will look clean, so your story will be a lot more plausible!