Thursday 8 May 2014

15 Minute Clean up!

Have you ever needed to do a quick clean up and get the house organized in 15 minutes? Maybe when family or friends are stopping by unannounced to visit....Been there done this...lol


Do a fast survey of the area to assess the damage....

Take a quick look around the place at the areas the visitors might see.....What kind of shape are they in? Piles of unopened mail and scattered bills? Dirty dishes? Messy kitchen tops? Dirty floor? Gross bathroom? You know they won't be going into the upstairs into the bedrooms so less to worry about there.....Close those doors!

Bring in the troops!

If you have kids old enough to realize you're desperate let them know you need all hands on deck to battle the invasion....Bribes are totally acceptable in this situation. No junior troops? Then you're on your own and it's time to kick it into sixth gear.....Use an organized plan of attack on surfaces, floors, yourself and finally the bathroom! 

Surfaces....

In one big sweep, clear all surfaces of everything that doesn't belong. Don't worry about returning things to their proper place – that's for tomorrow.....Right now you just want the clutter to disappear and that's what cupboards are for....  Bedrooms are great for stashing stuff since they're usually off limits to guests and they have a door…

Do a quick dust on those surfaces near the front door and living room.

Kitchen surfaces...

Gather the offending mess together into piles and stash them in places like the dishwasher, cabinets, washing machine and the oven. Yes. The oven is a good hiding place, but don't forget to remove the stuff as soon as your guest leaves....Give tables and counters a quick wipe down with a sponge, dishcloth or whatever is handy. A t-shirt? Go for it. You can always toss it into the wash later. Dirty dishes in the sink? Gather them together in a pile and file them in the dishwasher or the oven. Don't forget to do a quick wipe down inside the sink.

Floors...

A dirty floor really shouts out "Yuck!" Grab the hoover and do your fastest cha-cha around all visible parts of the floor. Don't worry about moving sofas or getting under furniture. In the kitchen, grab a wet mop and swab the decks. While the mop is still wet, run it around the bathroom floor, and then find a convenient place to hide the mop. Floors should only have taken another 3 minutes, unless you got carried away in the cha-cha mode.
 
Light a couple of scented candles or spray a room with air freshener... When your house smells clean the perception is that it is clean....

You...

The place might look good but what about you!....Finding 2 minutes to clean yourself up is crucial.....Run a brush through your hair.

Bathroom...

Getting yourself cleaned up may have chewed a bit off your scheduled bathroom clean-up time. No problem. Here's where you gamble on the chances of whether or not your guest will use the bathroom.....Do the best you can in the last minute or two with a quick wipe-down of the toilet and sink. 

Time's up!

8 comments :

  1. Love it, couldn't put it better!

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  2. Oh yes, been there, done that many times over!!

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  3. Great post! I hate it when I want a relaxing day and the doorbell goes. I'm like rushing around chucking things in cupboards lol. I should really learn xx

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  4. so true! loving it! i always do that!

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  5. lol! been there a few times ;) great post x

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  6. Great post! After looking after my step grandchildren for a week, I value the time to blow dry my hair without Peppa Pig on in the background!

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  7. Sounds very familiar! I remember the days when we had a cleaner and I didn't have to think about it. I really was spoilt!

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