Instantly Clean Your Home
Take out the garbage:
Empty the garbage cans in your kitchen and bathrooms. The office trash can wait because it generally is not the type of waste basket material that produces offensive odors. Scent plays a big role in how clean things around seem.
High traffic area pick up:
Pick up everything that doesn’t belong on the floors or surfaces in the most used areas of your home. Which rooms will people most be seeing or using? Use a tub or plastic laundry basket to collect the items quickly. Pick up all the papers, books, toys, clothing items, and dishes you can find. Once you are done with that place all the dishes in the sink, the laundry items in the dirty clothes hamper or laundry room, toys in a toy box, and papers and books on a desk or shelf. It may sound overwhelming, but this can be done very quickly if you set your mind to it. If you are extremely pressed for time only put the dishes in the sink, and stash the basket in the garage or closet until you have the time to sort it out. The most important thing is that you get the items off the floor. Our eyes automatically scan the contents of a room, and the more items that we see the smaller the room can feel. Picking up this way opens up a space in no time.
Vacuum and sweep:
Cleaning a floor has an instant tidying affect even if we only do a very quick pass over the carpet or kitchen floors. If I could only pick one fast cleaning fix I think this would be it. Get out your vacuum, broom, or Swiffer and go over the surfaces in your front room, family room, and kitchen or dining room. It doesn’t have to be a deep thorough cleaning. Remember you’re going for a better look fast.
Dish Stash:
The kitchen is one of the most constant problem areas because of its high traffic flow. Quickly rinse cups, plates, and bowls and load them in the dishwasher. If you have dirty pots or large baking bowls sitting out place them in the sink and fill them with hot soapy water to soak. Any dirty flatware or cooking utensils can be set to soak inside the pots. Something in the sink does not look as dirty as something on the counter!
Counter Clutter Corral:
Counter surfaces tend to be a magnet for papers, junk mail, bills, and school notices. There are a few ways to tame that mess in a hurry. A basket or a folder full of papers looks instantly more organized than the same papers on the counter. If you have no basket or similar item you can stash the papers in a drawer or pantry, or you can stack them in a very neat corner of the counter near a wall. Stack them with large or wide pieces on the bottom and smaller or narrow pieces on top to maintain an orderly look.
Surface wipe down:
Take a damp rag or sponge and wipe down all the surfaces in high use areas with visible dust or grime. This can be done very quickly. Eye level shelves, table tops, counters, entertainments centers, and desks are the spots to aim for. Give a fast squirt of window cleaner to the most visible windows and wipe dry.
Tame the Toys:
If you have small children you likely have lots of toys or crafts lying out. It’s to be expected, but you can easily stash these out of the way in a hurry. Grab a plastic tub or laundry basket and place the toys or crafts inside it. Tuck the basket in the corner of your living room or similar out of the way spot. It’s expected that families will have such items, and once inside a basket they look instantly organized.
Bathrooms blitz:
The bathroom is an important area because you’ll want it to be odor free if you have company coming over. Stash any unnecessary items on the counter in a drawer or a basket under the cabinet or even on the floor. You can leave out anything you feel comfortable with. Toothbrushes, hair brushes, hand soap, or a cup are totally fine. Rinse the sink with hot water and wipe the counter down with a damp sponge. Spray the mirror with cleaner and wipe quickly. Spray some cleaner into the toilet bowl and give it the fastest of scrubs with a toilet brush. Wipe the floor around toilet with a paper towel and flush it. Put any dirty linens into a hamper, and leave out one clean hand towel. This may sound like a lot of work, but it can be done in five minutes! Remember, you aren’t going for perfection just for improvement
Open the curtains:
Opening the curtains and blinds creates an open feeling as well as the illusion of space. Try to open the blinds in your front room or at least in one room that will allow for some good natural light to enter.
Don’t forget the scent:
Smells are a very important factor in how clean something will seem to people. Before guests arrive try to create a pleasing scent in your home. Scented candles lit on a mantle or table top or placed in the bathroom give off a nice scent while they help create a relaxed atmosphere. Plug in scents, incense, or room sprays are also a fast option. You might want to fill your kitchen sink with some hot water and essential oils or a strong scented cleaner such as Pinesol for ten minutes.
