Even if the expected visitor is someone near and dear, we tend to at least straighten the couch and bus up the coffee-table
Nothing gets one’s tidying energy up-’n-going like the feeling of company coming. Even if the expected visitor is someone near and dear, we tend to at least straighten the couch and bus up the coffee-table debris. Guests from the wider world can inspire those of us who lead laid-back lives to become human tsunamis.
Whether you’re aiming to put your best domestic foot forward for a dinner party, a meeting, a real-estate showing, or just the refreshed feeling of having things straight and pretty for a bit, HERE ARE TIPS FOR A SWIFT, SIMPLE PROCESS.
company’s coming! quick clean tips
OPEN UP
Open as many windows and doors as you can before you start to clean, so you’re filling the place with fresh outdoor air.
DECLUTTER
Have a container (baskets are great) handy in each room where you can put the stuff that lives in that room but needs to be out of the way, to be stowed easily in a closet if you wish. When you take things back out, you can weed out any stuff that’s pointless and end up with less clutter.
Have baskets handy in each room where you can put the stuff that lives in that room but needs to be out of the way.
TOP DOWN
Clean from the top down. Save the floor for last. Do one task at a time, throughout the house: dusting, wiping, vacuuming, and mopping everywhere that it’s needed—it’s way more efficient and less frustrating.
DUSTING TRICKS
For cobwebs or grunge you can’t reach, a dampened high-nap paint roller is handy. An old sock on your hand (also dampened) is a great way to clean slatted blinds; just grasp each piece and slide it through your hand to get both sides at once. The sock trick is also great for moldings and other surfaces where a duster might miss spots. Slip an old pillowcase over ceiling fan blades and use it to wipe them without taking a dust shower.
PRE-SPRITZ
In the kitchen and bathroom, spritz icky spots on washable surfaces with your cleaning solution and then go do something else or take five. The crud comes right off when you come back.
For real-estate showings, you’re presenting a template where someone else will be trying to imagine their own style.
stage it just right
Getting your house set for real-estate showings is a bit different. Instead of showcasing your personal style, you’re presenting a template where someone else will be trying to imagine theirs.
YOUR REALTOR MAY HAVE SUGGESTIONS TO ADD TO THESE: MINIMIZE BELONGINGS
You’re going to be moving anyway, yes? Everything you can eliminate now is one less thing you’ll be carrying then. Store away everything you can possibly live without but don’t want to part with permanently.
FRESH PAINT
Go with an eggshell or off-white rather than flat white, and invest in a decent paint that will give good coverage.
MAKE REPAIRS
Consider making minor repairs and finishing any small projects that are half-done.
GUEST ROOM
If you have an extra room that you haven’t been using, clear it and replace clutter with a simple arrangement that suggests a use—a desk and chair, an extra bed.
