Have you ever gotten the “I’ll be at your place in 30 minutes” text when meanwhile your home is in a complete state of disarray? Us, too. We know all too well the feeling of scrambling to brush up a space in a pinch. Somehow, it seems as though even when you plan a dinner party months in advance, you end up tackling chores at the very last minute. co*cktail dress, pearls, and rubber gloves are an outfit we’re no strangers to.
The danger with this not-so-efficient cleaning method is that you often end up forgetting key spots—dirty dishes in the sink, a stray lint ball, or a full trash can in the bathroom (eek!). In an effort to make us procrastinators a little more organized, we came up with the quickest and easiest ways to clean your home for guests in a pinch. Whether you have 30 minutes or two hours, we’ve got you covered.
If You Only Have 30 Minutes
Panic ensues when guests announce themselves 30 minutes ahead. When you only have half an hour to tidy up your home, keep it to the bare minimum that will leave the most impact. Now is not the time to go into deep cleaning. Instead, tidy up, freshen up, dim the lights, and light a fragrant-scented candle (about 15 minutes before they arrive). They’ll never know you actually threw all your clutter in a basket right before they rang the doorbell.
Tidy up common areas, and fluff up pillows (10 minutes).
Wipe down sinks and countertops in the bathroom and kitchen. Move dishes into the dishwasher (10 minutes).
Empty garbage bins and take out the trash (5 minutes).
Replenish guest towels, soap, and toilet paper. Light scented candles and dim the lighting (5 minutes).
Total: 30 minutes
If You Have One Hour
With an hour to go before a dinner party, you have a little more time to get into the nitty-gritty of things—grab some rubber gloves and focus on the surfaces that are most likely to be dirty: the floors and the toilet. Dust all your surfaces and make the beds—you never know when your bedroom will become a makeshift coat check.
Clean the toilet. Tidy up the bathroom (10 minutes).
Clear and dust all surfaces (5 minutes).
Make the beds (5 minutes).
Total: 30 minutes
If You Have Two Hours
If you have a full two hours to clean your home before your soirée, chances are you’ve planned this ahead. Now’s the time to roll up your sleeves. Start by handling any laundry that needs to be addressed: guest towels, dish towels, etc. They will be ready by the time you’re done. Give your floors a real mop session, clean your bathroom from top to bottom, clean out the fridge—leftovers accumulate after a dinner party, and you’ll want to make space—and tidy the entryway closet to make space for everyone’s jackets.
Professional cleaners don't circle a room more than once. Taking their place before the bathroom sink, they'll spray and wipe the mirror, scrub the sink, wipe down counters and polish fixtures before they move one inch to the right or left. Don't get physical with your cleaning sessions—make every movement count.
Most people will spend between two and three hours cleaning. This depends on how much work needs to be done. It is a great idea to spend about five or six hours cleaning to get the job done. Other factors that can affect the cleaning time are how dirty the house is, how big it is, and how much stuff is inside.
This economic principle proves that, in general, 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts. After a disastrous first attempt at some changes I was able to produce some incredible results. I now work less hours while using my time for more meaningful work all while making more money. Powerful stuff!
What is the 20/10? Invented by Rachel Hoffman, the 20/10 approach to cleaning is to work hard for 20 minutes and then take a 10-minute break. It's that simple. And while you may not think 20 minutes is a long time, you'd be surprised at how much you can accomplish.
Also known as the 20/10 rule, it's recommended that you take a 10-minute break after your cleaning blast. Although it's unlikely you'll finish most jobs in the first 20 minutes, the point is to break them down into manageable pieces so they don't feel as daunting.
Fewer Interruptions: While the professionals at a commercial cleaning service are trained to work efficiently without causing a disturbance, some facility managers still find that they prefer their cleaning service to work at night so as not to disrupt those working in the building during the day.
What worked for me was the “one-minute rule,” which I was told about by a friend who found it had changed her attitude to small domestic tasks. According to this simple rule, the key to maintaining order is that if the task will take less than 60 seconds to execute, it must be done immediately.
Housekeepers have several methods to make homes smell good, depending on personal preference and the type of cleaning required. These methods range from using natural scents such as essential oils and herbs to more commercial options like air fresheners and cleaning products with added fragrances.
Typically, it would take an average of 1.0 to 1.5 hours to clean the whole house during a regular clean. When conducting a deep clean, it would take an average of 2.5 to 3.5 hours. A two-bedroom apartment comes with one bathroom and typically, it would only take 2.5 hours to clean your home.
What to declutter first: Start by throwing all the rubbish in the bin bag, collect everything that doesn't belong in the room in the laundry basket, wipe all surfaces and voila: Your home is tidy and presentable again. Take one surface at a time - and do not mess up the surfaces you have already cleaned up!
Recent surveys and studies shed light on the time commitment household chores demand. On average, Americans spend about 6 hours per week cleaning their homes. However, this figure can skyrocket to nearly 14 hours per week when including tasks such as laundry, lawn care, and yup, recycling.
Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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