A Handy Guide for Last Minute Cleaning

The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and if you are hosting this year’s party or cookout, between the grilling plans and party supplies, don’t forget to clean up! Time always flies when you have guests arriving, so we have created a handy last minute cleaning guide to help you sneak in a quick clean up, without borrowing time from other party-prepping tasks. This guide will focus on helping you use your time wisely, and the places guests’ will be noticing and gathering. If your party is mostly outside, consult our last blog post on a quick outdoor area clean up.

Before you start, open a few windows while you clean. This will get out any unwanted smells and make your place smell fresh. Now, set a timer to keep yourself productive and get to cleaning!

Here is a step-by-step action plan for a last minute cleaning:

1. Working room-by-room, grab clutter that doesn’t belong and move to its appropriate places. If this is daunting, a favorite trick is to grab by color, going through the rainbow. Start by moving all the red pieces, orange, yellow, and so on. This will keep you from getting distracted and moving onto the next step too soon.
2. You won’t have time for a deep rug or carpet cleaning if your party is in a few hours. So, sprinkle some baking soda on your rugs, wait for 15 minutes and vacuum the powder (and stink) up.
3. Use a lint roller to quickly collect dust. Sweep the roller over any spot that’s dusty. This is a perfect trick for speakers, lampshades, and the TV.
4. Don’t forget the toilet. The bathroom is a high traffic area for guests, and if you have to choose one area to clean, let it be the toilet. Brush with bleach and cleaner right before guests arrive.
5. Cooking all day? You can get rid of the cooking smells by filling a saucepan with three tablespoons of vinegar and 1 cup of water, and allow boiling for several minutes. In winter and fall another option would be oranges and cinnamon sticks.
6. You can hide some of your less-clean areas and create a great mood with lighting. Turn off the bright, overbearing ceiling lights and add some low light. Lamps, string lights, and a couple of candles should do the trick. This will create a nice atmosphere and help cover up any subtle furniture stains, wall marks, or dusty corners you could not get to in time.

Viola! Your home should be a little closer to party-ready with our last minute cleaning tips! We hope you can use this guide for your 4^th of July Party this weekend.