Guests seem to have an uncanny habit of showing up on my doorstep when my family has left a cupboard’s worth of dirty cups and mugs on every surface and my dogs created a living room blizzard by de-floofing every pet toy they own. So prepping for guests in my house tends to be a fast and furious operation that’s left until the very last minute. Fortunately, with a little help from cleaning expert Becky Rapinchuk of Clean Mama, I’ve got the to-do list (and the strategies) to get my house guest-ready in no time flat. Ensure you have these tips memorized to make prepping for guests much faster and simpler.
Go All Out on Clutter
That messy pile of mail or the dirty dishes all over the counters are all too noticeable to guests, and leave your home feeling chaotic. If you only have moments to prep before people show up on your doorstep, this is the top priority to complete.
If you don’t have time to hide the evidence the right way (i.e. in the proper spots or the dishwasher), you can put clutter in a laundry basket and stash the basket until later, and simply stack dirty dishes inside an emptied dishwasher if you don’t have time to load the dishwasher properly. Just make sure you take care of that clutter when your guests have left—and don’t leave it to fester in a dark corner of your house.
Don’t forget to declutter your entryway while you’re on your decluttering spree. Corralling all the shoes into a big basket or popping them in a closet will make your home feel more welcoming from the get-go.
Take Out the Trash (and Anything Else That’s Smelly)
Full wastebaskets and garbage cans not only give people the ick—they can make your home smell less than fresh. Take out the trash, put in clean liners, and sniff around other potential sources of smell (like your sinks and your pet beds), and take care of those as well. (A quick clean for the first, and a dose of fabric spray for those pet beds.)
Speed Clean Surfaces (Especially in Your Kitchen)
Crumbs on the kitchen countertop or stray hairs in the bathroom sink will make your home feel dirty. Grab a microfiber cloth and start by dusting surfaces in the living room, then dampen it to wipe down countertops in the kitchen and bath.
Give Your Bathroom a Quick Refresh
Bathrooms get dirty easily—and if your guests are staying for a few hours, someone’s going to have to visit it. Give the toilet, sink, and mirror a quick wipe down, and put out a fresh, guest-worthy towel.
If you have an extra few moments, lighting a gently scented candle in the bathroom can help clear out any lingering odors and keep it smelling fresh throughout the visit.
Freshen Up Where You’ll Be Hanging Out
Focus your attention on the area where most of the visit will happen. If it’s a dinner party, the dining room and kitchen will be your key spots, or if it’s a living room-focused get-together, spend any remaining cleaning time there. Fluff pillows and cushions, put out fresh kitchen towels, do a deeper declutter, and vacuum or sweep floors (especially if they’re doused with dog-toy floof!).
Tips to Ensure Your Home Is Guest-Ready
Pretend you’re a guest
The best way to make sure you’re ready? Give your house a walkthrough from your guest’s POV. Start at the entryway, and tour your home as your guests might, so you can catch anything you might have missed (i.e. handprints along the hallway or prominent smudges on your fridge).
Use the senses to make it more inviting
You want your house to welcome them in—but it’s about more than just fluffing the pillows. Dim the lights (which can also make it harder for guests to spot those dust bunnies in the corners), and consider lighting candles or popping a vase of fresh flowers in your space to dress it up and add a subtle, inviting fragrance.
Close the doors on chaos
The best way to deal with that Lego mess in your kids’ room? Simply shut the door on it. In fact, the only door that should be open is the door to the (cleaned) bathroom your guests will be using, so they don’t accidentally open the hall closet where you stashed the basket of clutter.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/clean-guests-GettyImages-2201897278-333cd21116d84a92a39e145c3b79d5b5.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1&description=5+Things+You+Should+Always+Clean+Before+Guests+Come+Over){kind=link}