Is the big spring clean at the bottom of your to-do list? Don't worry - you're certainly not alone! Sometimes life gets in the way, but we all love having a clean and tidy space to present to guests. So, if a friend has asked to pop round for a quick catchup or your mum has just text to say she's already on her way, here are our house cleaning tips for a quick 10 minute refresh.
10 Minute House Cleaning Tips
The key is to focus on the small things that make a big difference to the overall space. You won't be able to tackle every cleaning task that you would like to in just 10 minutes, but you can refresh the space, deal with visible clutter, and tide you over until your guests leave and you have enough time to clean properly.
1. Declutter Surfaces
Let's start with the basics. Grab a carrier bag from your kitchen and fill it with any visible clutter from the living room and kitchen surfaces. We're thinking rubbish, empty packages, childrens' toys - pretty much anything that can be discarded or returned to its original place should be dealt with before giving the surfaces a wipe down.
Giving these few minutes of attention to the coffee table and entryway sideboard will make a huge difference to the first impression that your visitors have when they walk through the door and will immediately make your space feel more organised, so prioritise these surfaces first and then move on to the bathroom and bedroom surfaces if you have a little time left over.
2. Clean Dishes
Grab any dirty dishes, cups, plates and glasses from around the home and bring them into the kitchen. If the sink is empty, then your job is already half done for you! Simply give them a rinse and stack them on the drying rack.
If you already have lingering dishes in the sink that need to be dealt with, don't just pile more on top - make them your top priority and clean them quickly to make room for the new cups and plates. If you're really up against the time limit, leave these dishes to soak in some soapy water and swirl some bleach around the sink and in the plughole for good measure.
3. Empty Bins
Your bins will have filled up quickly with all the hasty decluttering you have been doing and there is no point in having a tidy living room if your bins are overflowing!
Quickly bag up your kitchen waste bin, take it outside, and replace the bin liner with a new one. All the clutter that you collect during your final sweep of the space can then go into a fresh bin bag and you won't have to worry about it starting to smell whilst your guests are here.
4. Hoover
You don't need to hoover every carpet in the house - after all, your 10 minutes are nearly up! Just run the hoover around the hallway and the living room and tackle any noticeable buildup of dust or hair.
By now you should have about 3 minutes left, so hoover in long, straight lines and focus on areas that your guests will be walking on, including the floor directly in front of the sofa and the welcome mat that they will be standing on as they take off their coats.
5. Clean the Toilet
Now that the spaces you will be entertaining in are clean, it's time to tackle all the other spaces that your visitors are likely to see. Top of the list: the toilet.
Now isn't the time to put on your rubber gloves and give your toilet a 10 minute scrub, so give it a flush, put some bleach or toilet cleaner down there, and give it another flush to get a good buildup of suds. Finish up with a new toilet freshener gel and a squirt or two of air freshener and you are all set!
Our House Cleaning Tips
5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Just as that knock on the door comes, you can be quickly lighting a candle or rearranging the sofa blankets, ready to welcome your visitors to your newly-refreshed home.
Our house cleaning tips are all about speed, but our homes need much more attention than you can give them in 10 minutes. If this rapid reset has opened your eyes to the importance of regular home cleaning, or you noticed a carpet, window, or oven in particular need of our specialist attention, find the right Domestique cleaning services for you here.