I am not a fan of cleaning. I would literally rather be doing anything else besides cleaning.
With that being said, and as much as I don’t like to clean, I always seem to get compliments on my house and how clean it is (read: looks) when people come over.
The best thing about moving to Texas is finally being closer to family and making new friends with all our neighbors. I love hosting and having people come over to our home especially now that we have a much bigger space. There are those times though when people just pop in unexpectedly, we casually invite them over after a day together, or when the hubby conveniently forgets to tell me that he invited people over.
Then you’re left scrambling or feeling panicked because the house is a mess. It is definitely embarrassing when someone comes over and the kitchen island and sink are full of dishes, the kids toys are all over the floor, and there are dog and cat hair piles in all the corners.
Thankfully, I rarely, if ever spend a large amount of time cleaning or getting the house ready for people to come over and I usually don’t feel too stressed when the hubby says people are showing up in 10 minutes.
Instead, I clean a little everyday so that the house stays pretty clean. I’ve developed a little daily routine of things I do every day to keep my house clean and clutter free (for the most part – I mean, I do have 4 kids). Of course, there are days where I feel the need to do a deeper clean of some areas, but for the most part the house is pretty kept up.
So here I thought I would share some more of my little cleaning tips so you can always be ready for that unexpected company.
Use a Robot Vacuum
I’m just gunna say it: robot vacuums are expensive but they are so worth it. Like 1000% worth it. I think my robot vacuum has paid for itself 10x over in just the short 7 months that I have had it. We moved into a much bigger house than we had before and I knew that if I wanted to keep my floors clean and my sanity intact I would have to get a robot.
Robot vacuums can seriously be a game changer in your cleaning routine. It has in mine. I have Ned and Ted – my upstairs and my downstairs vacuums – clean a different area of the house every day.
Ned – downstairs – cleans my kitchen and living room daily because those are my most high trafficked areas. Then he cleans our master bedroom, formal dining room, foyer, and guest room at different times on different days. Oh, he also vacuums my bathroom 3 times a week – I have long hair that gets all over the bathroom when I brush, blow dry, style, etc. No more hair sticking to my feet when walking in the bathroom – ladies I know you feel me.
Ted – upstairs where all the kiddos bedrooms are – cleans a different kids room every day. The kids all know what day he is cleaning their room so we pick up the night before at bedtime so there aren’t any toys on the floor for him in the morning.
Ned keeps my floors clean and mostly spotless while I’m sleeping or while I’m working or cleaning another area of the house. Both vacuums keep my floors swept and dog/cat hair free without me having to do anything. I just empty their dirt bins daily and they are good to go.
or Cordless Vacuum
If you cannot afford, don’t want, or whatever reason it might be to have a robot vacuum then a cordless vacuum would be the next best thing. Just grab it and sweep the areas that you know people will see real quick without having to plug it in or maneuver the cord over couches, etc.
Cordless vacuums are quick and efficient for getting small messes cleaned in a short amount of time.
Make a Schedule
This has been the real game changer in my routine. I created a schedule a while back when we lived at the old house and then just adapted it when we moved here. You can find it here but basically I just clean, wipe down, mop, whatever a different area of the house every day.
I always make my bed, do a load of laundry, pickup and put away random things throughout the day, and do a load of dishes but on different days of the week I focus on different areas of the house.
For example, Monday is the foyer/formal dining area. I’ll dust, wipe down tables, mop the floor, etc. in that room. It takes all of about 15-30 minutes depending on the room.
Doing that every day ensures that the house stays clean and clutter free.
Prevent Messes From Getting Bad
To keep myself from doing as little deep cleaning as possible, I try and keep things from getting terrible to begin with.
I keep a bottle of daily shower spray in my shower and spray it down every time I use it. That way I don’t have to go back and scrub the soap scum and mildew once it starts showing up.
I’ll also wipe down the stove-top, counter, or sinks once I’m done using it to prevent greasy messes, burnt on grime, and eventually deeper scrubbing later.
Make Sure Sight Lines Are Clean
If all else fails, go ahead and throw everything into a closet or drawer to deal with later.
Kidding.
Kind of.
Think about it… the guests coming over won’t notice if the entire house is clean and tidy. They just see the rooms where they visit – which are most likely the kitchen and the living room. Throw all those dishes into the dishwasher – you can rearrange and start it later – then wipe the counter and sink. Put all the kids toys, blankets, extra pillows, etc. in a basket and put it in another room or just get things out of sight.
Just clean the rooms and bathrooms that your guests will see and leave the rest for later.
Honestly, my kids toy room is the one room that is a disaster area all the time. We pick it up weekly for the robot to clean but that’s about it. Other than that, it’s upstairs, and my guests probably won’t be going up there so I don’t even bother.
Set a Timer
This can be applied to your daily cleaning as well as getting ready for company. If you know that you only have 10 minutes before your friends come over, set the timer and tidy all the rooms that you know your friends will see and leave the rest.
If it’s your daily chores, set your timer for 30 minutes and do as much as you can in one area of your house for 30 minutes. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done in 30 minutes.
Bonus: you’ll probably work faster knowing you’re being timed and that you only have a certain amount. Which means you’ll likely get more done.
There you have it… my best cleaning tips to always be ready for company. What are some of the things you do to be ready for company?
