The Quick Clean Plan, Help in a Hurry

Sharing is caring!

woman with boxes quick cleanThe Quick Clean Plan

You are having a perfect morning. Relaxing and still in pj’s sipping coffee,  and catching up on some reading. Life just doesn’t get any better, and then the phone rings. It’s your Mother in law, so you have to answer. She greets you with the joyous news that she will be near your house in about an hour, and would love to drop by for a little visit.  You choke out an ok, hang up the phone, and look around you. Your house looks…well, lived in. Panic sets in.  Now I don’t want you to think this has ever happened to me, because my house looks great all the time, right? Um maybe not.  OK, now take a deep breath, because I have a plan for you. The Quick Clean Plan.

The first step is to figure out where you will be serving her something to drink. Kitchen? Family Room? Great Room? These are the main targets for cleaning. Then think about if she asks to use the bathroom where you will direct her, and what she will see on the way. Now that we know what we have to do let’s dive in. First order of business, put on some crankin’ music that will keep you moving.

Kill the smell

Get a wax burner started so the rooms will smell good. I have a parrot so I can’t use a wax burner (Love my bird but sometimes she is an issue), the alternative is a simmering potpourri on the stove. If you have a ca,t clean the litter box. We have to tackle smells first because they take the longest to go away.

Quick Clean Plan for the Family Room

Start by grabbing a box, laundry basket, crate, whatever is handy, and start putting things in it that should not be out. Dirty cups, TV remotes, dirty socks, kids shoes. Whatever is in the room that shouldn’t be there. This is not the time to start wandering around and actually putting things away. You don’t have time right now. When you have finished picking up stash the box in your garage, in a room on another floor, coat closet, anyplace she will not be. Now grab a cloth and do a fast dusting of table tops, the TV, anything that really needs it. Again, leave the ceiling fan blades for later, you don’t have time. Get your  broom out knock down any cobwebs.. Now pull out your vacuum cleaner and do the carpet. If you have wood or tile sweep, and do a fast damp mop. I like to keep a spray bottle with a vinegar and water mix around for these emergencies. Spritz the floor, mop and be done. No bucket. 

Quick Clean Plan for the Kitchen

Next up the Kitchen. The Dishwasher is still full?  Take all the dirty dishes off the counter and out of the sink, hide them in the oven. Yup I just said that, in the oven.  Don’t worry, they will not show through the glass because you will be hanging some clean pretty little kitchen towels on the handle that will cover the glass.  Of course if you are lucky enough to have an empty dishwasher you can hide them in there. Just don’t take the time right now to rinse and get them ready to be put in, just get them in there.

Now grab another box, crate or basket, get everything off the counter that does not belong there .Now wipe down the counters, stove, refrigerator ( she’s short so you can skip the top), and dishwasher. I like to use something that smells good here. Vinegar works great but lets face it, it leaves the kitchen smelling like a salad A little on the floor is one thing, but a whole kitchen’s worth, no.. and you don’t have time now for that now. Knock down cobwebs in here too. Where the heck do these things come from? Sometimes you would think I was raising cobs. Same routine on the kitchen floor, sweep and damp mop. Stash the box out of sight.

Quick Clean Plan for the Bathroom

Now the bathroom. Tackle the vanity first. Hope you brought another box or basket with you, because yup, everything on the vanity top is going in there. Now you have a clean surface to wipe down. Do a quick wipe on the faucet too. Now a spritz on the mirror. Grab that toilet brush and give it a swirl with some cleaner. Wipe down the tank, and whatever that part at the bottom is called, you know the bendy part that is always dusty. If you don’t have a laundry hamper in the bathroom, and there are clothes on the floor, they can go into a box as well. So guess where the box goes? Right into the shower this time, then pull shut the curtain. If you have a linen closet it could go there also. Cobwebs? Tell me I’m not the only one with these things. Put out some fresh towels.  Now you should be able to do a quick shake of the rugs, sweep and do a spritz mop in there as well.

Quick Clean Plan for the Hallway

Finally all that should be left is a hall  from the family room to the bathroom. If there is junk in the hall, you should carefully put it away.  Just kidding,  put it in a box and stash it, check for more cobwebs Close the doors to any rooms along the hallway. Sweep, mop, or vacuum.

Throw on some clean clothes, brush your hair, wipe out your armpits, if you have time a really fast makeup routine. You  don’t want to look or smell as frazzled as that emergency clean made you right? Finally put on a pot of coffee and enjoy your visit. After your guest is gone you can tackle actually putting away all the stuff in the boxes. No worries, you don’t have to do this all yourself.

  Take a deep breath peep, because part 2 is up next. What to really do to finish cleaning, and what to do with those boxes.  Here is part 2.  See ya’ll there.

 

 

 

 

Similar Posts