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Is your house really ready to be filled with guests? Here is a short checklist to help make sure you are prepared for company:
- Prepare your guest rooms. Make sure to change the sheets in the guest rooms, have clean bath towels ready and give your bathrooms a good scrubbing. Even if no one is planning to stay over, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Clean your carpets. Give all your carpeting a thorough cleaning to make sure your house looks and feels as warm and comfortable as possible.
- A clean kitchen says a lot. Guests always want to lend a hand in the kitchen, so make sure it’s looking sharp before they arrive. Floors, countertops, appliances and the sink should all be scrubbed to a shine. A small cotton ball with a few drops of vanilla on it will eliminate any food related odors when placed in your refrigerator.
- Be ready for foot traffic with spotless hard floors. Mop those floors and be sure to use two buckets: one for the cleaning solution and one to rinse your mop. The dirt and sand from your mop will wash out and settle in the rinse bucket, keeping the cleaning solution cleaner longer. It’s important to always use a very well-wrung mop when you mop hardwood floors. This prevents excess moisture from penetrating cracks in the finish and damaging the wood beneath.
- Give your upholstery a quick clean. If your guests are planning to sit around the fire, be sure your couches look inviting. A lint remover with tape strips is a great way to remove loose hair, dirt and particles from the fabric on sofas and chairs. It puts less pressure on upholstery than a regular lint brush, pulling dirt away rather than pushing it into the fabric’s weave.
- Streak free windows and mirrors. Use ammonia or alcohol-based window cleaners to efficiently remove dirt and grease while minimizing smearing or streaking.
Before Guests Arrive: A Checklist: Created on November 8th, 2004. Last Modified on January 21st, 2014
