Inside: Tips to help you create an emergency tidy routine for those times you need it looking great quickly.
I hate mess but I am also really lazy so hate having to spend much time tidying. I have spent years having to rush to tidy up when someone has suddenly announced they are on their way. I think we all know that panic, right?
To be able to tidy your house in just 15 minutes for any last minute guests, you need to have a simple hitlist of jobs that need to be done. You also need an empty basket or box that is reserved for this very occasion. With these in place, you will be able to streamline the process and save so much time.
But why an empty box? Ok, so as you can probably imagine this guide is a little bit of a cheat’s way of tidying but actually, being able to do this has helped me to keep my home tidy all of the time – let me explain how…
When do you need an emergency speed clean?
We’ve all been there haven’t we? You get a message to ask if you’re home or you suddenly realise that you’d arranged for someone to come over.
Or, more often in my case is the fact that I am always so busy that I only ever seem to make the time at the last minute and so have to rush around like a madwoman to make the house look presentable.
Or you know when else? Every single day when the house suddenly looks like a bomb has gone off and you just want to regain some control over the situation.
Any of these times you can turn to this process and the house will instantly look and feel better.
What is an emergency speed clean?
As the name suggests, it is (mostly) for an emergency when you know guests are imminent, also known as fast ways to tidy up. It is also a speed clean – doing as much as you possibly can, as fast as you can, within 15 minutes.
What it is not is a thorough clean or tidy of the house. This is very much a quick scoot around to ‘make do’ until you can do a proper job later on.
You have a list of jobs to do, that correlate with where guests are likely to be able to see. So you needn’t worry about spare rooms or bedrooms upstairs. Focus on the main areas of the house that they will visit.
Note: Something to bear in mind is that guests don’t care about the state of your house. They have come to see you. However, if you are anything like me you’ll want to tidy up regardless.
Speed clean hitlist
Ok, so you have 15 minutes to get as much done as possible. But where do you start? You don’t want to waste time flapping about so I have created a handy printable with the key areas to tackle.
DOWNLOAD THE HITLIST PRINTABLE HERE.
And here is the full breakdown of the list for you:
Open the windows and doors. You want to get the house feeling as fresh as possible – nothing says tidy more than fresh air. If it is warm outside then you can leave them open but if it is the colder time of year then leave them open for 10 minutes and then close them again.
Pour bleach into the toilet. You want to pour it in and then leave it until the end of the timer so it has time to work its magic.
Shut upstairs doors. There is no reason for them to be able to see inside these rooms and so it is best that the doors are shut. I always find this deters any younger visitors from snooping about in rooms they shouldn’t.
Tidy up the toys and other miscellaneous rubbish. This is where our empty basket comes in handy – more on that in the next section. I actually get the kids to do this while I do everything else. Their mess, their problem.
To make it easier for children, put all of their things into one big pile. As you find things, add them to the pile so they know exactly what needs to be tidied.
Place dishes into the sink. Our dishwasher always seems to be full in these situations so I am forever left with excess dishes on the side. Even if you don’t have a dishwasher, this trick is the best.
Fill up the sink with hot soapy bubbles and shove the dishes in. That is a much more pleasant state than a stack of dirty dishes left unattended. Works like a charm!
Wipe down the kitchen surfaces. Grab a wet cloth and wipe everything down. No more crumbs or smudges to make the room look dirty. Of course, it helps if you have a well-laid backsplash using tiles from the porcelain superstore, or surfaces that can be wiped with a firm hand.
Plump your sofa cushions. I do this about 10 times a day I swear but sofa cushions have the ability to turn a messy room into a tidy room in seconds.
Flush the toilet and give it a once over with the brush. Voila! The time is almost up but the bleach has done its job.
Vacuum the downstairs. This is just a quick once over to pick up any crumbs and make the carpet look plumped up once again.
The empty basket trick
I learned this trick years ago and honestly, it has saved my bacon many many a time. It is up to you how you go about this exactly but the principle is the same – have an empty basket or box that is only ever used during emergency speed tidies.
When you start your timer, the box is there to chuck all of the random stuff into. It is as simple as that.
Toys lying all over the floor? Chuck them in the box. Dog toys? Yep, chuck them in. Random junk on the surfaces? Throw that in too.
Remember, this isn’t about doing a proper tidy. This is about clearing the floor and surfaces to give the illusion that you have your house under control.
Once your guests have gone, you can get the box out and get everyone involved in putting everything back in its proper home.
Extras if you have any spare time
Light candles. Not only do they smell nice but they make a space feel more homely and welcoming.
Light a match. This is something my mum taught me. Light a match and blow it straight out again, wafting it around – the smoke absorbs any bad smells in the room.
Use carpet freshener. If you are quick, pop down some carpet freshener before you vacuum the main areas.
Pop the kettle on. And…… relax.
Watch my Emergency Speed Clean
I filmed this a few years ago now but it is still as valid today and I use the same process all the time.
I hope that is useful – remember it doesn’t have to be perfect as they are there to see you and not your home. And if they do judge your home, well they aren’t the type of friends you need in your life!
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