With the Holidays fast approaching, friends and family often stop by on short notice wanting to visit. I love having company come over, but it can be stressful when you look around and realize your home is messy. During the week my home stays relativity mess free, since we’re all out the door early and at night before do a quick pick up of the living room putting toys away and clean the kitchen before bedtime. On weekends, it’s another story. We’re all home, and we totally live in our home.
On weekends our living room is the campout spot for catching up on weekday TV shows while drinking coffee, playing with dinosaurs, reading books. At night our living room transforms into our movie spot.
Maids.com asked me to share how I quickly pick up my home. After reading the
Quick Clean House Cleaning Checklist, I put together 6 Ideas for a Holiday Clean Home Fast, including a Bonus Idea to make your home feel effortlessly pulled together on short notice.
Focusing on the area of your home your guests see when they’re visiting your home: the living room and bathroom. Hopefully my ideas will help take your home from lived in messy to clean in about 45 minutes.
Here’s what my living room looks like on a typical fall afternoon: toys are out, books are strewn here, and my pillows are in disarray.
6 Ideas for a Holiday Clean Home Fast
Idea # 1
Clean all surfaces. Start in your bathroom and wipe down your bathroom counters and sink, next disinfect your toilet. Do a quick check and make sure your toilet paper is well stocked and you have clean hand towels. Next focus your attention on your living room and wipe down your side tables and coffee table, then dust your lamp bases.
Idea 2 # 2
Pick up your living room and toss trash. In my home, I have baskets tucked in my bookcases to help corral Avery’s books and toys. I love how baskets keep the clutter discreet and out of sight.
Idea # 3
Vacuum & Swiffer. Vacuum your area rugs or carpet and Swiffer hardwood floors.
Idea # 4
Fluff your pillows and flip your sofa cushions. I love having a ton of pillows on my sofa, but they can quickly go from looking pretty to being messy, spend a few minutes rearranging and fluffing your pillows to give your living room a pulled together look. I’m a huge cushion flipper and flip my cushions a few times a week to help my sofa cushions from sagging.
Idea # 5
Pretty Up your coffee table and end tables. Spend a few minutes organizing your coffee table; place your favorite books and magazines on your coffee table for easy access for your guests. Pretty styled coffee tables can make your entire living room look pretty and organized. Add a few pretty objects for added visual interest. Think: small boxes, small bowls (you can fill with candy or nuts)
Idea # 6
Set the mood and light Holiday inspired candles. Light those good smelling candles even in the daytime when guests come over, I have candles on my both my coffee table and on my bookcases. I love lighting them and having my home smell like the holidays when we open the door to guests. Candles create ambiance.
Bonus Idea
My absolute favorite must for my home is fresh flowers, if you have time before your guests arrive pop into your local market and pick up some fresh flowers. I purchased these pale lilac mums for less than six bucks! If you’re really short time snip some branches from your yard and place them in vases around your living room. Fresh greenery either with flowers or branches and so much life into a room and help inject personality.
Here’s my home after a quick clean-up. It’s now ready for those unexpected guests!
I hope six ideas for cleaning your home fast for the Holidays help you out next time friends and family decided to visit on short notice. May your Holidays be stress free!
Sponsored Post: I partnered with Maids.com to share my thoughts on creating a Holiday Clean Home
