It’s true. There are times when I don’t manage my time well. It’s embarrassing to admit but because of it, I’ve figured out a few shortcuts. Case in point:
A few weeks ago, I made plans to have a friend and her daughter over for a warm beverage and playtime (for the children, of course). Our visit was to commence mid-morning. I should have prepped the house the night before but, as I said above, I did not manage my time well. Because of that, I made grand plans of getting up early to get things ready. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen either. After our morning routine – breakfast, getting dressed with some crazy running and screaming thrown in and taking Bug to school, I had a whole 15 minutes to get my house ready for our guests. I momentarily thought it was impossible but I hustled and got it ready in time. (Happy face!) (Hallelujah!)
This 15 minute clean up has a couple qualifiers. It only works if:
-you do clean and pick up your house on a semi-regular basis. If ‘pigsty’ is your lifestyle, this method is not for you.
-you can move somewhat quickly. 15 minutes isn’t a whole lotta time.
-you are okay with imperfection/smoke and mirrors.
On to the steps.
How to Clean Your Home in 15 Minutes
5 minutes – Quickly, go around your home to pick up misplaced items and reset it.
Focus on the rooms where your time will be spent. Most of the time bedrooms can be left alone. Resist the temptation to toss everything in a room and shut the door. It makes more work for later. If you hustle, five minutes is plenty of time to place items where they rightfully go and set things back where they should be.
If, however, the amount of things out of place is excessive (e.g. a toy room, kitchen counter), try to organize the chaos. Stack the junk, organize it, make it look a little more presentable. Orderliness looks better.
3 minutes – Wipe/dust all surfaces.
Again, focus on rooms you and your guests will be in. Kitchen and bathroom counters, kitchen/dining table (if visible), coffee and end tables, TV stand etc. Shelving units are a toss up. Unless the dust bunnies are a spectacle or your gathering is, in fact, to discuss a collection stored on said shelving unit, leave it be and try not to reference anything on it.
3 minutes – Address the floor.
Whether it’s sweeping, Swiffering, or a quick dance with the vacuum, clean up the floor. Try to forget about under-furniture dust for now. Also, if carpet or rugs aren’t looking too shabby, forget the vacuum and just address noticeable dirt and fuzz. This works too for hard surfaces. Spot cleaning is good in a pinch.
2 minutes – Spend a few more moments cleaning up the bathroom.
It’s an objectionable, yet frequently used room. Check the mirror, the edge of the tub, the toilet, the floor and the towel situation. Even if you are unable to give it the deep clean it needs, a not-so-deep clean will make it passable.
1 minute – Recheck the area and address previously passed on areas.
Give more time to places you
1 minute – Check yourself in the mirror.
Make sure the cleaning frenzy hasn’t made you a sweaty beast.
Then open the door for your guests and enjoy yourself.
Easy as that.
For a short, more stylish visual aid:
Happy Friday!
