How to Speed-Clean Your House in 30 Minutes When Guests Are on the Way

You’re relaxing at home when you get the call. Friends are in the area and they thought they might pop in shortly for a drink. The holidays are coming up, so cleaning has been off the agenda — until now. Pop a bottle of wine on ice and get ready to clean your house in 30 minutes flat! Here’s how to do it.

First, vacuum or sweep the bathroom floor, then spray bathrooms with a multipurpose cleaner, and apply toilet cleaner liberally. Leave these products to work their magic — you’ll return to them later.

You want to make a good first impression, so sweep your front porch and tidy your entryway. Remove extra shoes from around the front door and stash them in the closet. Put away bags, coats, and hats so that they’re not crowding the front door. Wipe down the hall table.

Working quickly, grab a large laundry basket and clear away all clutter from the floor and surfaces as you move through the house. Ideally, you’d return items to their rightful places as you go, but right now you don’t have time. Leave the clutter in the basket for now — simply stash it out of sight in a closet or in the laundry room until you can get to it.

Dampen a cloth and wipe down all surfaces in the bedrooms and living areas — this should be a quick job, since they should now be clutter-free. Dust from the top down, and pay particular attention to anything at eye level.

Moving to the kitchen now, put away any clean dishes, stack the dishwasher, and put a load in. Fill the sink with hot soapy water and place any extra dishes in the sink to soak. Wipe crumbs from kitchen countertops and clear the dining table of any papers or other clutter. Empty the trash cans and replace liners.

Vacuum the floors, starting from the front of the house and working toward the back. Focus on high-traffic areas (skip the bedrooms, if you can get away with it), and don’t forget to vacuum dusty skirting boards in living areas. Fill a bucket halfway with hot soapy water and a few drops of eucalyptus or lavender oil and quickly mop the floors. You can shuffle a towel over the wet floors to dry them fast, too.

Return to the bathroom and wipe down the basin and mirrors. A handheld shower head (followed by a squeegee) is a quick way to remove cleaning products from the tiles, tub, and shower screen. Scrub toilets, then mop and dry the bathroom floor.

Back in the kitchen, wash, and rinse remaining dishes. They’ve already had a soak, so this should be quick. Dry and put them away.

Still time? Put some flowers or foliage in a vase and arrange it at the front door. Play some relaxing music and light a scented candle to help your guests feel welcome. Cue the doorbell!