Work smarter, not harder, to get your house ready for guests.
It’s easy to get a little overly ambitious and carried away.
Here’s where you should focus your energy.
Photo:Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images
However, these areas should be top of your list when you’re prepping to host.
“This will make for a nice, warm entrance.”
She says to ask yourself, Where will they enter and what will they have with them?
Living Room
Guests will likely spend the most time in the living room.
“A cozy, clean living room makes people feel comfortable immediately.”
“If you have dusty shelves, theyll see them.
A pile of mail?
Hard to ignore,” says Rhonda Wilson, the quality lead cleaner atFreshSpace Cleaning.
This is doubly important if you have an open concept kitchen that flows into the entertaining area."
So, ensure the trash is not only emptied out before guests arrive, but alsocleanand smelling fresh.
Guest Bedroom
This one’s a pretty obvious one, but still worth stating.
Seltzer suggests giving the room somewhat of a trial run ahead of your guests' visit.
“Use the guest room before guests arrive,” she suggests.
“That way, you’ll find out what’s needed, what needs to be replaced, etc.
check that to also add some extra blankets and linens, in case your guests get cold at night.
“And though plungers are generally not very pretty, do confirm you have one,” Wilkie says.
In general, you might skip cleaning any areas that won’t be used or seen by your guests.
“Focus on what’s out in the open,” she says.
Wilson also adds thatcleaning baseboardscan be taken off your pre-hosting to-do list.
“These dont get dirty enough to require constant attention.
