Is your house a mess and you’re expecting company? Follow these tips on how to clean up fast for company!

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Thanksgiving for us here in America is next week. Some of us are hosting family and friends in our home for the big day. There’s so much to do with the cleaning and the cooking! How will you ever have time to get it all done?

Creating a clean and organized space will leave your guests feeling happy and comfortable. Make your home feel warm and inviting for the holidays with these easy tips on how to clean up fast for company.

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How to clean up fast for company

Bathrooms

I prefer to start in the bathroom because it’s probably the messiest and most disgusting room in the house and I want to get that over and done with.

• Mirrors – shine the mirrors with some vinegar and newspaper or coffee filters for a streak-free shine. Or you can use an E-Cloth, which I love!
• Sink and vanity – Wipe down the sink and vanity with an all-purpose cleaner and microfiber cloth. You can see how I make my own all-purpose cleaner here.
• Medicine cabinet – Wipe off the shelves and organize medicines. Go ahead and get rid of any expired medications while you’re in there.
• Tub and shower – Spray the tub and shower with the all-purpose cleaner, then wipe clean.
• Toilet – Put some cleaner in the bowl and let it sit and do its magic while you wipe off the outside of the toilet. Then scrub the bowl and flush!
• Floor – Sweep the floor really well and mop on your way out.

Living Room

This is the room everyone will be gathering after dinner to talk about how amazing your dinner was. Or if you’re family is like mine, where the Black Friday ads will be spread out all over while the women make their lists.

• Dust surfaces – Dust end tables, coffee tables, bookshelves, the TV console all with a microfiber cloth. Give your TV a good clean, too. Even if it’s not on, any spots will show. (The E-cloth works great on TV screens, too!)
• Throw blankets – Toss any throw blankets in the washer. If you have machine-washable pillowcases, throw them in the washer, too.
• Windows – Clean the windows using the same method as the mirrors, or use the E-cloth here, too. I swear that thing is great for every room!
• Vacuum – Vacuum carpets and/or rugs, then give your curtains, couches, and chairs a quick vacuum. See how I make my own carpet freshener here.

Kitchen

This room is where all that cooking for the big day will happen so it needs to be cleaned in order to mess it all up again. Don’t you just love how that happens?

• Cabinets and countertops – Start by wiping off the cabinets and countertops. If you have wood cabinets, Murphy Oil Soap works great. Just dilute about half a cup of soap in a gallon of warm water, dip a sponge in the mixture and wipe clean. Focus on scrubbing around the knobs where the most grease build-up would be.
• Stovetop spills – Wipe the stove clean with a sponge, focusing on spills and around the burners. If the spill is stubborn and doesn’t want to come up, squeeze a sponge with soapy water in it over the spill and let it sit a few minutes.
• Microwave – Freshen up the inside of the microwave with lemons! Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into a bowl of water. Add some lemon rinds to the bowl and microwave four minutes. Wipe the inside clean. (Read more on what else you can do with lemons here.)
• Refrigerator – Wipe down the shelves inside the refrigerator and clean off any sticky residue from condiment bottles and jars. Wipe off the door shelves, as well. If you have a stainless steel refrigerator, there’s an E-cloth for stainless steel appliances, too!
• Coffee Pot – Clean your coffee pot with vinegar to make your coffee taste great again! Run a cycle of white vinegar through the coffee pot, then run it for a few cycles with just water. Keep running it with water until the vinegar smell is gone. (See more great tips on using vinegar here.)
• Floors – Sweep and mop the floors before moving on to the next room.

Dining Room

Everyone gathers in the dining room to give thanks and eat all of that delicious Thanksgiving food.

• Dust – Wipe off all surfaces including the table and chairs. Toss any table cloths or napkins in the wash.
• Vacuum – Vacuum the carpet and/or rugs. Vacuum the curtains and chairs as well.
• Set the table – Go ahead and set the table to save on time and cut down on stress.

Take a Break!

Now that all the cleaning is done and your home is nice and clean and ready for the guests to arrive, take a break. Grab a book and a mug of hot chocolate and just relax for a while. You deserve it after all that cleaning!

How to clean up fast the day of

Now that you don’t have all that extra cleaning to do, you can just give everything a quick wipe down. Vacuum carpets in the morning and wipe down bathroom sinks and mirrors.

Have your home smelling inviting and clean by putting on a simmer pot on the stove. Add some apple and orange peels with cinnamon sticks to a pot of water and set it to simmer on the stove. For more natural ways to make your home smell amazing, click here.

Will you be entertaining family and friends this year or will you be visiting? Are there any tips you would like to add to my list of how to clean up fast for company?

This is the E-Cloth that I have and love! If you would like to learn more about them and how they work, click here.

If you’re looking for more in-depth tips on how to have a clutter-free home quickly, check out the article below. It leads you to posts on having a clutter-free home room by room.