Maybe you’re a “neat freak” and always keep your house spanking clean. But, that’s not most of us. So when we have guests coming for a visit many of us feel suddenly overwhelmed and stressed. We want our guests to be comfortable and leave with a favorable impression of our home, but we worry that we’ll overlook some key details. Will we be prepared to accommodate our guests’ habits and preferences? Will we remember to clean all areas that our guests will notice? We certainly don’t want guests to think we’re gross.
That’s a common worry for hosts as we don’t want to acquire a reputation for a filthy bathroom or unpleasant odors in our home that we’ve become accustomed to. So before your next guests come for a visit, review these six items to help ensure your visitors won’t be grossed out.
Cleaning Checklist
1. Food spatters and grease spots
Check your kitchen appliances and counters for grease spots and old food spatters. They may have been there so long you no longer even notice them, but your guest will and think your kitchen area is nasty. Nothing can make someone lose their appetite faster than signs of grease, dirt and past meals where you’re preparing food or drinks to serve them. Be sure to degrease your stove, oven door and range hood and thoroughly wipe down your counters, backsplash and small appliances.
2. Dirty refrigerators
Fingerprints on your refrigerator door will make guests leery of opening your refrigerator to help themselves to drinks or snacks. Whatever was on your hands that was left on the exterior will give the impression that it may be a health risk to open the door. Even worse, if guests look inside and see congealed milk spots, ketchup marks or other suspicious drips, they will feel grossed out. In addition, if the produce bin hasn’t been emptied in a while, the sight of moldy fruit and vegetables will definitely gross everyone out. So take the time to make sure your refrigerator is clean both inside and out to prevent your guests from getting squeamish when making themselves at home.
3. Light switches and door knobs
Most of us take our light switch plates for granted, using them frequently without giving them a second look. But your guests will notice them for the first time when they need to turn on or off the lights and will see whatever dirt that’s probably been there for quite some time. You’ll also notice dirty grime on and around your door knobs, which also go unclean for long periods. Although this is pretty common and doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unsanitary, it gives the impression of uncleanliness.
4. Dingy surfaces and dust
Dust is insidious and quietly builds up on baseboards, in room corners and ceiling fans. While you dust your furniture, it’s easy to overlook these other places, especially if ceiling fans are normally in use. However, guests will notice the dust in these areas since they are looking at your place with fresh eyes. Remember to look carefully at your walls, molding and fans throughout your house and whisk all the dust balls and webs away.
5. Pet fur and odor
If you live with pets you most likely are used to their odor and have become “nose blind” to pet generated smells. Before guests enter your home be sure to vacuum your floors and furniture to remove pet hair and odor. Better yet, wash all bedding and removable slip covers. It’s a good idea to maintain a cleaning routine on a daily basis to keep litter boxes clean and to deodorize rooms so there aren’t any surprises when guests pop in.
6. Dirty bathrooms
Next to your kitchen, your bathroom has the most potential to gross out a guest. First, don’t leave your bathrobe or other personal clothing hanging in the bathroom and pick up any dirty laundry. And no guest wants to see a dirty or stained toilet and sink so make sure they’re fresh and clean. Also, wipe away any splatter marks on the bathroom mirror and toothpaste drips on the vanity. Let your guests know you’ve considered their hygiene needs by supplying plenty of clean towels, toilet paper and soaps.
Finally, if your busy schedule doesn’t allow time for you to follow this cleaning checklist, hire a professional cleaning service to do the dirty work. Contact us about our cleaning services to make your home spotlessly clean and ready to welcome your company!
Maid Spotless Cleaning Services offers a full suite of professional house cleaning services in Albany and the Greater Capital Region.
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