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If you have guests arriving in 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour, you can get your home clean enough fast. These 3 focused speed cleaning checklists will help you get the common areas of your home polished and ready for company in the time you have.
“Ok, see you in a few!”
I dreaded hitting ‘send.’ Would she sense my fake enthusiasm via text?
Shaking my head, I told myself I blew it. I’d completely forgotten my friend was coming over.
I’d also forgotten to clean my house, and as a result, it was NOT guest-ready.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we were all Martha Stewart? Executing “Good Things” with flawless aplomb, waltzing through housework, and sitting in quiet repose with a cup of tea and a Vaseline smile, waiting for “unexpected” company?
Yeah, right. Some days, my guests are lucky if I don’t have a week’s worth of mail piled up in my kitchen.
But still, we don’t want company walking into a messy, dirty house. Because that’s not cool. Having a clean, tidy-appearing home shows respect to both you and your guests.
And you CAN get your house looking presentable fast. Even if those guests will be at your doorstep in 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour.
These 3 speed cleaning checklists will help you get the common areas of your house clean enough for company in the time you have.
By the way – speed cleaning is easier and faster when you follow a regular daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedule. Luckily, I’ve mapped out a system to help you keep your house clean in just 30 minutes each day!
The Purpose of These Speed Cleaning Checklists
These 3 speed cleaning checklists are designed to quickly prepare the common areas of your house for visitors.
They don’t include a full-house cleaning. Rather, they’re designed to get the common areas of your home presentable – in other words, the areas guests will see. They are focused on eliminating dust, clutter, and grime in your kitchen, living area, and the main bathroom in your home.
By the way, I compiled the checklists below into a handy (And free!) printable. Grab your copy of my 3 Speed Cleaning Checklists for Last-Minute Guests, then read on!
Gather Your Supplies
When it comes to speed cleaning supplies, the fewer supplies you need to use, the better. Here are the basics:
- Stash box (Any good-sized cardboard or plastic box/bin)
- Rag or duster for dusting (I prefer the Swiffer 360 duster)
- Damp rag or disinfectant wipe for wiping down surfaces (Clorox Wipes are my favorite)
For quick decluttering, I recommend grabbing a “stash box” and using it to temporarily store clutter when you’re expecting last-minute guests. Be sure to put the clutter away once your guests are gone. Otherwise, you’ll have a box of stuff sitting there for days or weeks. You can also put together a cleaning caddy to hold your speed cleaning supplies.
Don’t let stash boxes become a habit, because they should only be used in these last minute speed cleaning situations. Instead, declutter your home regularly to make speed cleaning easier when needed.
Similarly, I suggest stashing dirty dishes in the oven if you don’t have time to load the dishwasher. But remove them as soon as your guests are gone. You don’t want to pre-heat your fine china the next time your turn the oven on!
3 Focused Speed Cleaning Checklists for Last-Minute Guests
I call these speed cleaning checklists “focused” because they are centered around getting the common areas of your house in decent shape before company arrives. Because there’s no need to waste time cleaning areas of your home that guests aren’t going to see.
I also wanted to help you decide what to tackle and what to skip, depending on how much time you have. As a result, I created 3 speed cleaning checklists:
- 15 Minutes: A quick decluttering, surface cleaning, bathroom touch-up
- 30 Minutes: Everything in the 15 minute cleaning routine, plus a more thorough dusting and touch-ups to floors
- 1 hour: Everything in the 15 and 30 minute cleaning routines, plus mopping floors, touching up upholstery, and making bathroom shine
Regardless of which list you choose, be sure to read through all steps before you start. This is because in some cases, you’ll perform 2 tasks at once for maximum efficiency. For example, decluttering and dusting at the same time. Remember to grab your free copy of all 3 checklists!
Finally, I listed supplies needed for each of the 3 speed cleaning checklists. You should also check out my list of favorite speed cleaning tools and products. They’re all on Amazon, which makes it super easy to get them delivered like, now.
Speed Cleaning Checklist 1: 15 Minutes
Your guests are en route and you only have 15 minutes to prepare. Let’s make this quick! Get rid of the clutter, shine up the kitchen, and disinfect the bathroom.
Supplies:
- Stash box (Any good-sized cardboard or plastic box/bin)
- Rag or duster for dusting (I prefer the Swiffer 360 duster)
- Damp rag or disinfectant wipe for wiping down surfaces (Clorox Wipes are my favorite)
- Glass cleaner (Such as Windex or Windex Wipes), if you have glass tabletops
- Toilet brush (I like Clorox Toilet Wands)
- Vacuum and/or broom
Checklist:
- Declutter
- Make 1 trip through the kitchen, living room, and bathroom to declutter using stash box. Place the stash box in a private area, such as a bedroom or closet.
- Dust
- Wipe down flat surfaces as you declutter (Coffee table, side tables, etc).
- Kitchen
- If possible, load dirty dishes into dishwasher. If you have a large number of dirty dishes, hide them in the oven. Remember to take them out and put them in the dishwasher once guests leave!
- Wipe down kitchen counters, sink, and stove.
- Main Bathroom
- Wipe down bathroom counter using Clorox Wipe or damp rag.
- Wipe down outside of toilet with a Clorox Wipe or damp rag/paper towel. If needed, clean inside of toilet with a brush (I prefer a Clorox Toilet Wand).
- Refill toilet paper, if needed.
- Floors
- Quickly vacuum or sweep in kitchen, living area, and bathroom.
Speed Cleaning Checklist 2: 30 Minutes
Because you have a bit more time, let’s do some real dusting and show the floors more love.
Supplies:
- Stash box (Any good-sized cardboard or plastic box/bin)
- Rag or duster for dusting (I prefer the Swiffer 360 duster)
- Damp rag or disinfectant wipe for wiping down surfaces (Clorox Wipes are my favorite)
- Glass cleaner (Such as Windex or Windex Wipes), if you have glass tabletops
- Toilet brush (I like Clorox Toilet Wands)
- Vacuum and/or broom
- Carpet cleaner/stain remover
Checklist:
- Declutter
- Make 1 trip through the kitchen, living room, and bathroom to declutter using stash box. Put all the clutter away if possible, or stash in a private area.
- Dust
- Wipe down tabletops and dust as you declutter.
- Kitchen
- If possible, load dirty dishes into dishwasher. If you have a large number of dirty dishes, hide them in the oven. Remember to take them out and put them in the dishwasher once guests leave!
- Wipe down kitchen counters, sink, and stove.
- Main Bathroom
- Wipe down bathroom counter using Clorox Wipe or damp rag.
- Wipe down outside of toilet with a Clorox Wipe or damp rag/paper towel. If needed, clean inside of toilet with a brush (I prefer a Clorox Toilet Wand).
- Refill toilet paper, if needed.
- Floors
- Quickly vacuum or sweep in kitchen, living area, and bathroom.
- Spot-clean floors in living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Use a Clorox wipe or damp rag to clean up spots on hard floors. Spray carpet cleaner on carpet stains and let it soak while you dust and declutter.
Speed Cleaning Checklist 3: 1 Hour
You have a whole hour to get your house company-ready. Let’s put that clutter away, get the floors and furniture looking great, and polish up the bathroom to impress.
Supplies:
- Stash box (Any good-sized cardboard or plastic box/bin)
- Rag or duster for dusting (I prefer the Swiffer 360 duster)
- Damp rag or disinfectant wipe for wiping down surfaces (Clorox Wipes are my favorite)
- Lint roller
- Glass cleaner (Such as Windex or Windex Wipes)
- Toilet brush (I like Clorox Toilet Wands)
- Vacuum and/or broom
- Carpet cleaner/stain remover
- Mop or other hard floor cleaning tool
Checklist:
- Declutter
- Make 1 trip through the kitchen, living room, and bathroom to declutter using stash box. Put all the clutter away or stash in a private area.
- Dust
- Wipe down tabletops and dust as you declutter.
- Use a lint roller or vacuum to clean upholstery in living room.
- Kitchen
- Load dirty dishes into dishwasher.
- Wipe down kitchen counters, sink, and stove.
- Use stone cleaner and polish on natural stone countertops.
- Main Bathroom
- Wipe down bathroom counter using Clorox Wipe or damp rag.
- Use glass cleaner (Such as Windex or a Windex Wipe) on chrome fixtures and manmade countertops for extra shine. Use stone cleaner and polish on natural stone countertops.
- Wipe down outside of toilet with a Clorox Wipe or damp rag/paper towel. If needed, clean inside of toilet with a brush (I prefer a Clorox Toilet Wand).
- Refill toilet paper, if needed.
- Floors
- Quickly vacuum carpet and rugs.
- Spot-clean floors in living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Use a Clorox wipe or damp rag to clean up spots on hard floors. Spray carpet cleaner on carpet stains and let it soak while you dust and declutter.
- If you have time, mop hard surface floors.
Speed Cleaning Checklists: Conclusion
Last-minute guests don’t have to throw you for a loop. With some basic supplies and a checklist in hand, you can easily get the common areas of your home company-ready in the time you have.
Focus first on clearing the kitchen and living area of clutter, wiping down counters in the kitchen and bathroom, and getting floors in decent shape. Once you have those tasks completed, you can branch out into fine-tuning tasks to polish your home and impress your guests.