This just in: Your entire family, including six of your cousins, are coming to celebrate Diwali with you, and you only have a week to clean your house and get it guest ready. Good news – they're about to shower you with compliments and be super-impressed with how neat and clean your home is.
This seven-day cleaning plan will help you achieve your chores in an organised manner.
Day 1:
Do a recce of your own home
• Walk around the house and make notes of any imperfections such as dead leaves on house plants.
• Keep an eye out for closed corners with cobwebs.
• Take stock of the kitchen cabinets especially the refrigerator and freezer.
• Assign different tasks to different members.
Day 2:
Focus on guest facing windows & linens
• Wash and wipe-down windows.
• Wash the curtains and blinds.
• Launder pillow covers, table cloth, etc.
• Wash or spot-clean floor mats and area rugs.
Day 3:
Deep-clean bathrooms
• Scrub down everything – right from the toilet, floor tiles, and the fittings to the sink.
• Wipe down bathroom mirrors and counters. Wipe down floors with a damp towel.
• Deep clean bathroom mats.
Day 4:
Tidy up the bedrooms
• Wash and wipe-down windows.
• Wash the curtains and blinds.
• Remove any clutter lying around in the bedroom.
• Change the bedspreads if needed.
• Wash or spot-clean rugs/ floor mats.
Day 5:
It’s time to focus on the most daunting space in the house – The Kitchen
• Clean any exposed surfaces including – stovetops, and counter tops.
• Wipe down all large and small appliances.
• Clean out the kitchen cabinets and wipe them down.
• Declutter the refrigerator, you’ll need the space if you are having guests over.
• Don’t forget to dust the top of the refrigerator.
• Deep clean and de-stink the kitchen sink. Also look under the stink.
• Wash those trash cans and reusable bags.
• Deep clean dish drainer, kitchen clothes and sponges.
Day 6:
Get ready for some serious dusting
• Dust everything – all surfaces, including furniture, sofa frames, shelves, photo frames, showpieces and art.
• Clean the ceiling fans.
• Sweep and mop all floors – to be honest you should make this a practice.
Day 7:
Now that your house is squeaky clean it’s time you make your home guest-ready
• Wipe down any dirty areas in the guest bathroom.
• Make sure the bathroom smells great – install a diffuser or use a scented candle.
• Hang fresh towels and put out fresh hand soap.
• Fluff sofa cushions and pillows.
• Decorate with special touches, such as flowers or candles.