For Overnight Guests
Dust surfaces and move daily
clutter into a closet or office.
“There’s no shame in having
off-limits spaces. Shut the
door and say to your guests,
‘Hey, do me a favor: Don’t go
in there. It’s a disaster right
now,’” says Melissa Maker,
founder of the cleaning com-
pany Clean My Space.
For Surprise Drop-Ins
“A good-smelling home sug-
gests the space is cleaner than
it actually is,” says Melissa
Witulski, Merry Maids’ house-
cleaning expert. Open windows
to circulate air, and add two
cinnamon sticks and a drop of
vanilla extract to a pot of boil-
ing water for an inviting aroma.
BATHROOMS
- SHINE MIRRORS with glass cleaner
and a microfiber cloth, moving in an
S motion to help prevent streaks.
- WIPE THE VANITY and sink with a
microfiber cloth and all-purpose
cleaner.
• SCRUB THE OUTSIDE OF THE
TOILET while a bowl cleaner does
its magic on the inside. (Let it sit for
10 minutes, then brush and flush.)
Spray the inside and outside of the
empty wastebasket with all-purpose
cleaner and wipe dry.
• TACKLE THE SHOWER AND TUB
with Scrubbing Bubbles Shower
Foamer ($5; lowes.com). Just spray
it, wait 10 minutes, and wipe the
surface with a wet sponge.
• CLEAN THE MEDICINE CABINET
shelves with a damp cloth and
arrange bottles to face forward.
It’s a small move that will make
the space feel extra tidy.
- VACUUM THE FLOOR, then mop
your way out the door.
For a list of spots that can go
without a refresh before guests, see
realsimple.com/skipcleaning.
market for new chairs to seat all
your guests, opt for furniture made
with a stain-resistant fabric, like
Sunbrella.
• SET YOUR TABLE AHEAD OF TIME.
Keeping your table set year-round
will prevent it from becoming a
catchall for mail and homework —
and you won’t have to retidy it
before an event. If your good china
has been gathering dust on a shelf
all year, give it a quick warm-water
rinse in the dishwasher or sink.
THE QUICK REFRESH
These almost-instant spruce-
ups are designed to be done
the day of.
Before the Party
Save vacuuming for the morn-
ing before a big dinner party,
suggests Becky Rapinchuk,
founder of the site Clean
Mama. (Slow and deliberate
movements pick up the most
dirt.) Wipe bathroom surfaces
with glass cleaner and a
microfiber cloth.
Ahead of Curious Visitors
There’s bound to be one guest
who asks for the grand tour, so
send each family member to
their room with the following
tasks: Take bedding to the
laundry room, turn off the
ceiling fan and dust it with a
damp microfiber cloth, shine
windows with glass cleaner,
and run a microfiber duster
along blinds. Then pass the
vacuum from room to room.
Or just set a timer for 20 min-
utes and have everyone do
what they can—beyond that,
don’t worry about it.
OUR EXPERTS
DONNA SMALLIN KUPER,
CERTIFIED HOUSECLEANING
TECHNICIAN
MELISSA MAKER, FOUNDER
OF THE CLEANING COMPANY
CLEAN MY SPACE
BECKY RAPINCHUK, FOUNDER
OF THE SITE CLEAN MAMA
MELISSA WITULSKI, MERRY
MAIDS’ HOUSECLEANING EXPERT
THE REALIST
46 REAL SIMPLE NOVEMBER 2019
