How to Clean Your House Quickly and Efficiently before a Showing

August 11, 2015

Preparing your home for a showing can be tough, especially when you’re still living in the house. One of the hardest things is keeping your home clean while you’re taking the other necessary steps to sell your house -- like removing personal items, staging the house and increasing curb appeal. While you can spend money to hire a cleaning service, it adds up over time. Here are some tricks to help you clean your house in a hurry, so you’ll be ready for a showing at a moment’s notice.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Bedrooms: 6 - 10 minutes

• Remake beds. Strip off the old linens and replace them with new ones so they look crisp. Tuck sheets in at the corner.
• Clear clutter. Put everything out of sight -- in drawers, baskets or in the closet -- to organize later.
• Clean furniture. Wipe down furniture with a damp cloth or use the vacuum cleaner hose to get rid of dust and debris.
• Dust. Dust all the surfaces -- armoire, end tables, closet shelves, etc. -- and remove all debris. Make sure you don’t leave any dust behind. Use long-armed dusters on your ceiling fan, art or mirrors.
• Vacuum the entire bedroom, starting from one corner and working your way back and forth from one end to the other. You should end at the door.

     Bathrooms: 7 - 10 minutes                                                    

• Prep the bathroom. Wipe down the sink, vanity and shower/tub with all-purpose cleaner.      
• Clean the toilet. Use whatever type of cleaner you have on hand to thoroughly scrub the bowl of the toilet with a brush. Then wipe down the outer area with a cloth and cleaner.     
• Wipe the bathroom mirror. Use a glass mirror cleaner to wipe off marks, starting from the top corner and continuing in a circular motion.
• Wash the sink. Scrub the spots around the sink and fixtures with a brush. Then use a cleaner to get the rest of the sink clean with a cloth.
• Wipe the shower/tub area. Use a damp cloth to wipe down the shower and tub area. If there are any hard spots of grime, use a hard cleaner to remove it.
• Mop the floor. Use a mop to quickly clean the floor of your bathroom, starting in the far corner and ending at the door of your room.

      Living and Dining Rooms: 7 - 10 minutes

• Clean up clutter. Put anything that’s out of place away in boxes or drawers.
• Dust all surfaces. Dust tables, fireplace mantels, window blinds and shades, and so forth. Any dust that gets pushed off onto the floor can be vacuumed. As in the bedroom, use a long-armed duster to reach your ceiling fan and tall bookshelves.
• Use glass cleaner. Use a glass cleaner to wipe down anything made of glass in your living or dining room.
• Vacuum. Use a vacuum cleaner to speed clean any carpeting or rugs in your living and dining rooms.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Kitchen: 12 - 15 minutes

• Remove clutter. Remove all clutter from counter, cabinets and table area.
• Clean counters and cabinets. Wipe down counters and cabinets with a cloth and all-purpose cleaner. Push crumbs and debris on the floor.
• Wipe appliances. Use a damp cloth to wipe down the fridge, dishwasher and cooktop area.
• Load dishes. Put all of your dishes in the dishwasher. Think about cleaning your stove top burners in the sink and then putting them back on the stove.
• Mop the floor. Sweep and then mop the floor, starting from the back and working your way out. If you have a hardwood floor, you will need to use a specific cleaner.