Quick cleaning solutions: Room by room

Your friends just called. They’re coming over, and although you warned them, they say they don’t mind if your place is a mess. But you do! You need to clean and you need to do it quickly. These super-fast cleaning solutions will spruce up your entire home in no time. Maybe you’ll even want to give them the full grand tour once they arrive.

The kitchen is the No. 1 clutter offender for a lot of homes. Food-making utensils are left on the counter, crumbs cover everything and dishes are in the sink. To clean up quickly, find all unnecessary things on the counter and put them in a cupboard you can come back to and organize later. Swipe off the crumbs with a sponge or rag, then disinfect with disinfectant spray or bleach wipes. Finally, toss all dishes into an empty dishwasher. (Run the dishwasher if you want to look like you’re extra clean!) Follow up with a thorough sweep, cleaning up crumbs and clutter that might have fallen off the countertops.

For kitchens and tile-heavy floors, a steam mop is a great quick solution to your typical mop-and-bucket. You don’t need to slop water all over your tile to get a deep clean. Steam mops heat to a degree high enough to kill bacteria and loosen caked-on dirt and stains.

Clutter will always make a living room look unkempt. Go through the room and pick up any cups or silverware that might be lying about and place them in the dishwasher. Organize the pillows and blankets on your couch to make it appear tidier.

Skip the rag and furniture polish and get a dusting mitt. You can simply place your hand in the mitt and clean dusty places on your entertainment center, coffee table and side tables you might not otherwise reach.

Clean those mirrors! Water-spotted mirrors instantly make a bathroom look unkempt, so take two minutes with window cleaner and a rag to make them look spotless. Below, use the same tools to clean hairspray, makeup and grime from the counter tops.

If the toilet bowl is looking less-than-ideal, pour a bit of cleaner inside and take a few spins with a toilet brush. Follow up by cleaning the seat and lid with disinfectant spray. Do a simple sweep to pick up any hair or other debris that might have fallen on the tile and you’re done.

Your bed is the focal point of the bedroom, so it’s important that it looks tidy. If you’re short on time and can’t perform your regular bed-making procedure, pulling the comforter, evening it out and putting the decorative pillows on the bed will instantly spruce up the look of the place.

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