If you’ve ever hosted out-of-town friends or stayed at a relative’s house, you’re all too aware of the delicate dance that is the guest-host relationship. Specifically, hosts are expected to overlook the fact that their visitors might make pots of coffee at obscenely early hours. In exchange, guests don’t mention that some areas of the hosts’ homes are filthy.
That’s right. Your home could be grossing out your guests and, aside from your very blunt sister, they’re not telling you about it. We’re guessing that’s not the reputation you’re going for in terms of hospitality. So the next time you have overnight company, use these six things — from food stains to dirty bathrooms — that make guests grossed out as motivation to clean house.
Cleaning For House Guests Checklist
1. Food spatters and grease spots
You may have stared at the marinara splatter on your range hood so long it seems like a decorative feature, but your company will think it’s downright nasty. No one wants to see the remnants of meals past, so make sure you clean grease off the stovetop, wipe down the range hood, and scour your oven door before guests arrive.
2. Dirty refrigerators
Every time you open your fridge or freezer, you leave behind dirt, sweat, or whatever else is on your hands. You might not notice these smudges, but your guests sure will. They’ll also catch the congealed mess in the crisper that used to be zucchini and the bits of fossilized cilantro on your fridge shelves. Do everyone a favor and clean your refrigerator — inside and out — before visitors come a-knocking.
3. Light switches and door knobs
When’s the last time you looked at your light switch plates? Go ahead. We’ll wait. Pretty grimy, right? Well, the more often you flip a particular switch, the more oils and debris your hands leave behind. The same goes for the areas on or around the doorknobs you use most. While this is a common phenomenon that doesn’t mean you’re a dirty person, it can really creep guests out and make them think you don’t wash your hands.
4. Dingy surfaces and clumps of dust
Dust doesn’t take a vacation when you forget to clean the ceiling fans or wipe down the baseboards. It just keeps building up. And while you might not pay it any mind, visitors undoubtedly will because everything is new to them. Walk the house and try to look at it with fresh eyes — remembering to glance up, down, and at wall décor — so you send cobwebs and dust bunnies packing.
5. Pet odor and fur
Unless you frequently vacuum and wash dog beds, odds are good that there is a pet stench permeating your home, even if you’re fastidious about keeping the pups clean and scooping the litter. Make deodorizing your home a part of your cleaning routine, so you don’t have to scramble when out-of-towners are on their way. Then add a special touch by knowing how to make a house smell good. In addition, take special care to vacuum and wipe down the spots where pets like to sleep or hang out.
6. Dirty bathrooms
Last, but certainly not least, we have dirty bathrooms. If you want to make sure your visitors never stay with you again, leave them a dirty bathroom. By no means should you clean the shower curtain, scrub the tub and shower, get rid of that toilet ring, wipe toothpaste spatters off the mirror and chrome fixtures, remove your dirty laundry or tidy up the vanity. And if you’re determined to gross-out guests to the point of no return, make sure you don’t leave them an ample supply of bath and hand towels. That should do the trick.
Don’t have the time to complete the cleaning for house guests checklist before your company arrives? We can help you out there! Contact Valet Maids to make sure you don’t greet guests with dirty bathrooms or grimy surfaces.
