Guests in 48 hours? Clean in this order.

When family is landing Saturday and it's Thursday night, this is the sequence that makes the house look done.

Thursday night: 45 minutes

• Clear surfaces only. Every counter, table and dresser top.
• Don't clean anything yet, just remove. A bare counter reads as clean even when it isn't.

Friday morning: 20 minutes

• Guest bathroom, top to bottom. This is the one room guests judge.
• Fresh towels, a new bar of soap, empty bin.

Friday evening: 60 minutes

• Kitchen and the main floor. Dishes away, sink shined, stovetop wiped.
• Floors vacuumed and mopped. Fluff the cushions and open a window for ten minutes.

Saturday morning: 15 minutes

• Guest bed made with a top sheet, lamp on, glass of water on the nightstand.
• Front entry swept. Done.

The five things guests notice

• How the entry smells, and whether there is somewhere to put shoes and coats.
• The bathroom sink, mirror and hand towel.
• Kitchen counters and the sink.
• The floor in the room where everyone sits.
• Their own bed: clean sheets and a clear nightstand.

What to skip

• Inside closets and cupboards. Nobody opens them.
• Bedrooms your guests are not using. Close the door.
• Windows, unless one is right beside the dining table.
• Anything above eye level. Nobody notices a ceiling fan on a visit.

If you only have two hours

Do the guest bathroom, clear and wipe the kitchen counters, vacuum the main floor and make the guest bed, in that order. Everything else can be handled by closing a door.

Small touches that take no time

• A spare toilet roll where it can be seen.
• The wifi password on a card by the bed.
• An empty hook or a few hangers for their coats.

Staying ahead while they are here

Run the dishwasher every night whether it is full or not, and take the kitchen bin out each morning. Ten minutes a day keeps the house at the standard you worked for, and saves a second big clean after they leave.

Or skip all of it

Our occasion clean is a two-person team for a set number of hours. Walk them through what matters most, hand over your priorities, and go buy the groceries.