7-Day Festive Cleaning Plan For A Diwali-Ready Home

This just in: Your entire family, including six of your cousins, are coming to celebrate Diwali with you, and you only have a week to clean your house and get it guest ready. Good news – they're about to shower you with compliments and be super-impressed with how neat and clean your home is.

This seven-day cleaning plan will help you achieve your chores in an organised manner.

Day 1:

Do a recce of your own home

• Walk around the house and make notes of any imperfections such as dead leaves on house plants.

• Keep an eye out for closed corners with cobwebs.

• Take stock of the kitchen cabinets especially the refrigerator and freezer.

• Assign different tasks to different members.

Day 2:

Focus on guest facing windows & linens

• Wash and wipe-down windows.

• Wash the curtains and blinds.

• Launder pillow covers, table cloth, etc.

• Wash or spot-clean floor mats and area rugs.

Day 3:

Deep-clean bathrooms

• Scrub down everything – right from the toilet, floor tiles, and the fittings to the sink.

• Wipe down bathroom mirrors and counters. Wipe down floors with a damp towel.

• Deep clean bathroom mats.

Day 4:

Tidy up the bedrooms

• Wash and wipe-down windows.

• Wash the curtains and blinds.

• Remove any clutter lying around in the bedroom.

• Change the bedspreads if needed.

• Wash or spot-clean rugs/ floor mats.

Day 5:

It’s time to focus on the most daunting space in the house – The Kitchen

• Clean any exposed surfaces including – stovetops, and counter tops.

• Wipe down all large and small appliances.

• Clean out the kitchen cabinets and wipe them down.

• Declutter the refrigerator, you’ll need the space if you are having guests over.

• Don’t forget to dust the top of the refrigerator.

• Deep clean and de-stink the kitchen sink. Also look under the stink.

• Wash those trash cans and reusable bags.

• Deep clean dish drainer, kitchen clothes and sponges.

Day 6:

Get ready for some serious dusting

• Dust everything – all surfaces, including furniture, sofa frames, shelves, photo frames, showpieces and art.

• Clean the ceiling fans.

• Sweep and mop all floors – to be honest you should make this a practice.

Day 7:

Now that your house is squeaky clean it’s time you make your home guest-ready

• Wipe down any dirty areas in the guest bathroom.

• Make sure the bathroom smells great – install a diffuser or use a scented candle.

• Hang fresh towels and put out fresh hand soap.

• Fluff sofa cushions and pillows.

• Decorate with special touches, such as flowers or candles.