Guests Coming for Super Bowl? Here's Your Cleaning Game Plan

While you may be excited about your upcoming Super Bowl shindig, you can probably do without the stresses of opening up your home to friends and family—like cleaning.

For most hosts, their home is a reflection of themselves, so making sure it's clean and inviting is an important aspect of having guests over. One of the best ways to mitigate the stress of cleaning is to come up with a strategic game plan, targeting the rooms and places that guests will notice and use most. The experts at Martha Stewart recommend honing in on these six areas.

1. The entrance. Many think that their home's entryway is inconsequential. After all, guests only pass through it as they're coming and going. But in reality, your entrance is a critical spot to gussy up as it is the first thing guests will see upon arrival.

Thankfully, it's also one of the quickest clean-up jobs. Simply get rid of any clutter, such as shoes, the dog leash, mail and recent deliveries, add a rug for shoe-wiping if you don't already have one, then provide a little ambience. Move a small, dimly lit lamp to the area and a scented candle for instant vibes.  

2. The bathroom. Sure to be one of the most frequented rooms of the evening, invest a little more time in cleaning your guest bathroom. Make sure it's well stocked with toilet paper, guest towels, hand soap and sanitizer, and add a scented candle and hand cream for a nice touch. 

If you haven't done so in a while, now is a good time to do a deep clean on bathroom fixtures. A mixture of water and white vinegar teamed with a hard-bristle brush can serve as the perfect cleaning solution for plumbing fixtures, the shower, tub, toilet and sink. Spend extra time on the shower and tub if you're having overnight guests. 

Finally, make sure the bathroom mirror is sparkling, and have plenty of clean towels and a fresh bath mat, along with extra soap and paper supplies on hand. 

3. The guest room. Even if guests aren't planning on staying the night, it's always a good idea to have the spare bedroom ready for unexpected sleepovers. At the very least, the guest room may be used to house coats or as a space for guests to escape to for quiet conversation. 

To prep your guest room for either scenario, start by making sure the bed is outfitted with clean sheets,  pillowcases and blankets. Then remove any of your own personal items from bureaus, shelves and bedside tables so that guests can use them for their own belongings. A clutter-free guest room is the most inviting for your overnighters.

4. The kitchen. Always the place where guests congregate most, make sure your kitchen is ready to go by focusing on the areas that are most visible. After prepping food for the evening, thoroughly clean all your kitchen counters, run and empty the dishwasher so that dirty dishes don't pile up in the sink, and throw the trash away. Be sure to also focus on high-touch areas such as the refrigerator door and faucet.

Also make sure all your servingware is clean and ready to go, and that any odors from the fridge or trash are eliminated. You can remove last night's cooking smells by leaving a bowl of white vinegar or an open box of baking soda on the counter overnight. 

5. High-touch surfaces. Do a quick walk-through and wipe down all high-touch areas in your home, such as doorknobs, lightswitches and faucets to reduce the spread of germs. 

6. Floors. Once you're done with the above tasks, vacuum and mop your floors, the final step in making your home guest-ready. 

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