The 5 Minute Room Reset: A Mum + Baby Plan for Surprise Visitors
There’s a moment that every new parent has put the baby down and someone pings their phone: “Hey are you free? I thought I’d drop round for a cuppa.” It is at this point that you look around and realise that your home is anything but visitor ready.
Here’s the good news though; you don’t need to do a deep clean but rather a quick visual reset. Yes, it is possible to make parts of your home more welcoming in just 5 minutes. Here is how.
Before you start, if your baby is not asleep put them in a safe place such as the cot with some toys, play pen or on a play mat if they're not yet rolling around. Open your curtains and windows to let some light and fresh air in.
Grab an empty washing basket and a pack of baby wipes and start at the front door. The goal is to put all the clutter in the basket. You want to focus on the entry and main living areas including the coffee table, couch and the floor. Remember we want to scoop, not sort. What you look for can be items such as mail, clean washing, toys, chargers, muslin wraps, green bags and receipts. If needed and time permits, give each surface that you tidy a very fast once over with a baby wipe. As you work your way through the rooms, it doesn't need to be perfect; crumb free and not sticky is good enough. Place the basket in a room that your visitors will not enter and close the door.
Go to the kitchen and stack the plates and bowls to reduce their physical footprint on the benchtop. Nest cups if possible and place the cutlery in the sink. If the dishwasher is empty, then skip the stacking and go straight to filling it up. Wipe down the bench and stovetop. The kitchen does not have to be Instagram ready; we are aiming for clean surfaces over clutter free.
What if I still have time?
Give the toilet a once over and run a wipe over the basin. Replace the toilet roll if needed and dispose of any empty rolls that have been placed on the floor.
If the baby is awake, you could do a 30 second crumb run with the stick vacuum but don't feel guilty if you want skip this. Then close all the doors to the rooms that you don't want visitors to see. After all, they are here to see the baby not to do a house inspection.
No apologies on arrival
The right people won't care about mess, dust or the amount of toothpaste on the mirror in your house. Make no apologies, open the door and say “Hi! We're in baby mode please come in".
Choose your win:
More than anything the aim is to improve, not deep clean. Don't worry about streaky mirrors or baskets with unfolded washing, focus on introducing your new family member to those you love.
