Eid prep: Ramadan house cleaning

Fasting and the year's hottest and most humid season equals a terrible combination for a home upgrade. But, as Ramadan comes to an end and we eagerly await Eid, our homes obviously deserve some attention.

A top-down cleaning
The number one thing about any good house is cleanliness. The fanciest of furniture and the best gadgets will go unnoticed if one can spot spider webs. So take a day to make sure every inch of the home is web free before moving onto the other things.

Target all the fabrics
These include curtains, linens, bed sheets, and all upholstery. Gather all and send them to your local laundry to take care of the tough dirty business for you.

Bathrooms
Replace all the old and half used objects with new ones such as a new roll of toilet paper. New soaps, towels and maybe even candles if you have the time; and remember to take out the bathroom trash. Polish the tiles, sinks and showers too as grout always seems to accumulate.

The mighty kitchen
Even though the kitchen does not take up too much space, it is one of the hardest to clean. Start by cleaning the oven, stovetops and burners, and places likely to have oily messes. Organise your pantry, this will let you throw out the expired items and will help you see if you need any more condiments as well. Follow up with a disinfectant to clean all the tiles, countertops and sinks.

Light fixtures
Overtime these can gather a lot of dust and make your lights appear dimmer. Grab a high stool and take out 30 minutes to wipe all the light fixtures in the home. Consider giving a clean to the fans while you are at it since these too lie high and gather dust by the tons.

Living spaces
Fluff all your pillows, and leave them out in the sun for a while to make them feel all new. For your mattresses and couch cushions, simply flip them over and it will feel and look just as good.

Wipe'em all out
The very last thing you should do is give a nice clean to all the surfaces, be it wall fixtures, wardrobes, table tops or the doors. Every inch gathers dust, and it is only after you clean them all that you realise how dirty they were.

Throw in some distracters
Scent diffusers can distract people really well and having one in your living space can ensure that guests will ignore the small messes— if there are any. The same goes for candles as well, which draw attention towards themselves, so only place them in the tidy spaces.

When in a rush
If you are short in time, do not hit all the areas as it will simply cause a bigger mess. Leave out things that require heavy organising such as the pantry, drawers, or bookshelves. Instead target places guests are more likely to see when they arrive in a particular order.
Clean the entryway to the home so there is no bad first impression as one walks in.
Clean all the mirrors since almost everyone stops to take a second look here.
Clean the bathroom and all the sinks in the home, as well as replenish all the goods such as towels, soaps etc.
Vacuum all upholstery and flip over the cushions.
Tidy all the living areas first, since these are the spaces guests usually relax in.
Make your beds, because it can give off the image of a tidy room even if the rest of the room is not.
Wipe down all visible spaces and mop the floors.
These are the very basics of keeping a home clean when in a rush. Although there are lots more to clean, this is the very minimum which will make any home look organised and welcoming, two things we all love.