Preparing Your Home for Houseguests

Where Guests Actually Notice

Guests form an impression in a few key places: the entry, the powder room or guest bath, the kitchen, and wherever they'll sleep. Focus your energy there rather than spreading it thin across the whole house. A spotless guest bath does more than a lightly-tidied everything.

The Guest Room & Bath

Fresh linens, dusted surfaces, empty closet space and a few hangers, and a clear bedside spot. In the bath: a deep-cleaned shower and toilet, clear counter, fresh towels, and the basics stocked. Little touches (extra toilet paper in view, a water glass) signal care.

Shared Spaces

The kitchen and living areas take the most traffic during a visit, so get them genuinely clean up front — counters clear, floors done, and high-touch points wiped. It's easier to maintain a clean space through a visit than to reset one mid-stay.

A Short Timeline

A week out: declutter and handle any deep tasks (or book a clean). Two days out: the main clean — guest spaces, kitchen, baths. Day of: fresh linens and towels, a quick floor pass, and a final tidy of high-traffic spots.

Get Ahead of It

For holidays or a full house, many hosts book a pre- and post-event clean so they can enjoy the visit instead of cleaning through it.

If you’re the guest rather than the host, a Maid VIP gift card is a better thank-you than flowers: it pays for the reset after you leave.