5 Cleaning Tips Before Summer Guests Arrive – Don’t Miss These Overlooked Spots!

Trying to mix summer guests with lingering germs and grime? Not a good combo.

Summer is around the corner, and that means longer days, open doors, and more visitors coming through your home. Whether it’s backyard barbecues, kids’ sleepovers, or hosting family from out of town, your house is about to see a lot more foot traffic. You might be tidying up the obvious spaces, but there are a few spots that get missed time and time again — even by the most hard-core home cleaners.

We’re talking about those sneaky, easy-to-forget places that might look clean at a glance but are secretly holding onto dust, grime, and bacteria. The good news? Once you know what to look for, they’re not hard to clean — and the results are super satisfying. Read along for cleaning tips from the professionals!

Cleaning Before Summer Guests Arrive!

Commonly Missed Cleaning Areas Before Hosting Guests; Here's our best cleaning tips.

Here are 5 spots you should definitely give a little extra love before the summer social season kicks off:

1. The Base of the Toilet – Around, Behind, and Below

Sure, you clean the toilet bowl. But have you ever looked around the base of the toilet? Behind it? Underneath the seat hinges? This area is often overlooked because it’s a bit awkward to reach, but trust us — your guests will notice if it smells off.

Use a disinfecting cleaner and a cloth or disposable wipe to get behind the base and along the floor. Don’t forget to wipe down the pipe and seat hinges, too. To round out a quick deep clean, flip up the hinges of the lid, spray, and wipe out any grime. For a cleaner's hack, use a toothbrush (specifically one designated for cleaning) and brush into all the crevices. A little extra attention here can make a huge difference in how fresh your bathroom feels.

2. Underneath and Around the Garbage Can

Garbage cans are messy by nature, but the area around them can be even worse. Whether it’s kitchen spills, sticky drips, or crumbs, the floor and wall near your garbage can tend to collect grime over time — and your guests will definitely be using it during their visit.

Don’t get caught with a gross-out moment that makes people think twice about touching the lid. Pull out the can and check underneath. Give the area a good sweep and scrub, and if needed, disinfect the floor and wall. Bonus points if you wipe down the garbage can itself — especially the lid and rim.

3. Shower Door Tracks

Your guests are using your shower — barefoot, and completely exposed. The last thing you want is for them to be greeted by a line of mildew and grime. Few things gross people out faster than realizing the floor they’re standing on hasn’t been touched in a while.

The tracks of your shower door are notorious for collecting soap scum, mildew, hair, and mineral deposits. Use a toothbrush or narrow cleaning tool to scrub the tracks. Spray with a bathroom-safe cleaner and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping away. This small detail can take your bathroom from looking “pretty clean” to “professionally done.”

4. Light Switch Plates

They’re touched constantly, but cleaned rarely — and they’re almost always the last thing anyone thinks to wipe down. Light switch plates collect fingerprints, grime, and germs that build up over time — especially in high-traffic areas like hallways, bathrooms, and kitchens. They’re also rarely thought of as an area that needs regular cleaning or disinfecting, even though hands are on them every day — mostly because there are always so many other bigger and more pressing areas that need attention.

Use a microfiber cloth with a bit of all-purpose cleaner to gently wipe down the plate and surrounding wall. It takes seconds, but it’s one of those small things that really freshens up a space. And your guests won't try to avoid touching them by using their elbows instead.

5. Kitchen Faucet and Sink Area

The kitchen tends to be the gathering point in every home — and when guests are around, the sink is guaranteed to get a workout. If your kitchen sink is starting to turn that ugly brown or copper color from weeks (or months) of coffee and food buildup, you're not alone. Add in the grime that gathers in the tiny creases around the faucet — and suddenly, what should be the cleanest area in the kitchen becomes one of the grossest spots your guests might see.

You may think the sink basin is the only place that needs attention, but there are many parts of a kitchen sink where dirt and grime build up. Don’t forget to scrub the faucet, drains, and drain plugs too! A cleaner’s hack: use a brush or toothbrush to get into all the creases for a truly fresh finish. This quick detail makes a big difference in a space your guests will definitely notice.

Need Help Keeping Up With It All?

If you’re feeling the pressure not just before guests arrive, but all year long, we get it. These sneaky spots don’t clean themselves — and it’s easy to fall behind when life gets busy. That’s where we come in.

At Lemon Fresh, we offer recurring bi-weekly cleaning services to help you stay on top of the areas that get missed most. No last-minute panic. No elbow scrubbing the night before visitors. Just a consistently fresh and guest-ready home, all year round.

📩 Reach out today and let’s talk about a cleaning routine that works for you.

Call us at (403) 909-8330 or send us an email at lemonfreshyyc@gmail.com