5 Things West Sussex Homeowners Should Do Before Summer Guests Arrive

June is here, and with it comes the annual scramble to get the house looking its best before the summer visits begin. Whether it's family coming to stay, a rental that needs turning around, or simply the longer days shining light into every corner you've been ignoring — carpets and upholstery are usually the first things that let a home down.

Here are five practical things you can do right now.

1. Vacuum All the Way to the Edges

Most people only vacuum the centre of a room. The edges — along skirting boards, under radiators, and into corners — are where dust, pet hair, and debris accumulate most. Use your vacuum's crevice tool along every edge before you do anything else. It lifts the pile and makes every subsequent step more effective.

2. Deal With Old Stains Before They Become Permanent

Summer means more traffic, more drinks, and more mystery marks. Go room by room and check for stains you've been meaning to tackle. For anything fresh, blot with cold water and a clean white cloth. For anything older — wine, pet accidents, dried mud — it's worth calling in professional help before the season gets going. The longer a stain sits, the harder it is to fully remove.

3. Freshen Up Sofas and Chairs

Upholstery absorbs odours surprisingly quickly — pets, cooking, general life. A simple trick: sprinkle a light layer of bicarbonate of soda over fabric sofas, leave for 20–30 minutes, then vacuum off. It's a great short-term freshener. For a proper deep clean that removes odours at the source rather than masking them, professional upholstery cleaning will do far more than any spray.

4. Air Everything Out Properly

Summer gives you the best opportunity of the year to ventilate your home. Open windows in every room for a few hours on a dry, warm day. This reduces the stale, musty smell that builds up in carpets and soft furnishings over winter — especially in older West Sussex homes near the coast where damp air is a constant factor.

5. Book a Professional Clean Before the Rush

This is genuinely the best time of year to get carpets professionally cleaned. Warm weather and good ventilation mean faster drying times and less disruption. Your home will look and smell genuinely fresh — not just surface-clean — for the whole summer ahead.

eXteam Cleaning covers Bognor Regis, Chichester, Portsmouth, Worthing and across West Sussex, often with same or next-day availability. Don't leave it until the guests are already at the door. Drop us a message or give us a call — we'd love to help you get your home summer-ready.