Unexpected guests? Mountains of laundry? No doubt there’s no time to prep for your mother-in-law’s white glove test….but depending on how judgmental your last minute guests are, here are 7 easy ways to save face.
1) Laundry: gather all loose laundry, random piles, and the basket that’s been waiting for you all week to a consolidated pile or basket. Put it in an inconspicuous corner, in the closet or even on the far side of the bed and move on!
2) Beds: make the beds – nothing perfect, in fact, just pull the comforter up and toss the pillows at the head of the bed! No need for hospital corners here, a quick cover-up will do the trick.
3) Rugs: no time to bust out the vacuum or shake out the throw rugs? put some packing tape around your hand (sticky side out!) to run around and pick up the obvious threads, crumbs and other unidentified blobs.
Getting rid of the things that will catch someone’s eye is almost as good as vacuum lines on the rug, not that anyone even notices those . . . .
4) Kitchen: Pile the dirty dishes in the sink, all on one side and at least wipe down the counters.
If you’re the slightest bit lucky and the dishwasher happens to be empty (good luck with that), forget your typical organization efforts, just pile those dirty dishes in fast enough to shut the dishwasher door, and no-one will know expect you (and probably not until the next time you go to use the dishwasher).
5) Flat Surfaces: Counters, tables and dressers – consolidate the piles of papers and clutter. One large “to-deal-with-later” pile is better than 6 small to-do piles, right? At least it will look neater.
6) Kid’s rooms: Toys and such: toss them in the closet or toy box and chalk the rest up to “kids will be kids!”. You get a free pass on a messy kids-room anyways 😉
7) Glass: – you’d be surprised how quickly you can spot clean or at least improve the look of some glass or mirrors with just a rag or towel. Have windex? Spray, wipe and go go go! It’s better than it was and that’s what counts 😉
BONUS! You CAN make time for the Bathroom: – save this one until last… if they arrive before you’re “ready”, you can always excuse yourself to “powder your nose”, and get the last of the mess.
Grab a rag on your way in! swipe everything from the counters to a drawer, use the rag or any towel (maybe a little damp) to wipe the counters, sinks and faucets as well as the obvious toothpaste marks on the mirrors, then close the shower curtain.
LASTLY, use the damp rag to wipe the toilet seat, and obvious gross parts of the bowl. Toss the rag in the dirty laundry on your way out (and fix your hair!) – it’s go time 😉
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