You know that feeling when a friend you haven’t seen in ages rings you? You’re so happy to hear them, but then you hear “I was thinking I could drop by if you will have me” and your smile just freezes as you look around your house. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to clean up regularly. That’s understandable.
When you find yourself in a situation like this, it helps to know a few tricks. You’ll be able to focus on seeing your friend and not freak out about tidying up. Here are the tricks.
Tidy up only the places where your guest will be
Keep in mind that it’s your house and you decide where you’re going to be. If it’s the living room, focus on it. Forget the bedrooms. Maybe you should look around the bathroom as well, because your guest will probably use it.
Big things first
You’ll need two trash bags – one for the trash and the other for storage. Go around the places your guest will see and pick things up. The storage bag is for stuff that is out of place and which you’ll put away later. For now, you just want that stuff out of the way. When the bags are full, throw the trash away and put the storage bag in a closet – just remember where you put it!
Decluttering a place goes a long way in making a place appear tidy. You’ll also have more space.
Make things smell fresh
If something smells fresh, you’ll probably perceive it as clean. Think about those fabric softeners – they are made to make your clothes smell like they’ve just come out of the dryer for days on end.
Look out for funny smells. Take out the trash if necessary. If your garbage disposal smells weird, pour some baking soda and turn on hot water. Clean your pet’s litter box and maybe have your pet go outside for a while if possible. Open all the windows to change the air in the room and then spray some light air freshener.
If you don’t have air freshener, lemons could do the trick if you have some. You can either just cut them up in two halves and leave them for a few minutes, or you can put some lemon juice and water in a spray bottle for a DIY freshener. If you like incense sticks and burning oil, that’ll also do the job.
Do the dishes
Quickly doing the dishes or at least stuffing them in the dishwasher will make a huge difference. Dirty dishes should either be put away somehow or at least appear less dirty. Rinse them quickly and stack them nicely – that’ll do if you are pressed for time. If possible, turn the dishwasher on.
A small trick is to bring out some cookies, candy or wine. That’ll give your guest something to focus on rather than scrutinize your house.
Lint roller is your friend in need
This is great for people with pets and those with long hair. Again, it’s best to let your pet out for a while if you have a garden and it likes being outside. Next, grab a lint roller and go over the couch and other furniture your pet likes, or simply areas that look dusty or covered in a hair web.
Include other family members
If you get some help, you’ll be over quicker and you’ll have more time to relax and maybe get yourself ready (check your hair, put some deodorant, change if necessary). So, if there’s anyone else in the house, a roommate, a sibling, the spouse or children ask them to pitch in. Delegate them some of the tasks and thank them later!
In today’s world it’s not really viable to have time to keep you house spotless all the time. Even though we appreciate it and like it when our homes are clean, there really are things more important than cleaning away in our free time.
That’s where Maid This! can help you. If you live in Los Angeles and you’re looking for cleaning services, Maid This! is your top-choice referral agency. Our growing customer base and premium customer care reflect how much effort we put into providing ultimate flat-rate cleaning services with highly skilled, experienced and reliable cleaners. Contact us today to find out more!
