9 tips for express cleaning before guests arrive

Rachel Hoffman - author books Rake Your Shit and creator of Unfuck Your Habitat, a collection of mini cleaning challenges. She doesn't believe there are perfect housewives who clean the house to a shine. And he claims that you shouldn't strive for perfect order in the apartment - it's enough just to create the feeling that it exists.

Collected the best tips from Rachel's book in this article. If the guests are already on the way, and the house is a complete mess, they will definitely help you out.

1. Clean up at the entrance

The first impression of the guests depends on the condition of your hallway. Clean up clutter at the door and make room for shoes and outerwear. If you have a rug, vacuum it, broom it, or shake it outside. Often, it is on such harmless rugs that the main dirt collects.

If you have time, you can use Hoffman's advice: she suggests leaving the house for a while, and then returning and taking a look around the room.

2. Close some of the rooms

You should not waste time cleaning rooms that guests will not enter - for example, a bedroom, a dressing room, a pantry. And so that they do not get there, the doors to these rooms can simply be closed.

3. Vacuum the rooms in which you plan to receive guests

You may not have time left to mop the floors and clean the carpet (by the way, you can simply send it to balcony). But it is worth at least a quick run with a vacuum cleaner through the main rooms in which guests will be. For example, in the hall and corridor.

It is also worth taking a separate walk with a brush in places where dust, dirt or pet hair accumulates. Cats, for example, often sleep on sofas, armchairs, and window sills.

4. Clean up in the kitchen

To instantly create a sense of order, remove unwanted items from the table. Then wipe it off with a damp microfiber cloth or cleaning cloth.

Send the dishes to the dishwasher or hide them under the sink. Perfectly enough to have time to wash it. Vacuum or sweep the floor to remove at least large crumbs.

5. Clean your bathroom and toilet

Surely your guests will use the bathroom more than once during a party, so take this place at least a couple of minutes. To save time, first fill in toilet cleaning agent, and then get on with other business.

Take care of the mirror. Use a glass cleaner to remove stains from it. Do not forget to quickly wipe down the rest of the surfaces - cabinets, shelves, washing machine. If time is running out, you can simply walk over them with a damp cloth, without using detergent.

Then clean the toilet bowl with a brush - the liquid that you previously poured into it will just have time to take effect. Finally, get fresh hand towels and make sure there is soap and toilet paper in the bathroom.

6. Remove unnecessary things

To do this quickly, take a laundry basket and put items in it that are out of place and spoil the view. For example, receipts and payments for an apartment can accumulate on a coffee table, and books, tablets and small toys on a TV bedside table. If you don't have time to sort them into places, just hide the basket in the closet.

7. Fluff up the pillows

This will instantly help give your living room a more sophisticated look. Moreover, it is worth beating both sofa rollers and decorative throws. And by placing them correctly, you will hide any stains that you did not have time to clean.

8. Get rid of dust on visible surfaces

These can be coffee tables, baseboards, lampshades. Avoid wasting time on areas that guests are unlikely to notice, such as the top refrigerator or the space between the wall and the radiator.

9. Use an air freshener

Or a non-toxic cleaning agent such as the one you use to wash your floor. You can simply spray it in the air if you don't have time to clean.

In general, remember that if you don't draw attention to the clutter, it is possible that no one will notice it.

Rachel advises not to apologize for being "a little messy" in your house. By saying this, you make everyone feel uncomfortable, because visitors will be forced to rate your apartment and argue that it is clean and comfortable, even if they really don't think so.