There’s nothing wrong with being a neat freak. But not everyone is gifted in that area or able to keep their homes looking like a pic from a magazine. So, in case of presentation emergencies, you’ve got to think fast.

We’ve all seen tips on how to declutter, maintain a clean home, or clean specific areas of the house. However, there are those times when you get a last minute heads up that someone is stopping by. New guy or lady that doesn’t know all your mysteries yet? Meeting the parents for the first time? Time for you to stash that mail and pile of dirty laundry out of sight.

Specifically, if you’re in a “3 minutes and you’re on” situation, this video from Howcast can help you with their tips for tidying up in a jiffy. Sometimes you just have to fake it until you can make it to deep cleaning. Get ready to turn into a Tasmanian Cleaning Devil and check out a few tricks below.

  1. Light Illusions

    Let there be light! Open the windows and curtains to let in natural sunlight. Home stagers use this technique to make rooms look brighter, lighter, bigger, and cleaner. Casting your space in the right light will give the illusion of cleanliness when you’re tight on time.

  2. Dryer Sheet Dusters

    dryer sheets dustingHowcast

    For an all-in-one dusting solution, use fabric softener sheets to wipe down visibly dingy spots. They’re good for dusting electronics, blinds, lampshades, and furniture. They smell good and can pick up messes in the kitchen like flour or baking powder. In a pinch, you can grab a used one from the laundry and its anti-static powers to rid and repel dust are all the same.

  3. Bathroom Attack

    This is the one room you should have fresh and clean when folks pop over. As the video suggests, you can attack the bathroom with some spray cleaner and paper towels. Let the toilet bowl steep in some bleach while you wipe down the sink, counter, and toilet seat. Careful not to miss any spots!

    Run the brush around the toilet and give it a fast flash before moving on. If there’s not a hamper in your bathroom, then why not hide loose things in the shower and close the curtain? That goes for dirty clothes or any other personal effects that you don’t want company to see.

 

You know how it goes. You’ve either had a busy week and things have piled up, or you’re hanging around in your lounge wear totally comfortable in your tiny chaos. Then, you get that call: “Hey, I’m in your neck of the woods and wanted to come over.” You can say no, you can stall, or you can dress fast and clean faster.
 
Press play on the clip below to hear some other quick clean-up tips and get scrambling for your surprise guests! Who says cleaning shortcuts don’t work?
 

What quick cleaning tricks do you use for unexpected guests? Which of these do you already do?