Housework Hacks: How to Get Guest-Ready in 20 Minutes Flat
Visitors popping in at short notice? Don’t panic, just follow these practical tips
Love your friends but hate surprise pop-ins? Stop stressing and start moving. It’s possible to create a clutter-free appearance for your home in no time at all.
Hit your entryway
Grab a plastic bag for rubbish and a crate or tub for clutter (a washing hamper will do if it’s the only thing handy) and hit your front entrance. Corral shoes into shoe boxes and coats onto coat hooks, or collect them in your crate. Pick up any rubbish.
Tip: Try setting a timer for 20 minutes before you get started. Having a set deadline is likely to keep you more motivated (if the thought of guests turning up to your untidy home isn’t motivation enough).
Browse beautifully organised entrances
Grab a plastic bag for rubbish and a crate or tub for clutter (a washing hamper will do if it’s the only thing handy) and hit your front entrance. Corral shoes into shoe boxes and coats onto coat hooks, or collect them in your crate. Pick up any rubbish.
Tip: Try setting a timer for 20 minutes before you get started. Having a set deadline is likely to keep you more motivated (if the thought of guests turning up to your untidy home isn’t motivation enough).
Browse beautifully organised entrances
Sort out open-plan spaces
Head into any open-plan living spaces and repeat the process, popping toys into toy boxes where available. Next, throw the rubbish bag in the bin and pop the crate in a nearby cupboard or bedroom. Vow to unpack immediately when guests leave. Shut the bedroom or cupboard door.
Head into any open-plan living spaces and repeat the process, popping toys into toy boxes where available. Next, throw the rubbish bag in the bin and pop the crate in a nearby cupboard or bedroom. Vow to unpack immediately when guests leave. Shut the bedroom or cupboard door.
Wipe down the kitchen bench
Grab a cloth and spray and wipe the kitchen benches. Pop unwashed dishes in the dishwasher or rinse and stack neatly in the sink. Make your tap and splashback shine.
If your sink is not full of neatly stacked dishes, pop in the plug, turn on the taps and spray in a little fresh-smelling disinfectant to do its thing as you work. Before your guests arrive, pull the plug – your house will smell effortlessly clean.
Tip: Many a time-poor parent has found baby wipes the perfect go-to for myriad uses beyond their baby’s bottom. Even if you’re not in the baby phase, wipes are a handy item to keep on hand for emergencies.
Grab a cloth and spray and wipe the kitchen benches. Pop unwashed dishes in the dishwasher or rinse and stack neatly in the sink. Make your tap and splashback shine.
If your sink is not full of neatly stacked dishes, pop in the plug, turn on the taps and spray in a little fresh-smelling disinfectant to do its thing as you work. Before your guests arrive, pull the plug – your house will smell effortlessly clean.
Tip: Many a time-poor parent has found baby wipes the perfect go-to for myriad uses beyond their baby’s bottom. Even if you’re not in the baby phase, wipes are a handy item to keep on hand for emergencies.
Tackle the guest bathroom
Enter your guest bathroom if you have one, or family bathroom if not. Throw some toilet cleaner around the toilet bowl and leave it to work its magic while you hit the surfaces. Spray and wipe the vanity. Employ wet toilet paper to dust around the corners of the floor. Use a dirty towel to wipe the floor (don’t forget to throw it in the laundry hamper when you’re done). Replace the hand towel, check the toilet roll and flush the toilet.
Tip: For extra brownie points, roll up your guest towels as seen here. If you do this ahead of time your guest bathroom will always have a polished look.
33 magic house-cleaning tips
Enter your guest bathroom if you have one, or family bathroom if not. Throw some toilet cleaner around the toilet bowl and leave it to work its magic while you hit the surfaces. Spray and wipe the vanity. Employ wet toilet paper to dust around the corners of the floor. Use a dirty towel to wipe the floor (don’t forget to throw it in the laundry hamper when you’re done). Replace the hand towel, check the toilet roll and flush the toilet.
Tip: For extra brownie points, roll up your guest towels as seen here. If you do this ahead of time your guest bathroom will always have a polished look.
33 magic house-cleaning tips
Get out the vacuum cleaner
Grab your vacuum and hit the entryway and living areas. Stick to the main floor area (no time for thorough cleaning under the sofas today). Pop the vacuum cleaner away.
Grab your vacuum and hit the entryway and living areas. Stick to the main floor area (no time for thorough cleaning under the sofas today). Pop the vacuum cleaner away.
Set the scene
Wash your hands, light a scented candle, pop on the kettle and throw a brush through your hair. Pat yourself on the back – you’ve done it! (And if the guests still haven’t arrived, you probably should hand wash those dishes.)
Wash your hands, light a scented candle, pop on the kettle and throw a brush through your hair. Pat yourself on the back – you’ve done it! (And if the guests still haven’t arrived, you probably should hand wash those dishes.)
Never again?
Feeling tired at the thought of the the 20-minute tidy up? There is an alternative. If you tidy as you go you’ll never have to face it again.
Learn how to be a ‘tidy person’
Feeling tired at the thought of the the 20-minute tidy up? There is an alternative. If you tidy as you go you’ll never have to face it again.
Learn how to be a ‘tidy person’
Quick hacks
Or would you rather clean quickly but cleverly?
Top tips for a tidy house include clever use of storage. The 20-minute tidy up will have a longer- lasting effect if instead of a random washing hamper you have designated storage boxes throughout your home.
Both of my children have their own storage box that remains on a shelf in our kitchen area. Anything they leave downstairs gets popped in their box, which they are asked to empty nightly. I also keep a box at the bottom of the stairs for items that belong upstairs, and each time I head upstairs I ensure I take this box with me. Small measures such as this have made a huge difference to the general organisation of my not-very-organised home.
Good luck, and if you don’t quite get it all done, remember your guests are more interested in you than your house anyway.
Tell us
What are your go-to housework hacks? Share them in the Comments below.
More
Read more stories about organisation
Or would you rather clean quickly but cleverly?
Top tips for a tidy house include clever use of storage. The 20-minute tidy up will have a longer- lasting effect if instead of a random washing hamper you have designated storage boxes throughout your home.
Both of my children have their own storage box that remains on a shelf in our kitchen area. Anything they leave downstairs gets popped in their box, which they are asked to empty nightly. I also keep a box at the bottom of the stairs for items that belong upstairs, and each time I head upstairs I ensure I take this box with me. Small measures such as this have made a huge difference to the general organisation of my not-very-organised home.
Good luck, and if you don’t quite get it all done, remember your guests are more interested in you than your house anyway.
Tell us
What are your go-to housework hacks? Share them in the Comments below.
More
Read more stories about organisation
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I love this idea. One thing that I like to add here use Henry Vacuum Cleaner for this purpose because it's so handy it will definitely help you to clean fast.
It's a great straight forward plan....except for two things that would potentially make guests sick.
- deliberately creating a 'clean smell' by leaving disinfectant in the kitchen sink. Instead try vinegar- it neutralizes smells and then evaporates unlike scented disinfectants.
- light a scented candle. Instead run an air filter or open windows (at least briefly) for cross ventilation
I suggest you look up the percentage of people that have chemical sensitivities - it's around 20%.
Seeing an article encouraging people to use scents to give the impression of clean is really distressing for people (like me) who get sick when exposed to scents.
The health of visitors should not be overlooked when preparing your home to welcome them.
Chemical sensitivities in Australia : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5984225/