Most of us do a thorough cleaning of our apartment before the arrival of guests. This is standard practice because we want other people not to feel uncomfortable seeing the mess in our homes. In addition, we ourselves do not want to be known among the people as slovens and dirty tricks, so we prefer to arrange visits in advance and diligently hide the true state of affairs in our home.

Guests should not see dust on cabinets, dirty dishes in the sink, and socks scattered across the floor. But is cleaning before guests really important? It is believed that this practice hides your true face and deprives you of easy communication. It is up to you to agree with or disprove the reasons listed below.

Demonstration of the true self

When cleaning before guests arrive, you want to make a good impression. However, remember how you behave if your own mother or best friend comes to see you? You are happy with loved ones, despite the presence of dishes left on the dining table, or an unmade bed. Your goal is not to appear better than you really are. And the better a person knows you, the less embarrassment you feel when inviting him to an untidy home.

More guests

If you only feel uncomfortable in front of strangers, that means you'll think 10 times before inviting them. And as long as the desire to have a good reputation prevails, your home will never have frequent guests. You will find a thousand excuses so that a new colleague does not see your imperfections.

Rejection of stereotypes

Why not break this incomprehensible standard of excellence and not allow other people to come into your life? This does not mean that you should stop preparing for the New Year holidays and give up wet cleaning on weekends for good. This only means that some minor nuances should not stop you from spontaneously inviting new acquaintances, and your social group will expand significantly.

Others are more willing to communicate with imperfect people.

In the end, people are so arranged that they are more willing to make contact with those who are not perfect. Small flaws create more relaxed and trusting communication. Just allowing yourself to meet other people more often will make you a little happier.

"An uninvited guest is worse than a Tatar." Our ancestors, who came up with this saying, implied the hostess's unwillingness to set generous tables, which were an indispensable element of hospitality in those days.

Today it's easier with this: food delivery in half an hour or an hour will help you organize a feast. But what she can't do is clean the apartment quickly. And a call from friends or relatives with the words "We are going!" can lead to complete despair.

But experienced hostesses wink at you slyly: take it easy - if you have 30 minutes before the guests' visit, that will be enough.

Clean Up Quickly in 30 Minutes: A Step-by-Step Guide

First of all, decide on the status of the guests. If these are random people in your life or just not very close, and they definitely will not stay longer than a few minutes - cleaning on the way from the front door to the living room, and in the living room itself, is enough. But if they are friends or family and their visit may take a long time, use the following quick cleaning principles.

1.Clean everything from horizontal surfaces

Countertops, the surface of dressers or cabinets, window sills, the floor are the areas that are the first to attract attention. Since you do not have time, and you will not have time to sort out books, notebooks, vases and other stationery and decorative accessories, use a box or bag in which you put everything unnecessary and put it on the balcony, in the closet or in any room that the guests definitely do not will attend. After the guests leave, you will deal with these things, but so far the room is visually unloaded with the help of clean horizontal planes.

Life hack. Take a few trash bags, and separate items from one piece of furniture in them. In one package - things from the desk, in the other - from the chest of drawers in the hallway, and so on. And write on the packages with a marker. It will take you literally 2-3 minutes longer, but if you are not planning a "real" cleaning after the guests leave, such distribution of things will help you find them quickly.

2. Wash the mirror and plumbing

Your guests will most likely want to go to the mirror in the hallway (for example, fix their hair), and also visit the bathroom - wash their hands or go to the toilet.

Do not rush directly onto the sanitary ware with brushes at the ready - wet the working surface of the bathtub, washbasin and toilet bowl, then apply detergent or cleaning agent on them and leave it that way. You will return to them after you finish the rest of the work, and during this time the dirt and plaque will have time to soften, and it will be enough for you to rinse the surfaces.

Life hack. Sparkling mirrors add a dozen points to the cleanliness of a room at once, so focus on them. If you don't have a special mirror cleaner on hand, wet the sponge generously, apply a little toothpaste to it and wipe the mirror surface well, rinsing the sponge several times. Then dry the surface of the mirror with paper towels or crumpled newspaper.

3. Ventilate the apartment

Musty air can give the impression of disorder and unsanitary conditions even in a clean room. While you are cleaning in one room, arrange ventilation in another. Moving to the next room, open the windows in the previous one - a room with clean and fresh air is psychologically perceived as clean.

Life hack. If it is not possible to arrange through ventilation, or the smell is really unpleasant (for example, if you did not have time to clean in the cat litter box), do not try to mask this amber with air fresheners. First of all, isolate the source of the odor (seal the trash, and pack the cat litter box without cleaning it in several bags). Then burn a few pieces of plain paper in an ashtray or on a fireproof plate. But now you can slightly aromatize the air: apply 1-2 drops of essential oil or perfume to a regular light bulb and turn it on. As it heats up, a subtle scent will begin to spread throughout the room.

4. Remove dirty dishes

It is unlikely that you will have time to wash the dishes, especially if it has accumulated decently. But don't panic and stuff the dishes anywhere. In this situation, packages come in handy again. Put clean dishes from any cabinet on the sink (or drying), and in its place put dirty dishes and cups, neatly folded into a bag (it is needed to eliminate the unpleasant smell from dirty dishes).

A pile of dishes on the sink will look like it has been recently washed and not yet put back in place, and no one will guess that this is a little trick.

Life hack. You can safely skip this part of the cleaning if your guests will not stay for a long time or there are no plans to sit around the table at all. It is better to devote the free time to tidy yourself up and greet the guests as if you spent the last half hour not cleaning, but a pleasant nothing-to-do.

How to make "emergency" cleaning no longer needed

The steps described are for situations where unexpected guests catch you off guard. But how to make sure that the house is always clean, and you no longer have to quickly hide things and plates in the cabinets? There are many techniques for this. However, the basis for achieving a consistent result is to make cleaning a daily routine (in a good sense of the word). Make it a goal for yourself to develop a cleanliness habit. Don't think of cleaning as something worth doing once a week. Give each room or zone in your apartment 10-15 minutes a day, but consistently and regularly - and your house will always be clean.

But don't set yourself high goals and don't turn on perfectionism. No one is obliged to live in sterile hospital conditions, everyone can be caught by random guests on a small hill of unwashed dishes. If this happens to you, use our advice. And do not worry - life is too beautiful to spend it on maintaining the image of the "ideal hostess" in the eyes of other people.

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Make a menu

Calculate how many people will be at your party and create a menu based on the number of guests.

It is better to find out in advance if any of the invitees are allergic to any foods. Perhaps some of the guests are eating a particular type of food, so try to diversify your food choices so as not to leave this person hungry.

Choosing a menu that will please all guests, you will express your sincere concern for them and your cordiality.

If the guests come with children, then also please them with something and. A separate small table is a good solution. So it will be more comfortable for adults and more fun for children.

Don't overdo it. It is better to impress guests with the taste of the prepared dishes, and not with their unprecedented amount. Consider decorating treats. After all, the aesthetic presentation is already half the success.

It is better to prepare a hot dish according to the recipe you have already tried, but you can experiment with salads. Don't forget fruit and vegetable cuts. They not only diversify the menu, but also serve as a decoration for the festive table, if you are creative in their presentation.

Once you've decided on the menu, make a shopping list. Add to it not only the main ingredients, but also other products that you need to purchase: bread, water, juices.

It is better to stock up on groceries gradually so that the large amount does not strike a sharp blow on your wallet and your mood, especially if you are planning to have a real feast. In this case, it is better to think in advance how much money you can allocate from your budget and start saving up for the holiday table.

Think over the setting

Prepare the furniture

Once you've decided on your guest list and your menu, think about how you will host everyone. Do you have a large table? Are there enough chairs to seat all the guests? Is there room for outerwear?

You may need to make a small rearrangement so that guests do not have to huddle. It is better to think over such details in advance so that they do not catch you by surprise at the very last moment.

If you have very little space in your apartment, and a lot of guests are expected, put a buffet table, ottomans, chairs or armchairs. Firstly, it is unusual, and secondly, you will have a place to dance. Plus, no one gets hurt by overeating.

Select dishes

Make sure you have enough plates, glasses and cutlery for all guests. Choose salad bowls and dishes for hot dishes in advance, as well as think over serving. Here are some ideas for inspiration.

If you are planning an extensive menu, and everything does not fit on the table, then there is an easy way to solve this problem. Do not serve hot dishes, such as mashed potatoes or chicken legs, on a shared platter, but serve each one separately. As a last resort, you can do the same with salads.

You may want to bring some of the guests a treat from the festive table with you. To do this, prepare many empty food containers, cling film or foil. In addition, you will definitely need them when you remove leftover food from the table. Do not put crystal vases in the refrigerator.

Create entertainment for guests

If you have a folding table, then wipe it completely from dust in advance and check if it needs to be repaired.

Wipe down any favors, lamps and candles, and any decorations you wish to place on the table.

What to do if guests are already on the doorstep

First of all, focus on the room where the guests will be. Remove all unnecessary things from sight. They can simply be moved into a closet or another room. Arrange your souvenirs, magazines, books and whatever is left on the shelves neatly. Wipe dust off all visible surfaces: coffee tables, low shelves, electronics. If you have a carpet or carpet runners, be sure to vacuum them. All this will take very little time.

Then go to the bathroom. If time is running out, just put some cosmetic order there. Remove excess towels and dirty clothes. Vacuum the toilet rugs and clean the mirror and taps. Put in new soap. Spread out the bath curtain so that the bathtub and shelves are not visible.

Guests may not go to the kitchen, but nevertheless wipe the table and the surfaces of the kitchen set. Remove leftover food. And if there are dirty dishes left, then try to hide it somewhere. If you don't have a dishwasher, use an oven for this. You can wash the dishes even after the guests have left.

Ventilate the apartment so that there is fresh air in all rooms. And don't forget to tidy yourself up!

Take it easy

Don't worry if things don't go according to plan. Any holiday is an occasion to meet with people close and dear to your heart, and not an assessment of your housekeeping skills. Be friendly and open, then the atmosphere in the house will become much more comfortable.

Probably, everyone has come across situations when they had to in a hurry to bring beauty to the house for the arrival of guests. Most often this happens when the news of the imminent arrival of visitors pops up unexpectedly. But it also happens that the owner of the home, having tuned in in advance for the upcoming meeting, for some reason postpones important preparatory measures until the last moment. In such cases, the presence or absence of daily maintenance of cleanliness in the room does not play a significant role: no matter how tidy a person is, everyday activities are always associated with a violation of order - to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, you can take anyone by surprise!

In such "emergency" circumstances, cleaning, as a rule, is done in a hectic way, and therefore often leads to breeding of real chaos, which is much more difficult to cope with. Of course, when minutes are counted, it is impossible to create a complete idyll. However, if you correctly outline an action plan and strictly follow the strategy, you can put absolute order in the house in the shortest possible time ... More precisely, create its appearance. Even the most discerning guest will have nothing to complain about in his mind!

Consider a few main points, the implementation of which will help you quickly give your home a presentable look and create a comfortable environment for receiving guests.

Unloading open surfaces: collecting and distributing small items

At the initial stage, it is necessary to free up all the monitored horizontal areas to the maximum. Small items that are still useful (for example, kitchen appliances, elements of interior decor, etc.), you just need to put aside for a while, while everything unnecessary should be completely removed from the field of view. To simplify this task and not rush from one room to another, it is best to take a spacious box or basin. Collect all the little things in one container and then, after wet cleaning, move around the house and "deliver" things to the appropriate "addresses".

If you have very little time, you can just leave all the “unnecessary” in the container and put it in the closet, and start sorting after the end of the guest visit. This saves tens of minutes!

Cleaning shelves, countertops and window sills with a damp cloth

For everyday care of cabinet and upholstered furniture upholstered with washable materials, instead of rags or gauze, it is better to use a microfiber napkin (such products do not leave lint, do not roll, do not fade, and are easily cleaned by rinsing with water). Quickly dust off the top shelves, then wipe down countertops and windowsills to remove debris and dirt. After that, put in place all the necessary items that you collected in the previous step of cleaning.

If beauty and comfort reign in the house, but the floors are dirty, then a good impression will be ruined. Fragments of debris felt by the feet when walking, dirt sticking to the socks ... It is unlikely that any of the guests will be able to feel comfortable noticing such an error!

Even if the floors in the house are cleaned regularly, they must be additionally treated before the arrival of visitors. The first thing to do is vacuum or sweep. At the same time, it is advisable to pay attention not only to carpets and rugs, but also to surfaces of floors free from fleecy coatings. This will greatly facilitate the passage of the next stage - wiping. It is good if the house has a robotic vacuum cleaner. Although it cannot provide perfect cleanliness, it is a great help when you need to get a lot of things done in a short time. Pet hair is easily removed from carpets using a laminate mop, the "working" part of which is made of microfiber, divided into many thick "macaroni".

As for the wet treatment of floors, they can be washed with both hands and a mop. This is a matter of habit and convenience. But it should be noted that in conditions of haste, the second option is most preferable. The most important thing is not to make circular and smearing movements. First, it is worth "walking" along the skirting boards and the corners of the furniture adjacent to the floor. Next, you should rinse the rag and wipe the main areas in the direction "towards yourself".

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Radiant beauty: bringing back the shine of reflective surfaces

If windows that have not been washed for a long time can be hidden behind curtains, then this trick will not work with mirrors! They are always in sight and attract attention. That is why home care must necessarily include cleaning them. Shining mirrors, devoid of streaks, streaks and greasy stains, ennoble and visually expand the space, emphasize the beauty of the interior, and enhance the feeling of coziness.

To make your mirrors crystal clear, you can use more than specialized products. If you run out of glass cleaner, simply dab a small amount of soap or dishwashing liquid on a sponge, then dampen it with water, lather, and wipe the mirrors. Next, remove the soap composition from the mirror surfaces with a clean, damp microfiber cloth and, without waiting for drying, wipe them dry with toilet paper or paper napkins (this will help to avoid streaks). By the way, it is incredibly convenient to use special reusable artificial suede wipes for effective cleaning of mirrors and glass. They efficiently clean smooth surfaces, completely eliminating streaks. If you are not yet familiar with such products, be sure to purchase the packaging and try it!

As for the glass doors of cabinet furniture, they are not important elements in the perception of the living space, since all attention usually goes to the items stored behind them. But if time permits, it will not be superfluous to clean them up.

Eliminate minor flaws

If dirty dishes remain in the kitchen, be sure to wash them, or at least just load them into the sink, away from prying eyes. Is there a dishwasher in the house? Fine! Then there will be no problems with washing dishes at all!

As for the cooker, its appearance is of great importance for the perception of the room. If the stove is dirty, but there is absolutely no time for proper processing, place a couple of pots or a kettle on its most visible edge, or cover its surface with foil (many housewives sometimes line foil around the burners for hygiene purposes, so that guests will not even think about that in this way stains of grease and scale were hidden from them). Hang a clean waffle towel over the oven door to quickly clean up the façade of a dirty stove.

Chrome parts and stainless steel elements can be polished with a cloth soaked in olive oil or baby cosmetic oil and then wiped off with a dry paper towel. Shining beauty is guaranteed!

Perform a control tour of the territory, and, if necessary, eliminate the remaining shortcomings: make the beds, fold the furniture pillows on the sofa, straighten the rugs, remove the rubbish, etc. If you wish, you can additionally ventilate the room or use a pleasant refreshing fragrance.