One of the biggest fears of having guests over at the last minute is to welcome them into a messy home. But faking a clean house can save your day.
A home expert shares some clever tips to make your home look fresh within minutes when you don’t have the time or energy to invest in deep cleaning.
How to ‘fake clean’ your house within minutes
You must remember the tricks demonstrated by the home expert aren’t a substitute for actual cleaning. Faking a clean home only makes your place look tidy and dirt-free while you still have to clean it thoroughly to ensure it’s hygienic.
But when you have only a few minutes on hand, do the below.
3 places to vacuum
The first trick is to vacuum select places in the house where the dirt is more evident and easily visible.
TikTok user Neat Caroline suggests vacuuming the entryway, bathroom, and kitchen while leaving the rest of the area as is for a deep cleaning later.
What to do in the bathroom
Your bathroom floor already looks clean from the first tip. To make it look neater, all you need to do is empty the wastebasket and replace it with new ones.
Then, swap out hand towels and add fresh ones. The bathroom is one place most guests use during their visitation regardless of the length of their stay.
How to keep the window
Caroline recommends cracking open the window to let in the fresh air. This also helps reduce stench or odor, making your home smell fresh naturally.
You can always use a room freshener or light an incense stick for an additional touch, but simply letting the air in will make a lot of difference.
Take care of the pillows and blankets
Fluff your pillows when there’s no time to change the pillowcase and make sure all your blankets are well-folded. If you live with pets, use a lint roller to remove hair instantly.
Don’t forget the sinks
A dirty sink is the last thing you want your guest to see. So clean the sinks in the bathroom and kitchen using an all-purpose cleaner.
Use the same to clean your kitchen counter too as it often accumulates dirt while cooking.
How to declutter quickly
Decluttering can be time-consuming because you need to sort the things you need and the others to be thrown away.
But when you don’t have time to do it, use a bin to toss all your living room clutter and push it underneath the table. You can always clear it later. Last but not least, lay out a vase filled with fresh flowers in our living room.
Caroline Solomon is a Home Organizing & Lifestyle Expert based in New York. She’s best known for her videos on TikTok demonstrating simple home tips, which have gained her over 287,000 followers.
