I love throwing parties. After all, I did get my bachelor’s degree in event management so I do know a little bit about how to prepare for an event, how to keep the event running smoothly, and how to make sure that your lovely group of people will return for another excellent party. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Now, having company over? That’s a whole different ball game. Friends and family will never admit it, but when they come over for gatherings, they are judging your house. I’m sorry, y’all can deny it as much as you want but I know it’s true because I do the same exact thing.
The dirtiness, the way your furniture is arranged, what you’re serving, etc. That’s right, they’re judging (silently of course). Okay, okay maybe not everyone but I’d say about 85% (maybe more) are analyzing your home. When you apologize for the messiness, they all say the same thing, “I don’t care!” While it may be true that they don’t care, they are thinking, “Wow, does she ever clean? What’s that smell?”
Now since being a housewife, our house has been clean so I’m no longer embarrassed to have company over. But you better believe it when people used to show up unannounced (back when we both worked and the house was always messy), I used to cringe and try my hardest to shoo them out of the house as quickly as I could. Can you have a clean house when both you and hubby work? Of course, but Kevin and I used to be so tired that it hardly ever got done.
Dishes were always in the sink, the trash overflowing, laundry all over the place. Gross, I know. However; if I knew somebody was going to come over to the house in say fifteen minutes, I learned how to speed clean. Picture the Looney Tunes, Tasmanian Devil flying around cause that’s exactly what I looked like.
How to clean up a mess when company will be arriving in 30 minutes or less:
- Look at the floor, see things like laundry, dog toys, shoes? Quickly throw everything where it should be, put the laundry in the hamper, the dog toys in the crate, and the shoes where they belong.
- Always check the guest bathroom. I do my best to always keep that room clean. Kevin and I make sure that it never becomes a dump site anymore, because even company that shows up unannounced will usually need to use the bathroom. One time we had clothes all over the floor and the toilet looked as if it hadn’t been scrubbed in at least a month, ugh EMBARRASSING! Never again. No matter what, the guest toilet gets scrubbed down at least once a week, and everything gets wiped down with Clorox wipes.
- Quickly take the trash out and if you have time, at least put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher or put the clean ones away. Our kitchen sink is the first thing you see upon walking in our condo. I have noticed a big difference between when it’s overflowing with nasty dishes vs. empty. It makes a difference in the way your house looks. Personally when there isn’t dishes in the sink, I feel better, the house naturally smells fresher, and it creates this illusion for guests that you’re cleaner than you actually are. (Shhhhhhh…)
How to clean when you have company arriving within 24 hours:
- Along with everything I mentioned up above, there are a couple more things you can do to spruce up your house before company arrives. Instead of throwing your laundry on the bed or hamper, actually do something with it. Hang the clean clothes up, wash the dirty ones. Laundry, especially dirty, is an ugly sight to see.
- Sweep your floors, or if you’re feeling more daring, mop or vacuum! It’s always nice to not feel dirt, hair, and other tiny particles on your feet. I’m sure your guests will appreciate it as well.
- Clean your kitchen. Sweep, wipe down the counters, clean off the kitchen table.
- Light a candle about an hour before people come over or spray some Febreze around the house.
- If your company is going to be staying overnight make sure you put out some fresh towels, wash the sheets and pillow cases, and make sure the guest bedroom overall looks presentable. If you have the ingrediants, bake some cookies! Your house will smell nice and I have yet to meet anybody who does not enjoy a cookie upon arrival.
Those are just some ideas that I have learned since living on my own and being married. Like I said before, not everyone is judging or analyzing your home (relax). Some people honestly could care less if your house is a mess and those are the people I love having over. While it isn’t necessary to have a spotless house, it just helps ease my mind when the house is clean and ready for company.
What are things you do to prepare for company? New ideas are welcomed! Happy cleaning! 🙂
