By the time company arrives at your door, many of your advance preparations may have crept slightly out of ship shape. In the half hour before they’re scheduled to knock, give your home a once-over to bring it back into order.

 

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If you have housemates or roommates, get them involved. That their work will be seen by the “public” before it is dirtied up again can be very motivating:

Living Areas

• Put away excess projects, magazines, books and errant laundry.
• Vacuum the areas where people walk most.

Kitchen

• Load newly dirtied dishes into the dishwasher. Or, if you don’t have time to wash by hand, cleaning expert Don Aslett advises putting them in the sink to soak in suds.
• Spot clean around the handles of your microwave and refrigerator.
• Wipe crumbs from countertops.
• Spot mop and dry the floor with a cleaning cloth.
• Empty the trash, so you’ll have room for more.

Bathrooms

• Check trash levels.
• Shine speckles from mirror and fixtures (dampened microfiber cloths work well).
• Replace tissue roll if necessary.
• Hang a fresh hand towel.

Breathe deep, smile and open your door wide. For more tasks that can be finished in two to nine minutes, click here.