What do you do when someone unexpectedly phones and says they’re in the area and asks would it be alright for them to pop in? In my case, I usually run around like mad trying to do a little tidy up to make the house look a bit more presentable. It is for this reason I aim to have certain parts of my home in an 'acceptable state' with dishes hidden away in the dishwasher, the toilet and bathroom fresh and clean and the floor swept.
Unfortunately this week when my aunty and cousin paid an impromptu visit, I hadn’t yet tackled the housecleaning and these ‘essentials’ weren’t done. I could have sunk through the floorboards when my cousin asked to use the bathroom. If only it had been as clean and tidy as the one above. Sadly, I don’t think my guests noticed that I’d spent a whole day the previous week (in between keeping a toddler busy and attempting toilet training) cleaning out our fridge, or that they would have known the pantry and linen cupboard were looking immaculate after I'd finally made a start on my spring cleaning.
In Shannon Lush’s book Speed Cleaning, her suggestion for a quick ten minute clean includes a quick tidy up (she recommends hiding items in a spare room), stacking dishes neatly in the sink or in the dishwasher, putting papers in a neat pile, throwing a tablecloth on the table, wiping door frames with a lavender oil impregnated cloth (to give a fresh smell), scrubbing the toilet and sweeping outside the front door.
What would be on your ‘last minute’ list?
Unfortunately this week when my aunty and cousin paid an impromptu visit, I hadn’t yet tackled the housecleaning and these ‘essentials’ weren’t done. I could have sunk through the floorboards when my cousin asked to use the bathroom. If only it had been as clean and tidy as the one above. Sadly, I don’t think my guests noticed that I’d spent a whole day the previous week (in between keeping a toddler busy and attempting toilet training) cleaning out our fridge, or that they would have known the pantry and linen cupboard were looking immaculate after I'd finally made a start on my spring cleaning.
In Shannon Lush’s book Speed Cleaning, her suggestion for a quick ten minute clean includes a quick tidy up (she recommends hiding items in a spare room), stacking dishes neatly in the sink or in the dishwasher, putting papers in a neat pile, throwing a tablecloth on the table, wiping door frames with a lavender oil impregnated cloth (to give a fresh smell), scrubbing the toilet and sweeping outside the front door.
What would be on your ‘last minute’ list?
Image above from Sang An Photography
I always follow my Gran's rule about never leaving a room without taking something with you. I leave little piles at the bottom of the stairs, to take up next time I go upstairs.... so I am constantly doing a 10 minute clean as I move from task to task. Love Shannon and all her tips. Yes, the impromptu visits do keep you on your toes, don't they!... especially with a little one! A-M xx
ReplyDeleteI always make all the beds as soon as we're up so that is one job out of the way. I usually make sure the kitchen bench is tidy, toilets clean (boys are so messy!) and ironing basket hidden in the spare room :) xx
ReplyDeleteOooooo... this is a great post Amanda! My last min list would be toys toys toys, they are always EVERYWHERE! But I find that just fluffing up the cushions and placing them on the lounge nicely and grabbing the nappy bag and often shopping bags and throwing them in Wills room helps a lot :) I know what you mean though, it's murpheys law that you would have just tidied something that isn't seen. Jxx
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing to me is to have a clean and fresh bathroom. Then a general tidy up isn't so bad... People understand. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh for me, now my 4 children are in school, before we leave in the morning, i whip around to ensure all the counters are clean & clear, toilets flushed (yes, even when they are older & in school!!) wipe down basins & the loungeroom squared away. Just in case any one pops in when they know i'm home (as i often go straight to my studio part of the house). When i had 4 under 5 at home, i'd do the same when my husband was due home, toys away to wrap up the day & keeping toys in one room - not bedrooms & a play room, as you bet they'll drag them all around the place!! Love Posie
ReplyDeleteProbably curling up into the fetal position. No, definitely the bathroom and kitchen get top billing.
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't like the drop in visit for that very reason. Our house is rarely spotless but is sometimes tidier than others and I hate people seeing it at its worst. I'm with you on the floors being swept, the loo being clean and as Shannon suggests, putting the piles of papers that my husband loves to leave everywhere in the one tidy pile.
ReplyDeleteFunny isnt it!? My list sounds like yours, always essential clean areas. We only live in a small place so our kitchen,dining and living is all one big open plan but it means that one basket of toys or one pile of dirty dishes looks like a disaster! I make beds as soon as I get out of bed, clean the bathroom and toilet when I go there straight away and kitchen is done after brekky while kids demolish the lounge room lol. I hate those impromptu visits that leave you wanting to say 'well if you were here last week, the house was like a palace!, and I did the shopping!,and I was an awesome parent!, and I did the gardening and we even did craft! but alas this is the wrong week' :)
ReplyDeleteDefinietly bathroom as it gets messy quickly with all the gardening and renovating mess, especially muddy patches from hand washing. Other than that I clear a patch on the kitchen bench and hope fo the best.
ReplyDeleteMost of my friends know I'm not the tidiest person. Oh well!
xx
It's probably the same things in your list. Sometimes it's hard to keep a home immaculately clean because we have to attend to other duties. Enjoy a lovely day! Kellie xx
ReplyDeleteI usually give the bathroom a quick clean, sweep the floor and shove anything that's lying around into our bedroom. By the time I've done this I don't think there'd be time for wiping the door frames with lavender! I wish I could be one of those people who always has an immaculate home.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. Why is it that people never come over when your house is perfect? After spend days cleaning I usually think, "what a waste of time cleaning the house..I could have spent that time sewing". When I have dropped the ball that is usually when my husband and his boss pop in for lunch!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see I'm not the only one who freaks out a tad at last minute visits :)
ReplyDeleteSarah Elizabeth - I agree, I'd never have time for lavendar on door frames :) I do have a room spray that I like to spray around the house a bit though
Oh Amanda, I so know how it feels when someone pops in and even though you have spent many hours doing lots of things in the house...it appears as though you haven't lifted a finger...but I think I have become old enough and wise enough now, so that I don't beat myself up over it anymore (OK...maybe I still do!). I really need to get a copy of that book:) Hope you are having a lovely week with your sweet Grace. Hugs as always ~ Txx
ReplyDeleteHa, ha seems like so many people really care what other people think. One thing I try to remember is that some of my dearest friends (with kids) have houses that get messed up too, and I don't think twice. In fact do your quick run around and say, "the house was perfect an hour ago, argh kids". Even if it wasn't! :)x I hear you though! x
ReplyDeleteI spray air freshener, wipe off my kitchen counters and quickly sweep the floors with my electric broom.
ReplyDeleteWIPING DOOR FRAMES WITH LAVENDER OIL?!!!? Is she kidding?! tee hee, I reckon just picking up everything in sight and ramming it into a cupboard when stricken by emergency!! I am nearly always anal about keeping the house relatively tidy but it is always on the day you dont that visitors unexpectedly drop around! I feel your pain...
ReplyDeleteThis is such a timely post as we had an unexpected visit over the weekend! I usually try to keep everything relatively tidy, just in case. But my kitchen and dining area are looking a little worse for wear today!
ReplyDeleteWe live in the country. Pop in is a fact of life. I am resigned to the fact that no one will ever visit when my house is looking fantastically clean and tidy but they will all come when it is a tip. Mind you I still get stressed if it is awful. Usually I shove the dishes away and clear the benches, that always helps.
ReplyDeleteHousework is not my strong point I'm afraid, so my quick tidy up is the toilets, the kitchen sink and the Number 10 dumping ground: the dining room table.
ReplyDeleteIf they're all done, I feel OK...then again, I still feel OK if they're not....sort of.
Lesley
I don't get too many visits at the last minute thankfully because it would stress me out a bit. But if I do get a visit at the last minute I usually hide my washing in the washing machine so it's not sitting in the basket for everyone to see, dishes in the dishwasher and bedroom doors closed to hide mess.xo
ReplyDeleteHi there! Just made it over to your blog after your comment on mine (a bit behind!). It looks lovely and I can so relate as I want to make my house a home as well! Off to look through your posts ;)
ReplyDeleteHaha, I'm exactly like that! I get SO stressed that I'm mostly just running around doing nothing:)
ReplyDeleteI wonder what they did before we had telephone?!
Have a great weekend!
Nina
( Thank your for the compliments on my paintings :)
The oven makes for wonderful storage in a pinch :)
ReplyDeleteLove the lavender oil idea
XO L
this post made me laugh out loud, i go into major panic mode when someone says they are popping over!
ReplyDeleteI would have thought lavander oil would attract dust .... hmmm maybe not. I like to stack and close doors ... as a quickie I use the washer from the bath to run round the hand basin ... also vanilla air freshener :) best le
ReplyDeletelove the image! I go a bit of advice about this very thing a year or so ago... a wise woman told me that she doesn't sweat her house cleaning woes anymore. She fusses over her guests instead - surprise or planned - and pours her energy into them. She said it's the conversation and their time in your home that they remember, not it's cleanliness. Wise words indeed. xo
ReplyDelete