AIBU where can I cut corners

[MiniPumpkin]

Have a guest coming (family) tomorrow night from Canada. Staying in my spare room. House really is a tip, reason being we have both had a long week at work, 2 young kids. Please god send me your quick house blasting tips.. other than getting off mumsnet 🤣

Hide clutter in a cupboard for now, having open spaces makes everything seem tidier.

Make sure you hover under the edge of the sofa and edges of rooms. It instantly lifts a room.

Focus on a clean kitchen and bathroom, those are the areas people are most perturbed by being a mess.

But most important...... relax! They are coming to see you, not your house. You have young children, and if they judge the mess that comes with them, the are not worth bothering with.

Set a timer. Give yourself half an hour to clean each room. Then still see what needs doing at the end.

You can do anything for 15 mins and you can do a lot more in that time than you think.

1. Set a timer for 15mins and put some music on loud. Grab a bin bag and collect all the rubbish and recycling from every room. You’ll probably finish before 15 mins are up.

1. Which bathroom will the guest be using? 15 mins in there. Spray cleaning products around, put peach in the loo and start scrubbing. Work from top to bottom, furthest corner to the door. Get things off the counter tops whenever possible. Less is more.

1. Kitchen - 15 mins - empty or fill the dish washer or sink. Clean all surfaces and put things away. Empty surfaces are easier to clean.

1. 15 mins (and only 15 mins!) - take a break.

1. Into the guest bedroom for 15 mins. Move out anything that doesn’t need to be there and then dust and polish. Maybe vacuum if you have time.

6.living room - 15 mins do the same.

1. Floors - don’t move furniture, just a quick vacuum or mop.

1. 15 minute break. That was 90 mins of cleaning - it should have made a difference.

In your shoes I'd do the kitchen, bathrooms and spare room (including clean bedding) today.

Then tomorrow work on maintaining those and spend an hour on each other room, interspersed with laundry if I had a pile of that to do.

I have what I call 'The Carrier Bag of Doom'. each room has a carrier bag of doom in it and I put in everything that does not belong into it. Then when it is full I go through of it. Some of it will be chucked and other things will be put back where they ought to be. (Another MNetter said once she had a Box of Doom. I thought it was inspired but I had no boxes so Carrier Bag of Doom it is).

It is quite amazing how just sweeping things up that do not belong somewhere can make a room look alot better instantly.