Does your home always look like a hurricane hit it? If you´re busy with your business, chances are the kids strew their toys around, dishes pile up in the sink, laundry fills and overflows the hampers . . . it´s pretty much inevitable unless you hire someone to deal with the mess that daily living brings. And then someone knocks on the door. Panic ensues and things are hurled into closets, dishes are shoved under the sink and kids are instructed to sweep those candy wrappers under the couch, out of sight.

It can be pretty stressful when someone appears unexpectedly and you haven´t had time to tidy the place up! But there are a few things you can do to make your home appear nice and organized, even when you are really slaving away on your laptop and haven´t had time to cook a decent meal in days.

1. Wax the floor. Yeah, it takes some time, but guess what? It means stuff slides easier, which makes those pesky dust bunnies head right out the door when you swat them with a broom. AND, it also always looks like you JUST finished cleaning.
2. Fill the sink with soapy water. If you don´t have a dishwasher, fill your sink with soapy water and dump all those dishes right into the water. Don´t worry if it´s cold. Anyone showing up unexpectedly will assume you were in the middle of doing dishes and when you do get around to doing them, they´ll be nice and ready to just wipe clean and rinse. An added bonus, any mother-in-laws who pop in will probably feel obligated to “finish” the dishes for you!
3. Hang your towels. Dish towels, bathroom towels, etc. can all change the appearance of a room immensely by simply hanging them up and straightening them. Very quick to do and it can make your house look great.
4. Ban toys. Not completely, but if you make sure that the kids don´t play with toys in the kitchen or living room, you´ll be saving yourself a lot of last minute sweeps. Added bonus . . . no more Hot Wheels wedging themselves painfully between your toes. Keep toys restricted to the bedrooms or playroom and keep your house WAY neater.
5. Put small things in closed cupboards. Instead of storing CDs and DVDs on bookshelves, put them inside something with doors. This has two purposes. First of all, a smooth door looks way neater than a ton of CDs. Secondly, out of sight, out of mind . . . kids won´t be constantly pulling dozens of movies out and leaving them strewn about!
6. Bonus Tip: Keep flat surfaces clean. Just make a point of not putting stuff down on a flat surface like the table or counter. You´ll find that the whole place looks neater if these spots are clutter free.

We would all love to have a clean house, but sometimes it just isn´t possible to clean up to your desired standards and still meet those deadlines and actually let your kids know that you aren´t one with the computer. So, out of the equation, it´s pretty obvious that housework has to be the area that gets slacked on.

These tips can help you maintain the appearance of being a decent housekeeper without really spending any time on housework. At least until you get a break in the work and can spend some time doing a thorough cleanup. So, what are your tips for making your house look clean?

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