Status: 13.01.2024, 16:24 PM
By: Andrea Stettner
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Visitors are on the horizon and chaos reigns in your apartment? Don't worry: 30 minutes is enough to get the apartment in shape in a flash.
During the holidays, there is traditionally a visit to relatives. If you don't have the necessary time to polish your apartment to a high gloss between decorating the Christmas tree, cooking and wrapping presents, you don't have to worry about it. Just a few minutes are enough to make your own four walls presentable.
1. Focus on the visible areas when tidying up and cleaning
If you want to tidy up and clean quickly, focus only on the areas that your guests actually get to see. Usually the living room, kitchen and bathroom. Close the door to the rest of the rooms, then the laundry chaos in the bedroom remains hidden from the guests.
Also make sure that the entrance area is tidy – this is where a lot of things can quickly accumulate. Superfluous jackets and shoes, for example, can be quickly stored in an unused room. Additional hangers create space for guests' wardrobe. After the holidays, it may be time to clean out your wardrobe thoroughly.
Quickly wipe the visible dust from the window sills and tidy up a bit before the guests arrive. (Symbolic image) © Westend61/Imago
2. Fast round with the basket
For a successful evening with guests, you don't need a complete cleaning. Instead, focus on removing objects lying around from the visible areas.
Tidying expert Roxanna Pelka from the mediation portal Helpling has this tip ready: "Have a box or basket ready in which you can store smaller items. So you can throw anything that disturbs the view into the box without further ado to clear the surfaces. Then store the box in a cupboard or under a table to take the clutter out of sight," the portal said in a statement. Once the guests are gone, you'll have time to move the items from the box to their proper place.
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3. Spruce up the living room and kitchen
It is well known that the living room and kitchen are the places where visitors spend the most time. Often the kitchen is already integrated into the living room – so unfortunately the possibility of simply closing the door from the worst chaos is eliminated here. However, a flash cleaning also ensures order and cleanliness – at least visually. And the best thing about it: the whole thing takes no more than 10 minutes:
Living room:
- wipe once damp over the table and TV
- Vacuuming crumbs from couch and armchairs with handheld vacuum cleaner
- Shake up the sofa cushions and drape them neatly
- Folding the couch blanket
- Stack magazines and books neatly
- Straighten the decoration
Kitchen:
- put dirty dishes in the dishwasher
- if you don't have a dishwasher or if it's already full: hide dirty plates in the cupboard or in an unused room
- Wipe work surfaces with a damp cloth
For all those who don't like to tidy up their kitchen, Marie Kondo has a tip.
4. Trim the bathroom or guest toilet to a high gloss
Even if the guests are at the door in five minutes, you should definitely use this time to take a last look at the bathroom or guest toilet. The disgust factor is greatest here and someone is guaranteed to always have to go to the toilet:
- Use a damp cloth and a little detergent to wipe over the toilet seat and the rim of the toilet bowl
- remove visible traces in the toilet with the toilet brush
- Wipe the sink and mirror with a damp microfibre cloth, then dry
- Refill with hand soap and toilet paper if needed
- Collect visible dust lint and hair on the floor with a moistened piece of kitchen roll and discard.
5. Handheld vacuum cleaner for the coarsest dust on the floor
When time is of the essence, it's too late to vacuum your home thoroughly again – especially since dusting can cause trouble on Sundays and public holidays. However, visible "dust mice" as well as coarse dirt or crumbs can also be removed with a handheld vacuum cleaner. And what you don't see, the guests will hardly notice.