This post is from Jen Wilson of Hey, Mrs. Wilson!
If you’re anything like me, you’d rather work on your couch groove while watching bad TV than do housework. My husband and I usually distribute housework in accordance to who is working more hours outside the house, meaning that the person who is home most of the day usually has more chores than the one who is away all day. We’ve gone back and forth quite a few times in our five and a half years of marriage as to who’s been home more and I always found, during my more-time-at-home stints, that I’d look at the clock and have 15 minutes to spare before he got home and the house would be in worse shape than it was when he left. I would panic, look around, and end up doing nothing.
A couple years ago, after a couple days of him getting frustrated at coming home to a disastrous house, I learned that I didn’t have to ACTUALLY clean the house, I just had to make it LOOK like I did. I developed a Super-Quick Clean-Looking House Plan. Now I could do what I wanted all day and still have him think that I was the bestest wife ever.
Here’s a couple super-quick tips for a clean-looking home you can do in the last 10-15 minutes before your spouse/partner comes home:
1. Consolidate the dishes. Your counter is cluttered with dishes that you do not want to do. If you stack them, it’ll look like there’s a lot less than there actually is. My dad constantly told us as kids to STACK THE DISHES ALREADY, and now it’s paying off! (I should mention here that we do not have a dishwasher, although this may also work even if you do have one.)
2. Consolidate the laundry. You’ve got two or three laundry baskets full of laundry that you don’t feel like folding. Stuff them all into one basket! See? There’s really only ONE basket of laundry to fold (later)!
3. Consolidate the clutter. You just cleared out at least one laundry basket. Now take that basket and take a quick walk around your kitchen and living room. Put all the clutter (paper, toys, random items, and such) that you see into that laundry basket. Then hide it in your closet and give your counters a quick wipe. Look! Clean clutter-free surfaces!
4. Take a baby wipe or two to the bathroom. Cleaning the bathroom has got to be the worst chore EVER, but now it’s easy! First, push all your products to one side of the counter and then give the counter and sink a quick wipe with the baby wipe. Remember, it doesn’t have to BE clean, it just has to LOOK clean. Then, do the same to the toilet, if you feel like it. Voila! A clean(-looking) bathroom!
5. If you find yourself with a couple extra moments to spare, throw in a load of the easiest laundry to do. See? You even have housework IN PROGRESS!
As a finishing touch, get one of your kids to sit at the window and tell you when they see your significant other coming to the door. When they give you the signal, quickly run into the kitchen and pretend that you’re starting dinner. My goodness, you are so productive!
With my maternity leave starting in 8 short weeks, I’m already planning how to make it look like I can have a newborn AND a clean house at the same time.
PS: This also works for last-minute company. Or, your in-laws.
Jen writes at her personal blog, Hey, Mrs. Wilson! and is terrified of giving birth to a 15-pound baby.
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That’s pretty sound advice, unless your kids are snitches. I shall use some of this.
Twitter Name: penbleth
Nah, they’re not snitches. They follow my example (which makes me proud and makes me cringe all at the same time).
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
This is both brilliant and sneaky. I love it.
Thanks Bethany!! It’s obviously not how I clean *all* the time, but it works wonderfully in a pinch. :)
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
I do the “Baby wipe” thing all the time, except with those Clorox wipe thingies. Making the bed is a big one – especially since I just have a duvet, so it takes about a minute to straighten the pillows and throw the duvet over, and it makes a difference to how the room feels.
I *properly* cleaned the bathroom because my little sister was coming to visit this weekend – and she immediately got toothpaste spots and water ALL OVER the mirror. I cleaned it again – and not 10 minutes later, it was all splashed again. I was oh, oh so annoyed. And then she left her wallet here and I had to drive to Nanaimo to deliver it. GOSH. *ahem*
(Not to say that I don’t love her madly, of course! But, well, you know!)
Aren’t sisters FUN? :)
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
Hehehe….I’ve already been following some of those words of advice for YEARS. And then he’s SO impressed with how awesome the house looks. I LOVE that! You gave me a couple more ideas that I can sneak in though, so thanks!
Twitter Name: sharonkurheg
You’re welcome!
I may not get away with this anymore though, as he’s now read the post. Whoops!
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
Well, if I start working from home in May, I’ll be incorporating these tips int omy daily life.
Do it! You’ll never look back. :)
(Although, for real, don’t ever look in my closets!)
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
jen, you are awesome.
and helpful.
and hey, you should guest post on my blog sometime. if you want.
Any time, my dear.
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
Brilliant. I’ll be sure to stack the dishes before my husband comes home from work.
The clothes, I may just get rid of ; )
Twitter Name: Yara Aguilar
That’s what closets are for!
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
I use some of those moves too. I find that a clean kitchen goes a long way toward making the whole house look clean. That’s always priority #1. After that comes ‘consolidate clutter and close the door on it.’
I totally agree. Since I can no longer reach the sink, though (8 months pregnant), my husband has been in charge of the kitchen. That’s even easier than my stacking the dishes!
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
Burning a scented candle always makes the house feel homier and somehow more inviting. Laundry may be piled on the couch, goldfish may be ground into the floor, dishes may be over flowing sink, but damn! Make it smell nice and the messiness seems to melt away. Or, at least it does in my mind.
If all else fails, have a closet you can shove everything into quickly just before your hubby comes home. Tell him you keep your tampons in there and he’ll never want to open the door.
Twitter Name: aimeewhitbread
You’re brilliant!
Also, the candle, I love that idea. I really don’t burn enough candles. I need to remedy that.
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
I wish I could take credit for the candles. My stay-at-home husband does it and I fall for it. Every. Single. Time.
But I’ll never shy away from being called brilliant. Cheers!
Twitter Name: aimeewhitbread
Brilliant. I don’t even have kids and I’m going to use some of these tips!
Oh, you don’t have to have kids to do it, just other human beings entering/living in your home. :)
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
I live by these rules. I spent every day of my maternity leave plus every Monday (my day off) doing nothing all day then spending 15 minutes cleaning up. I always start throwing clothes in the washer when I hear hubs coming up the driveway, then I look productive, plus side most of the clothes probably came off the floor in the living room so I kill 2 birds with one stone.
Twitter Name: unknwndreamer
Brilliant!
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
I really really try to get all my chores done prior to sitting my ass on the couch. I’d say it works 37% of the time. For the rest of the time, I’m going to use these tips.
Twitter Name: DTKMMeLookCrazy
I always *intend* to do that, but I’m the ultimate procrastinator, so …
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
This is fantastic!!!!! i definitely will try this !!!! <3
Twitter Name: omgimonhere
You won’t regret it.
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
Oh yes. Substitute the baby wipes for Bleach (Clorox?) wipes and you can do the whole house like this, and not have to worry about germs.
The best part about this (and I’ve been doing most of this for AGES), is that when it’s Husband’s turn to clean the house he can’t figure out how I
A. manage to get it done with two kids
B. Get it done so fast.
So I look even better, while being the ultimate AimingLow wife!
Twitter Name: NearlyNQ
We actually use the Clorox ones on the toilet when we’re “for real” cleaning the toilet. But, in a pinch, baby wipes are my friend.
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
here is my problem: I need to find a husband for this to work otherwise it’s me no matter how much time I work out of my house.
Works for surprise company, too. :)
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
This post makes me happy and sad.
Happy because I am glad I am not the only one looking to make the house ‘appear’ cleaner with less effort.
Sad, because I don’t have baby wipes anymore since our youngest left diapers. This is not helping the baby fever! lol.
As someone stated in a comment earlier, those Clorox wipes work as well. :)
Twitter Name: heymrswilson
This is the first time I see two of my favorite tricks anywhere: stacking dishes & taking a basket to the clutter (to go through later…or throw out, whatevs). It’s like Christmas. Yay! Another favorite of mine is to leave cleaning products out…like say on the bathroom counter. Works GREAT for company. A few bottles and cans of cleaners and a strategically placed broom or mop tells your unannounced guest (read: MIL) you really are a clean freak only they interrupted you when you were just about to start your cleaning frenzy. Sigh. You’ll have to get to it later so that you can give them your undivided attention. Pity.
It doesn’t have to look clean, it just has to look DIFFERENT. (and not because you left candy wrappers on the couch.) just saying.
Sometimes, if I am really feeling ambitious, I will run some super hot water in the sink and dump in a couple capfuls of pine sol. That smell lingers a while and says “I HAVE BEEN CLEANING” as soon as someone walks in the door.
Twitter Name: Beccanurse
Sorta used this again today. Too hot to get much packed,plus I don’t really feel like it after the gas company fiasco. So, I took all I had packed last night & loaded my truck. Magically empty living room! I did SO MUCH today! Hahaha
Twitter Name: Yara Aguilar