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Cleaning is a never ending job. It’s the one thing that you could all day long, and tomorrow it’ll just look like you sat on your fanny eating dippin’ dots and binge watching Jessica Jones on Netflix.

At least that’s how I feel sometimes! I clean and clean and I wake up in the morning and wonder what the fork happened.  I do the dishes every night and in the morning, when I wake up, the sink is somehow magically full of dirty dishes again.  It’s like I have an anti-dish fairy sometimes.  But that’s ok.  It just comes with the territory of living with other two-legged creatures who can’t seem to remember what the dishwasher is for. (or the trashcan for that matter, but I’ll save that for another day). 😜

So, because I’m not perfect, and I’m ok with that… sometimes I cheat. If someone needs to drop by I do a little pretending. It’s not lying. It’s just stretching the truth just a bit on those random days when life takes over and I don’t want to look like a total slob who just ignores the state of my home.

Here’s 5 SNEAKY Cleaning Tricks You Can Do When Your House is Dirty and Someone Needs to Stop By.

 

1. Put on an apron and run water in the sink.

The apron is the subliminal signal you can use to communicate that you’ve got your “home-keeping” hat on.  Why else wear an apron if you’re not working away the day?

(How cute is this pineapple one?  Or this fish one?)

And then run water in your sink, throw some dish soap in there and make it look like you are soaking all your dishes or are about to wash them.  Just putting your apron on is the best trick of all.  I pretty much wear my apron all day long and if someone stops by, then I’m all ready. hehehe.

• Related: How to Make a Vintage Style Apron.

2. Pull the vacuum out (<= my fav) and plug it in.

Nothing shouts out that your home is clean better than the big, monster dust sucker being hooked up and running.

When you see your short-notice visitor start walking up the driveway or sidewalk, turn it on and start vacuuming right by the front door.  Then act surprised like you didn’t see them. You’re just too busy getting the housework done! You’ll impress for sure.

• Related: 9 Awesomely Random Cleaning Tips

3. Drop some cleaner in the downstairs toilet in case you think they might want to go in there.

I know my toilets could use lots of extra cleaning.  My youngest son uses our downstairs bathroom as his main bathroom because he hates using the bathroom upstairs because his older brother keeps it in quite a state.  So the “guest” bathroom downstairs is always in need of attention, too.

After you squeeze some cleaner (<= what I use!)  in your toilet, just swish for just a second and make it look like they caught you in the middle of cleaning your bathroom. Ya know. Like they do in public bathrooms? kwim?

• Related: How to Freshen a Really Stinky Bathroom (the kind that boys use)

4. Laundry piling up by the laundry room?

Never fear.  Take a minute and make it look totally intentional.

Just dump it all in the floor and sort it into piles (whites, darks, towels, etc) really quickly. Make like it’s actually laundry day. You could even greet them at the front door with a handful of socks and be like… “I’ll be right back… I’m just getting the mountains of laundry done today!”

You’ll look like a laundry-rock-star.

5. Haven’t seen your friends in a while?

Keep some fake get well cards on the mantel and make it look like you’ve been sick. Throw a cough or two in for good measure when you’re talking to your guests.

I mean…Who cleans when they are sick? 😜 😜 😜

Life is hard enough.

Don’t beat yourself up about not having a sparkling clean house all the time!

I hope some of these tips make you smile and perhaps, will actually be of use! (honestly, the last one is just kind of funny. I don’t think I’d ever actually do that, 😇  but I think it’d be pretty hysterical if someone had the guts.

Do you have any other sneaky cleaning tricks?  Let me know down in the comments below!

xoxo

Gwen