Have you ever had someone say they will "swing by" in 30 minutes but your house is a mess? This is when you go into cleaning over drive. My house is usually a whirlwind of toys, office supplies, and product, so this happens to me often. Clients or friends are in the neighborhood and decide to stop by to look at product or have a coffee. Last week, a customer came over to have a skirt fitted. I had just come back from a show, so my house was a disaster! I had to clean and fast! How did I do it? 

Here are some tips to get your house looking presentable in 30 minutes or less. 

Throw your items into a basket

Honestly, this is the easiest way to get all the clutter out of sight -- fast. I organize my clutter into three piles: toys, office/business stuff, and other. I stick to baskets or boxes that have lids, so no one can see the horror that lies within. I make sure NOTHING that isn't destined for the trash is left on my surfaces.

Wipe down all surfaces

I make sure to wipe down all my counters, and tables (quickly) onto the floor. This may be difficult (read: impossible) if you have carpet, but most people have a hardwood, laminate, or tile in their common area. However, if you do have carpet just wipe the mess directly into a garbage can.

Sweep (or vacuum) away the mess

Once all the garbage is on the floor sweep it away. Chances are your floor has a few cracker crumbs (from your child) or scrap paper (from that pintrest project) on it. Sweeping all your garbage and dust away at the same time can save you a full 5 minutes on last minute cleaning. 

Empty the Trash

This is the most important step. You don't want anyone to know that you scrambled to tidy your home. You like to have people believe that your home is always this clean - even with kids! Emptying the trash helps you to remove all evidence that there was a mess in the first place. I like to put a little bit of paper or other "clean" trash in my bin to add to the facade. If you had JUST cleaned then your trash would be spotless, but since you "didn't clean" there should be trash in your bin. I hope you follow. 

Do you have a quick clean-up tip to share? Leave a comment below or send us a message on facebook or pintrest.