Are you planning on having a few guests over but haven’t had time to clean?
Have you been slacking on organizing but need your apartment to look neat in a hurry?
If you don’t have time to clean your place from top to bottom, don’t worry; there are some ways to fake it. Here are five things to do this weekend to fake a tidy apartment.
1. Pick Up Your Living Room
Chances are that if you have guests over, they’re going to spend time in your living room, so make that the first room you tidy up.
Start by grabbing an empty box and moving everything that doesn’t belong in the living room into another space. Hide it in your bedroom closet, stuff it under the bed, or put it in a spare bedroom if you have one.
Once everything that doesn’t belong in the living room is out, start organizing the things that belong there. Arrange your remote controls neatly on your coffee table or television stand. Stack books and magazines neatly on your coffee table, or fit them into your bookshelf. Go through your mail and get rid of any junk mail that’s piled up.
Fluff your pillows, position them perfectly on the couch, and give them a quick center chop to create a magazine-worthy look. Open the blinds or curtains, wipe down your windows with glass cleaner, and do a quick dusting of your shelves and window ledges.
When you’re all done, light a candle or turn on a diffuser to make the room smell good!
2. Straighten Up Your Bathroom
Once your living room looks nice and neat, it’s time to tackle the bathroom. If you’re having guests over, this is one room they’re likely to use!
Wipe down your mirrors so they’re free of soap splashes and splattered toothpaste. Remove as many things as you can from your countertop and stash them in your medicine chest or in a cabinet beneath your sink. When your countertops are clutter-free, wipe them down, along with your faucets and sink.
Sweep or vacuum the floor, straighten the towels on your towel rack, and add a few hand towels for guests. Close your shower curtain, put a fresh roll of toilet paper on the dispenser, and empty the trash.
If your toilet isn’t sparkling clean, grab a brush and get scrubbing. A dirty toilet will instantly make your apartment look and feel grimy, even if everything else is clean.
3. Make Your Kitchen Look Perfect
In the kitchen, remove as much as you can from your countertops. Make use of any extra room you have in cabinets or drawers to free up counter space. The less clutter you have on your counter, the tidier your kitchen will look.
If you have dishes in the sink, load them into the dishwasher or wash them by hand. If you hand wash them, dry them and put them away immediately — don’t leave them on the countertop.
When your counters are empty as can be, clean them with a disinfectant wipe to get rid of any crumbs or grime.
Give the floors a quick sweep or vacuum. When you’re all done, remember to empty the trash. If you work swiftly, you can clean your kitchen in one afternoon!
4. Tidy Up Your Bedroom
The quickest way to make your bedroom look neat and clean is to make your bed. Tighten up those sheets, pull up the comforter, and fluff your pillows. It only takes a few minutes to make a bed, but it will make a huge difference.
If you have shoes and clothes piled up on the floor or draped over the back of a chair, put them all in your closet. If you have some extra time, you should hang, fold, and organize your wardrobe. But if you’re in a hurry, you can always close your closet door to hide the mess. The mess won’t magically disappear, but at least it won’t be visible.
5. Straighten Up Your Entryway
The entryway is an often-overlooked area in many apartments. Yet it’s the first thing people see when they walk through your door.
The good news is that it’s usually the smallest area of the home, so it should be quick and easy to straighten up.
Start by wiping down any mirrors you have on the wall.
If you have a coat rack or wall hooks to hang outerwear, empty them as much as you can. It’s perfectly fine to leave one or two jackets hanging by the door, but if your entryway is flooded with coats, try to find room for them in your bedroom closet.
Do you have a collection of shoes piled up by the door? Put them in your bedroom, either under the bed or in the closet. If your bedroom closet is full, one alternative is to place them in a shoe basket or bin by the door.
Is there a pile of mail stacked up on your entryway table? Weed through it or, at the very least, put it all into a small box or bin so it’s better contained.
Last but not least, sweep and vacuum the floor. If you have a welcome mat, shake it out in the hallway to get rid of any leaves, dirt, or outside debris.
Conclusion
The best way to make an apartment neat and tidy is to fully declutter it, clean it from top to bottom, and organize it as much as you possibly can. But when you’re in a rush or planning to host an unexpected guest on short notice, there are some ways around it.
Faking a tidy apartment sometimes means having to stash things where they don’t belong. And while that may be your only option, it’s not the ideal way to live.
Once you’ve made your apartment look tidy, sit back and enjoy it. Hopefully, the appearance of a neat home will give you the motivation to actually clean when you have time.
Author Bio:
Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with Reserve at Carrollton to help them with their online marketing.
