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[pattypeep]

My poor house has been so neglected for the past two months since I've been working on our rental to sell. I have basically just been hitting the high spots. We were expecting company Saturday morning and I ran around trying to figure out what I should do first to make things look better when I only had an hour or so. I walked into the bathroom since it's important to me to present a clean bathroom (and kitchen) and thought where do I start? I realized that what made the room look the worse was the mirror. When the mirror gets grungy the whole room looks bad. So I hit that first. What do you do first when you need a quick cleaning up? PS: I am normally a meticulous housekeeper; however, I have literally spent seven days a week on the rental for two months.

PS: I expect some funny comebacks, so don't disappoint me. LOL @ Chickenbut?

[QVCkitty1]

Dishes done , floor mopped, doors closed. 

[GenXmuse]

Spray some lemon pledge in the air! Smells like you’ve been cleaning. 

[Zhills]

Clean the mirrors, polish the fixtures and clean the inside the sinks.  They won't notice the rest!

Close your eyes....open them....clean what you see first!  So will they!

[151949]

Call an agency for a one time cleaning.

[Mominohio]

I've been where you are, house a disaster because of other commitments or illness, then having to set some priorities to make it at least look better and get started. 

Very first thing is pick up and put stuff away. Doesn't matter how clean a house is, if there is stuff....clothing, mail, dishes, books, throws, etc. laying around, the place looks dirty. So if I'm pressed and people are 'on the way', I'd even resort to throwing everything into a laundry basket and hiding it in a closet, basement etc. till they leave.

For me, animal hair would be next.. We have two cats and a dog in the house, and if the hair hadn't been swept up good from floors and furniture, I would have to start there. If you don't have shedding animals this isn't an issue.

Next it would be focusing on where the people would be. If they are only going to be on the main level of my house, I don't worry about the bedrooms or the lower level family room. I worry about the kitchen, the bathroom they might use, and the seating area that we will be visiting in. 

Clean floors are more important to me than dust on furniture. Windows that they may see, like front door glass, or the window in the room we will be sitting in either cleaned or the window treatments closed if they windows are really a mess.

Tidy and hitting the high spots goes a long way toward the illusion of 'clean'.! I like your point about mirrors. I would definitely hit the mirror, the toilet the sink and the floor. I've been known to draw the shower curtain and pray they don't look in there!

[Regal Bee]

I would pour everyone a glass of wine and say how busy I have been. Most people will understand.

[AuntG]

Yes, mirrors are a must. Toilet and sink too. Then toss any clutter in a basket. Do dishes, wipe counter and table. I don't give dusting or floors much of a thought because they get Swiffered every few days.

[Kachina624]

I always start by cleaning the floor, then work up.

[jannabelle1]

With only an hour to "spiff things up", I'd lightly clean the one bathroom guests might use. I'd run my little Dyson stick vacuum in the kitchen and area where guests would be to get the kitty fur off the floor, pick up any clutter and hide it somewhere, and last I would make sure the kitchen sink and counter tops are cleared and wiped down. Then get out a bottle of wine or pitcher of iced tea and relax and enjoy your guests. If they're not nit-picky about a perfect house, then they're good friends and they won't care!