Home & Garden

Your boss just called, and she's planning to drop something off at your house.

Quick -- what do you clean first?

If you only have five minutes until she pulls in the driveway and is headed toward your door, you're not thinking about the rotting cucumber in the back of the crisper drawer.

But you SHOULD be thinking about how to fake a clean house.

So where should you start?

1. Shove the small stuff in the area around the front door (or back door if that's your main entrance) out of sight.

2. Dirty dishes look better IN the sink than scattered throughout the house, but an empty sink looks best -- load your dishwasher. Clothes can be thrown in the hamper, and mail, books, DVDS, piled neatly.

3. Keep a small basket or bucket near the door, and carry it through the main rooms of your house shoving small stuff in there (keys, LEGOs, dirty tissues) to sort later.

4. Swiffer the dustiest/dog-hairiest spots as you go.

Have extra time?

Grab a rag and anti-bacterial spray. Hit your kitchen counters first followed by your bathroom  -- they're the germiest areas of the house and the ones that will embarrass you the most.

Clear the dining room table and turn on the coffee pot (fresh scent of coffee plus a nice cup of joe for your guest).

What are your best tricks for a fake clean?

Image via Elizabeth/Table4Five/Flickr