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12 Genius Ways To Fake A Clean Home When You Need To

WRITTEN by CHRISSY, LAST UPDATED ON August 15, 2024

& FILED IN Household Chores 

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No one has a perfectly clean house all the time. Even if you keep up with your chores, there are always areas that could use a little more attention. The good news is that there are ways to fake a clean home and make it look like you have everything under control, and it doesn’t have to take lot of time. Here’s a few ways to trick your eye (or a guests!) whenever you need to.

12 Genius Ways To Fake A Clean Home - Whenever You Need One!


When you’ve got guests coming over, and things are looking less than pretty around the house (we’ve all been there!) – what are you going to do?

The options are:

The first option is of course your ideal scenario, but all too often there’s just no time to do all that cleaning (and sometimes there’s a lack of inclination / motivation too, let’s be honest!).

The second is less than ideal if you want to be sociable…

So the last option tends to be where our minds head.

As such – how can you give the impression that the house is clean, without actually having to do it all?

Wooden House

Here are some ideas to try next time you’re in need of creating the illusion that your whole house is sparkling clean and tidy and you’ve only got a few minutes available (30 minutes at most)…

Related: Do You Feel The Need For A Cleaning Frenzy When Guests Come Over?

Ways You Can Make Your Home Look Cleaner Than It Is

#1 – Only open doors to rooms that the guests need to see

First things first, you need to really think about where your guests (or whoever you’re wanting to impress) will be seeing.

After all – there really is no point in spending your limited time on areas they won’t go near.

When you know the spaces to concentrate on, you can keep the other doors firmly shut.

Not many guests will open doors that they don’t need to…

#2 – Make sure the key areas are clean

The most important areas for giving the impression of a clean home are usually going to be the hallway, bathroom, and kitchen. Possibly the living room unless you have somewhere to sit in the kitchen.

Whatever rooms you need to focus on – make sure these spaces are as clean as possible by doing the following few things…

#3 – Straighten things up

A messy house always looks dirtier than a tidy house – so take a few minutes to straighten things up.

This works particularly well for things like cushions and throws – as plumping them and folding them up makes a real difference.

Making bed with cushions

#4 – Declutter the easy stuff

Chuck any clutter that you find in a laundry basket if you don’t have time to put it away (you can always do that part later).

Related: How To Declutter Fast – 15 Ways That Really Work

#5 – Wipe Everything

Now isn’t the time for deep cleaning…

Use a wipe or a damp clean cloth to quickly go over the surfaces that will be seen by your guest.

#6 – Do a quick hoover

This will make things look and feel fresher (and if you’re going into the garden, mowing the lawn will have the same effect outside).

#7 – Use The Sense Of Smell

A scented candle or diffuser in the hallway with a clean scent (linen, for example) can trick people into assuming things are better than they are!

Or a good air freshener, of course!

Related: 15 Ways To Make Your Home Smell Amazing

Febreeze. The quickest way to fake a clean house

#8 – Open the windows

As well as using some nice smelling stuff, an easy way to create a fresh feel is to let some fresh air in by opening the windows.

This will do wonders for the smell of the place, and make it feel instantly cleaner too.

Be careful with this if it’s cold outside though, you don’t want the place to feel unwelcoming and not cosy.

#9 – Freshen things up

Put out fresh fruit or flowers to make the place look good. It gives the impression that this is the finishing touch after you’ve cleaned…

Daffodils in a vase

#10 – Make sure all the bins are empty

This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make your house look clean.

I like to grab a bin bag and fill it with obvious rubbish that’s lying around any of the rooms as I go around – and then the bins naturally get emptied as I go.

#11 – In the Bathroom – Add a clean and fresh towel

Nothing says you haven’t cleaned like a musty or dirty towel on the rail. A quick replacement takes seconds but can make all the difference to the fake cleaning look you’re going for right now!

While you’re in this room, it’s also worth making sure there’s a fresh toilet roll and soap to hand too.

After all, the last thing you want is your guests looking in the cupboards, right?!!

#12 – In the Kitchen – Wash the dishes

If you’ve got time, make sure all the dirty dishes are washed up and put away.

If not, at least load the dishwasher so it doesn’t look like there’s a mountain of washing up to do.

For now – everything being out of your guests sight will do.

TIP – Equally possible is to put any dirty laundry that’s lying around (such as towels or tea towels) away in the washing machine so they’re hidden from view.

TIP – Don’t turn the machines on before your guests come as you won’t want the sound of them running to disturb their visit.

Don’t forget though…

Above all, remember that you never need to apologise for the state of the house, no matter what it looks like.

Less worrying means you can have more fun. After all – your guests are there for YOU, not the house.

12 Genius Ways To Fake A Clean Home - Whenever You Need One!

And those are the key things to tackle to fake a clean home when necessary

Whatever the reason, you’ll be able to do all these things within a few minutes, and they’ll really make all the difference to how you and your guests feel about your space.

Read Next: 10 Home Essentials You Need For Things To Run Smoothly

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This article was written by Chrissy

Hi - I'm Chrissy... Having run my own business for 12 years as a Professional Organiser and Interior Designer, I know what works (and what doesn't!) when it comes to setting up a home that works both functionally and aesthetically. Now you can mostly find me in a coffee shop or at home, working full time on OrganiseMyHouse.com (which I setup back in 2011) sharing all my tips and ideas. My mission is to help you create a home that you love to live in every day...

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