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The art and concept behind things like the Marie Kondo Method can transform your life. But what if you don’t want to change? What if you only want to seem like you have? You know, the American way of getting stuff done! So, if you don’t have the time to do a life-changing deep clean, these tricks will make your home seem like its been Kondo-ed. And perception, as we know, is a form of reality. So if it looks clean, you’re obviously not a pig.
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Do you have any cleaning hacks you use when you have to clean at the last minute? Help everyone out by sharing the hacks you’ve developed over the years.
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tidy tricks
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Control The Clutter
Some people have foldable bins to store their belongings. If you tend to be a bit on the messy side, you want to keep a couple of them empty.
This way, when you're short on time, you can dump all your excess clutter in these bins. Video game controllers, remotes, blankets, and books can be tossed in these bad boys.
However, you should make it a goal to eventually go through these bins and see what it is that you really don't need. More importantly, after your company leaves, you should find a space to actually store these items.
Photo: Emilija Manevska (Getty Images)
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Deal With The Floor
It doesn't matter if you have carpet, tile, or wood floors. If they're clean, people will assume you're not a disgusting slob. Definitely focus on sweeping, Swiffering, or vacuuming.
If you have carpet, use a deodorizer (especially if you have pets). This is one of the fastest ways to give the appearance of cleanliness that also makes your place smell good.
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Wipe It All Down
If you're not the cleanest person and find yourself needing to tidy up in a hurry, disinfectant wipes will change your life. Once your counters have been cleared, use these towelettes to wipe everything down.
This includes the coffee table, kitchen counter and sink, any other table, the bathroom sink, your toilet and the area around it (which should seriously be cleaned on the regular). Most of this takes about five minutes to do, so why aren't you doing it already?
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Manage Laundry Piles
Yes, you should put your clean laundry away once it's washed. But you don't and if you're not in the habit, you're probably not going to start when you need to tidy in a hurry.
Instead of living in piles of clean and dirty laundry (yes, it's very gross that you have to pick clothes up and smell them to see if they're clean), purchase a divided laundry basket. This way, you can separate things into clean and unclean, and your clothes won't live in piles on the floor or in your closet.
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Deal with Your Dishes
Did you know that if you rinse your dish off the second you're done with it, it's almost clean? Like, with a little soap and a couple seconds of scrubbing, it's clean. There really isn't an excuse for having dishes piled to the sky, especially if you're living alone.
However, when you find yourself with a sink full of dishes and no time to do them, put them in the dishwasher, if you have one. If you don't, place them in the oven. This is a risky move, though. If you forget and they stay in there, you could end up with very gross bug infestation. We recommend you avoid this.
Look, the real lesson isn't hiding your mess. If you'd just clean your dish (or your clutter or clothes) in the first place, we wouldn't have to turn to these desperate measures. Just do it.
Photo: Yurdaku (Getty Images)
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Be Olfactory Ready
If you've been sitting in a gross apartment smelling what we assume is also gross, there might be an, um, smell lingering. Instead of getting into that smell, or why you let things get that bad, here is how you get rid of it. Boil a 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of water. That will neutralize anything.
Now your apartment smells like vinegar. Covering that up is easy. You should have at least one scented candle around and possibly some incense. Use them.
That said, we recommend spraying Windex into the air as a scent base. That way, people will at least think you've actually cleaned.
Photo: Knape (Getty Images)
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Celebrate With A Cocktail
Now that you've raced around "cleaning" like a boss, enjoy the fruits of your labor with a celebratory cocktail. If you're mixing a drink as your guests arrive, they'll never even know that a moment prior, you were shoving dishes in the oven like an adult child.
Photo: Emanuele Ravecca / EyeEm (Getty Images)
