It's a tale as old as time guests are coming and the house is a mess. We get it, time gets away from us all the time. Even though we know they're coming, we may forget until that morning, or an hour before they arrive. Then there's the actual worst surprise guests. People who just have to be in town and want to "stop by" to say hello and have a chat or bring by some Christmas cookies. Imagine it you're sitting in your sweatpants watching a Christmas movie on Netflix and then boom, they're like, "hey! We'll be there in ten minutes!" The laundry pile is overflowing, there are toys strewn about, and your excess wrapping paper is everywhere. Here are some ways to fake your way through a clean house for holiday guests.

Professional organizer Tova Weinstock has created an amazing list of simple tips and tricks for making your very messy space look like it's put together for The Cut. These are perfect for harried women who just don't have time to add one more thing to their to-do list, even if that thing is an "important" as cleaning the house.

Declutter countertops

You'd be surprised at how much this actually makes your kitchen look cleaner and more organized. It's so easy to just constantly toss everything on the kitchen counters, which makes them look like a hot mess. But cleaning them off (which takes five to ten minutes tops) makes the space look more organized, and it didn't really require a lot of work.

Close these three things

It seems like such a duh! moment, but Weinstock reminds us to close all open drawers and doors. She also suggests closing the toilet seat (additionally, giving the bathroom a quick wipe down is a good idea if it will see a lot of traffic.) "Creating an awareness and habit of shutting drawers and doors is one of the easiest ways to make your home feel more organized," she says.

Clean your bathroom mirror

Again, such a quick solution. If you don't have the time or energy to get on your hands and knees and scrub your bathroom, cleaning the bathroom mirror is a great way to make the space look instantly clean.

More often than not, our guests don't even care if the place is spotless. If there is good food, lots of conversation, and a little something for everyone, than they will have a good time. So, don't kill yourself scrubbing every inch of the toilet or the bathtub. No one is taking a shower. And use those extra minutes to take care of yourself.

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