Tips for Preparing for Last Minute Guests

If you have ever gotten the dreaded phone call that last minute guest are on their way you probably know that overwhelming, sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you look around at all the things that need doing before they arrive. Your house may be a wreck, you may be wearing your pajamas and you probably should figure out something to offer them to eat or drink when they arrive. It can be a bit overwhelming knowing where to start to get ready when last minute guests are on their way. Here are a few tips on how to cope with last minute guests and enjoy their company rather than stressing.

The most important room in your home to have looking nice for last minute guests is your bathroom. Odds are that especially if your guests have traveled any distance the first thing they are going to need to do is use the bathroom. Start by giving your bathroom a quick once-over. You don’t have to thoroughly clean it, but wipe up any obvious messes, run the toilet brush around the bowl, pick up any towels from the floor – you get the idea. Just do enough to make it presentable.

Next, if you are only going to entertain your last minute guests in one room of your home, do a quick pickup of that room. If they are going to be staying with you, focus on cleaning the room where they will be sleeping. Once that is under control, hit the kitchen and wipe up any spills or messes. I’ve heard of people hiding dirty dishes in their oven if there is not time to do them, but that’s your call if it is something you want to do. Just make it as presentable as possible without worrying about any sort of deep cleaning.

Close any doors to rooms or closets that are messy and that you don’t want them to see.

Put on a pot of coffee or mix up some lemonade or another cool drink. Throw on something easy if you aren’t presentable – jeans and a nice shirt or sweater are fine. People don’t expect you to be dressed up while you are just hanging out at home so don’t stress too much over your appearance. Run a comb through your hair or put it back in a ponytail if it is out of control and is long enough. If there is time and you want to you can throw on some lip-gloss and mascara to pull together your look, although that is definitely optional.

Finally, light a scented candle or some incense to help make your home smell great and get ready to greet them at the door. Make sure to relax and enjoy your company. After all, your unexpected last minute guests didn’t come to see your house – they came to see you! Keep in mind that odds are if you dropped by their home unexpectedly it would be no cleaner than yours, so don’t let yourself get too stressed out over the whole thing.