You meant to prep your house before your party, but between work and life and brushing your teeth, It. Just. Didn’t. Happen.  (#nojudgement) If you catch yourself strapped for time before your guests arrive, here are five life-saving hacks for cleaning your house for guests like a boss in a hurry!

Cleaning Your House Hack #1:  Tidy your entryway

They call ’em first impressions for a reason.  I’m not saying your company should walk in with a swoon.  I mean, that’d be the goal, right?  But if we’re short on time, let’s just focus on preventing your guests from keeling over in fright on the doorstep. (I’m speaking from my personal experiences, y’all.)

All those mismatched shoes?  Stash em in the bedroom closet.  The pound of junk mail?  Recycle it.  Your overburdened coat tree?  Let’s trim it.

If you want to make a solid statement, consider hanging this gorgeous (ever-so-subtle) free art print in your entryway.  You can grab it by popping to the Home Beautifully resource library by clicking the box right below.

With all your fabulous junque stashed away, let’s focus on adding some glitz, like…

Cleaning Your House Hack #2: Light scented candles

The nose is a powerful thing, my friend.  Feeling shy about your scuffed coffee table?  Pop some pretty lavender candles on top.  Hate your stained sofa?  Light up some vanilla pillar candles on your sofa’s end tables.

Not only will the scents feel inviting, but the lovely flickering flames will divert your guests’ attention to the accessories.

No candles on hand? No problem. What about…

Cleaning Your House Hack #3: Crank the tunes

Grab your iPhone or turn up your stereo and play some music. Set the volume somewhere between butterfly whisper and dull roar. Now, what’s this have to do with tidying your house? Nothing.

But think about when YOU’RE a guest. Do you know the feeling when you walk into a party, and it’s far, far too quiet? (If you’re incredibly blessed with social skills and that never happens to you, kudos! For the rest of us awkward blossoms, you know what I’m talking about, right?) In those moments of uncomfortable silence, we tend to look all around the room for something to chat about.

As a host, we want to avoid this, particularly when we’re stressed for time and trying to make our house presentable.

Trust me, guys. Crank the tunes.

And onto the big step. The mama-jama that will get your house primed for the company. Ready?

Cleaning Your House Hack #4: Count to three, then get to work

The truth is, your guests will probably hang out in your living room or kitchen most of the evening.  If you’re pressed for time (and let’s be honest, who isn’t?), do a military-like scan of your surroundings.

Take it all in. Then identify the three (count ‘em, THREE) things you can do before the guests arrive. Focus on the three things that’ll add impact.

Sure, you might need to clean the grout between your backsplash tiles. But do you have time before Aunt Gayle arrives with her leaden fruitcake? No. You don’t. Walk away from the backsplash.

Big things include the following:

• Shoving dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
• Wiping down all counters and tabletops.
• Hauling out the mountain of garbage from the kitchen.
• And so on.

Make a list, check it twice, and don’t be naughty trying to do too much before you need to put on a stress-free welcoming smile for your guests. No one likes a frazzled hostess (the hostess most of all!).

And last but not least:

Cleaning Your House Hack #5: The bathroom: Make it sparkle

We talked about the backslash grout already, so I’m not going to reiterate the importance of focusing on big stuff.

But remember this: rings belong on our fingers, not on our toilets. Run a disinfecting wipe across the counters, spray down any funky streaks on the mirrors, and get that ring outta there.

As a bonus, set out a fresh hand towel.

And, please, for the sake of any guest who’s had to live through the embarrassment of yelling loudly through the door, make sure the TP supply’s been well provisioned.

Most of all, though, remember that you’re amazing. You. Not your house, your couch, or your home accessories.  You add light and love to the world around you. And there are no hacks needed for you to sparkle brightly this holiday season. So have the best holidays ever.