I am very house-proud. Even if a guest has been here countless times before, I still want my home to look its best for them, usually meaning I am running around with a duster and the vacuum in the final hours.
I worry I will miss something obvious and my guests will think my house is disgusting. It is irrational, I know this, but it is a value my cleanliness-obsessed dad instilled in me when I was little.
Then, I stumbled across an obviously satirical TikTok video where a creator entered her home as if she was a guest and 'scanned' her whole apartment to spot problem areas and it got me thinking, was this actually a great cleaning tip?
What is the 'guest scanning' method?
The satirical video series by content creator @Centralparkturtle follows one of her slightly characters walking through the possible steps guests would take when entering her home – from hugging her when they arrive to hanging up coats, to picking up a fork dropped under the table.
While the video series is deliberately over the top, I thought it might actually be a smart way of spotting obvious mess and dirt before guests arrive. So, I gave it a try.
@centralparkturtle ♬ original sound - CentralParkTurtle
1. Start at the door
First, I started by working through my usual pre-guest cleaning checklist.
This entails dusting, fluffing up pillows to make a home look cozy, running around with my best vacuum cleaner, and lighting my best candle to make my home smell nice. The P.F. Candle Co. Candles, available at Amazon are a personal favorite as they are made from 100% soy wax and natural fragrances that won't irritate my guests.
I have this achievable cleaning routine almost down to a tee now, but that doesn't mean I don't forget spots on occasion. and that is what fills me with pre-hosting dread. So, before my in-laws arrived for a visit last week, I put the guest scanning theory to the test.
Starting at my front door, I entered my home as if I were seeing it for the first time. I didn't mimic hugging myself, but I did think through the logical steps of where a guest might put their coat. I realized the hooks were overflowing, so made a note that I should take some of ours upstairs for the time being to give them some space. It would be the small details that make a home feel welcoming.
2. Move into the living space
I then moved through my living space, 'scanning' a little like a lifeguard as I walked through to the living room and sat on the sofa, mentally making a note of the space guests would have to put items like drinks down (and promptly decluttering the side table to give some more space for coasts and mugs of coffee). I also put out a plate of biscuits, knowing they would be needed.
One thing this method really helped with was preparing me to welcome a dog into the house. We do not have pets ourselves, so I am more liberal with what I put on side tables. However, thinking logically through the movements a giant German Shepard with an overactive tail would take meant I could remove delicate items, push coasters back so drinks weren't nestled at the edge of tables, and move the coffee table so that he would have more space to walk around or lay down – all details I would have missed had I not tried the guest scanning method.
When cleaning before guests arrive, I like to use a nicely scented cleaning spray. This makes my home smell and look good without it being too obvious that I had been deep cleaning like a maniac before they arrived.
My house is one of the dustiest I have ever seen. As soon as I wipe it up it seems to materialize again. Using a damp duster makes cleaning it up quick and simple as it is picked up, rather than spread around.
Microfiber cloths are a good catch-all cleaning tool to have stashed around the house. I always keep on in a pocket next to my sofa so we can easily clean up spills as they happen without making a big fuss of running to the cleaning cabinet.
3. End your checks in the bathroom
The last steps I took were up to the bathroom. I noticed the stairway might be a little dark for older relatives, so I turned on some lighting in preparation and headed to the bathroom. Here, I was more aware of the stacks of moisturizer bottles on the edge of the bathtub than I usually am, so I popped them into bathroom storage ideas to organize the bathroom and make it look less cluttered.
I also popped a roll of toilet paper out in plain sight in case the current one ran out so guests wouldn't have to ask, one of the ways to make a home feel welcoming, and quickly wiped down the soap pump that had become watermarked.
As I left the bathroom (once again scanning) I noticed the mess in my bedroom and home office was noticeable from the bathroom doorway. To save time, I closed these doors and left them for later. Out of sight, out of mind, is sometimes the best mantra to live by. Especially when trying to get a house guest ready in under one hour.
If you don't like the idea of having a lone roll of toilet paper out, use a discreet but clear storage space such as this hyacinth one with lid. Guests will be able to spot spare paper if they need it, without it being out there for all to see on a high surface.
The guest scanning method may have started out as an internet joke, but it turns out it is a genuinely useful home organizing and cleaning tip to help get a house guest ready. My home was far cleaner and tidier, and when my guests arrived everything ran perfectly smoothly, making me and my home look far more put together. I really felt like a natural host.
I'm now far more excited to host my overnight guests around Christmas knowing I should have every scenario covered before they arrive.
