Those darned in-laws called and they’re on their way for a quick visit. But you’ve been so busy with work that you haven’t really had the time to clean up. Lest you be labeled the slob that their precious offspring married, you better do a quick clean-up. Here’s a quick guide on how to prep your home when unexpected invaders attack.

Focus on three general areas – the living room, the kitchen and the toilet/bath. Chances are, these are the most common areas that your visitors will be hanging out in.

Arm yourself with a garbage bag and some tissue for a quick clutter raid. Sweep all the unnecessary items into the garbage bag. Using the paper towels, wipe off visible dusty and soiled areas like table tops and counter tops. Keep a top drawer of desks clear so that you can easily sweep clutter in them. Also, keep some storage space clear in your coat room to temporarily store your garbage bag filled with the cleared clutter.

Fluff the pillows, arrange seat covers (making sure they’re fit flush), and make sure th curtains or blinds aren’t skewed. Remove wilted flowers from vases and if you still have time, do a quick run with a vacuum. To finish of the effect in the living room, keep the lighting a bit dim so as to “mask” all the other spots that you might have missed.

For the toilet/bath, be sure to have a spritz-on cleaner handy. Just grab paper paper towels and the spray bottle and work your way through the bath. Here’s when an in tank toilet cleaner may come in handy. Wipe any wet spots on the floor or on the shower door. A squeegee might help you negotiate these tasks.

Check the supply of toilet and replenish if necessary. Take all the used family towels to the hamper and put out some clean ones for visitor use. And don’t forget to flush the toilet.

For the kitchen, just make sure the counter tops are clean. If you can do at least a quick rinse of the dirty dishes it would help lessen the sloppy outlook. Check the refrigerator too of bad old leftovers and throw them out. Make sure that the inside of your fridge doesn’t look too much of a warzone.

This may be a lot of work with only a half-hour lead time. But this should tell you that at least minimize your home clutter. Clean at least once a week so that dust and mess don’t accumulate. And always have cleaners and tools handy.