To avoid uncomfortable conversations: what things you need to put away before the arrival of guests

No matter how many people convince us that it's not a good idea to spend a whole day cleaning up before guests arrive, we still try to tidy up our homes before we have anyone over. But how do you find a balance between your personal sense of comfort, an acceptable level of order, and the impression your guests will get from your visit?

Housekeeping experts say that it will be enough to tame the clutter and hide some sensitive items that may become the subject of unnecessary discussions. OBOZ.UA tells you about everything in more detail.

Tame the chaos

Even a perfectly cleaned room will look bad if there are things scattered everywhere. On the flip side, a small layer of dust is unlikely to catch your eye in a room where everything is in its place. So, instead of running around the house with a bucket of water, detergent, and cleaning tools, start by collecting everything that is lying around and putting it back in its place. You can also put away extra blankets and pillows in the closet, hide small gadgets and appliances, temporarily close the laundry basket in the wardrobe, and put all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. This is how you create the illusion of order in a simple and effortless way.

Children's and pets' toys can also be temporarily put away. Most likely, your guests will be happy to entertain them, so they won't be bored for a couple of hours.

All that will be left to make a good impression is to wipe the surfaces from dust and wash the floor, which is quite quick and easy. Therefore, give preference to cleaning up the mess rather than scrubbing the smallest stains and don't beat yourself up over a little dirt. Your guests are people too, so they understand everything perfectly well.

Hide everything you don't want to talk about

Anything that is in plain sight can become the subject of discussion. So, if you want to avoid a certain conversation, think about hiding these things from view for a while.

What can we talk about? For example, medicines, cigarettes, unpaid bills, alcohol that you don't serve, etc. This way, your relatives can start asking you about your bad habits or difficult financial situation and you will feel like a naughty teenager at a family council again. This is not a good feeling.

You shouldn't keep very personal items on display either, from underwear to intimate toys or pregnancy tests. Not very sensitive guests may take this as a signal to discuss your private life. It will be very interesting and exciting for everyone but you.

In addition, if you know that your tastes in art and entertainment may be radically different from those of your visitors, then put away at least the most controversial part of your collection, whether it's books, movies, music, video games, or poster paintings. They can usually irritate older relatives, so consider hiding such triggers from them for a while.

If you have any valuable or fragile items and you are expecting guests with children, it is solely your responsibility to take care of the safety of these things. Hide them or move them so that children's hands cannot reach them. You should do the same if you know that alcohol will be consumed at your party.

Of course, put your laptop or tablet out of sight. Our personal gadgets are a window into our inner world. And not everyone can resist climbing into this window with their feet almost to the ground. Keep your private life out of prying eyes, and other people's eyes out of your private secrets.

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