Someone calls and says they are on their way over, and you have 10-20 minuets to pick up the lr and straighten the bathroom.
Hit the bathroom first. Put away all the stuff that has been left out of it's place, hot rollers, blow dryer...etc. Wipe the mirror(s) down with a vinegar and water solution you keep in a spray bottle. Toss all the trash and replace the trash bag. Spray bathroom cleaner in the shower stall, and pull the curtain and swish cleaner in the toilet and flush.
On the the lr. Grab a handy basket, it can be any size, and start moving around the room-arrange the coffee table and pick up everything that doesn't belong in the lr and put it in the basket:toys, books....things that have a place somewhere else other than the lr. Fluff the couch pillows and remove any clothes that don't belong either. Take the basket and start putting the items you've gathered in the approprate rooms, don't worry about putting them away.
This always happens to me and it also works for general daily pick up of the living areas in the home.
I keep a basket handy to put everything in that has a place somewhere else in my home. This is a real time saver, keeps one from having to put the items away one by one.

My Living room is the one room in the house that I Always keep tidy (not so much for guests but just to have an oasis of tidiness amidst the rest of the chaos that is my house).

Toys are Banned! If I had my way children would be banned too![grin]

I have a basket in everyroom. Once it gets full I put it away. My kids have their rooms so their toys stay in their rooms. I do the same (cept now since bathroom is n process of remodelin) always make sure the bathroom looks its best b/c that is thet only time when guest are by theirselves & definetely have their opinions. I always lite my yummy smellin candles to make the house smell fresh(er) or to the point where it doesn't smell like kids

I kinda like the graham cracker and drool smell!!![lol]

I have make sure always to keep my Kitchen up for me it is the center of the house next to the Altar room. And the bathrooms![grin]

The thing that works for me the best with keeping my house clean is never leave a room empty-handed! There is always something to put away! It helps keep the house tidy all the time because no room ever gets too much junk in it that isn't supposed to be there. For those with kids, I suggest a 20 minute power clean sometime in the afternoon, everyone cleans as much as they can in 20 minutes, then we all get a (healthy) treat!

Bend with the knees and lift safely. :P

Hi there - I'm new to this site and am happy I found it! A really easy way to clean house??? Go to FlyLady.com. She breaks things down into zones. Anyway, it was just a thought.