THE 10-MINUTE RESCUE

THE 10-MINUTE RESCUE by Mrs. Mary Hunt

The phone rings. Surprise! Long lost friends will be at your front door in 10 minutes. You have no time to clean the house. What you need is a 10-minute rescue. This is a terrific technique you should learn right now, and then keep tucked away for that time when despite your best efforts, you’re caught in a jam. So, are you ready? Go!

1. Set a small pan of water over medium heat. Dump in spices like cinnamon, allspice and cloves and leave it to heat.

2. Grab a box or grocery bag. Move through the house starting in the kitchen clearing counters, coffee tables, end tables and all other flat surfaces of clutter. Just scoop everything into the container and stash it in a closet.

3. Gather all bathroom clutter including towels, stuff lining the walls and ledges of the tub and shower, toys, and all the stuff on the vanity and deposit it in the tub or shower. Draw the curtain.

4. Clean all the flat surfaces you have just cleared using furniture polish or all-purpose cleaner as appropriate.

5. Empty the kitchen sink of dishes, pots and so on using the stash methods described above if necessary. The oven and dishwasher are handy hiding places. Scrub the sink, rinse quickly and perform a quick polish.

6. Starting at the front door vacuum the visible areas.

7. Light the candles and the fireplace.

8. Switch on the stereo and turn down the lights.

Whew! You made it. The house looks great. Smells good, too. Enjoy your company and when they are gone, take a few more minutes to go through the box in the closet, the pile in the tub and, above all, anything you stashed in the oven!

** Just remember to clean out all the places you stashed stuff after. I know when I was a young housewife I forgot that pile of pans was in the oven and turned it on to preheat! It wasn't a good experience. Also this really seems like it would take more then 10 minutes but it is a quick clean up if you have guests dropping by!