If there's one time of year our homes feel cluttered, it's December. From endless wrapping and deliveries to a mountain of food shopping, it can feel chaotic quickly - and that's before you even think about hosting duties. It's no surprise, then, that many of us look for ways to hide clutter before guests arrive.
While there's no denying the best decluttering methods are always satisfying, and even if you're a whizz when it comes to decluttering a house fast, sometimes you just need quick, simple tricks to make everything look instantly tidier.
When it comes to getting your house for Christmas, there's no shortage of decluttering methods - from the 12 days decluttering method, the reverse advent calendar, to the snowball decluttering method. But, if, like me, you've left it too late, don't worry, you can still get your house in order and ready for visitors. There are plenty of quick wins, including a few Amazon decluttering buys that can help restore calm quickly.
To find out what works when time is really tight, I've spoken to decluttering and organisation experts to uncover the easiest (and quickest) ways to hide clutter before guests arrive at Christmas.
Clever ways to hide clutter before guests arrive
'My advice is to focus on the areas that your guests will see,' says Hester Van Hien, a home decluttering and organising consultant from Tidylicious. 'Try and group similar items, and where you can, store items out of sight.'
1. Clear your hallway
Speaking of areas guests will see, the first place is usually the hallway. If you are short on time, you can give it a quick tidy, advise Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman from The Declutter Hub.
'Grab rogue shoes, bags, coats and anything lurking by the front door. That first impression sets the tone, and it takes under two minutes.'
2. Give kitchen worktops a quick refresh
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and if yours is anything like mine, it always seems to accumulate stuff. If you haven't got time for a full-scale kitchen declutter, a quick blitz can help the space feel noticeably tidier.
If your counters are looking a little messy, try grouping similar items and placing them towards the back of your worktops, advises Hester.
'If you have lots of jars on the kitchen counters, see if you can put some on top of each other. These quick fixes will hopefully give you a bit of empty kitchen counter, and grouping items makes things look calmer,' she says. Stackable storage boxes - like these ones from Amazon - are a handy solution for making a space look tidier.
This sentiment is echoed by Ingrid and Lesley, who believe a clear counter instantly makes the whole kitchen feel calmer and cleaner. 'Put away food, wipe the crumbs, stash the random mug in your cupboard or dishwasher.'
3. Do a sweep of flat surfaces
It's not only kitchen worktops that attract clutter - flat surfaces like coffee tables and the tops of chests of drawers are also magnets for it.
'It’s so easy to put items on a flat surface when you don’t know where else to put them, or when you don’t have the time or energy to store them away properly,' says Hester. 'Emptying these surfaces will often make a room look less cluttered.'
If you're against the clock, focus on one clear surface per room, recommends Shannon Murphy, Founder of Simpl Living Co. 'Guests notice surfaces first: coffee tables, dining tables, kitchen counters. Clearing just one main surface makes the whole room feel more organised.'
4. Utilise clever storage solutions
Storage boxes and baskets are one of the easiest solutions when it comes to ways to hide clutter quickly - it's not somewhere you need to worry about guests peeking inside.
'Storage footstools are perfect for quickly hiding children’s toys, remote controls, games, or throws,' says Shannon. If you' are on the lookout for one, this mushroom-shaped footstool from Dunelm ticks the boxes for both style and practicality.
'And if you have an ottoman bed, they're a great way to store away bedding, guest linens, seasonal clothing, which can all be hidden instantly and out of sight.'
Another quick way to hide clutter temporarily is to keep baskets at the bottom of the stairs, adds Shannon. 'This is ideal for gathering items that need to go upstairs or into bedrooms. They instantly tidy visual surfaces.'
5. Put loose items in a neat pile
Items that are spread out tend to look messier than those neatly grouped. Another simple but effective way to make a room look neater and calmer is to gather all loose items in one place.
'Paperwork - from bills and receipts to birthday cards, kids’ artwork and takeaway menus - can be put in a pile to make a room or your desk look neater,' advises Hester.
And when you can't form a neat pile, even putting these items away in a bag or container can instantly make a space look tidier.'
6. Clear visible rubbish and recycling
It's really easy to let the rubbish and recycling pile up - but a quick sweep can create instant calm.
''Grab a bag, do a quick sweep of cups, wrappers, post, packaging and anything destined for the bin,' recommend Ingrid and Lesley. 'Your surfaces will thank you for it.'
7. Vacuum 'hotspots'
You don't need to vacuum the whole house, but instead focus on the areas guests will walk through - such as the hallway, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. 'It's a quick way to instantly freshen the space,' say Ingrid and Lesley.
And of course, having one of the best vacuum cleaners is a game-changer when you quickly need to whizz around your house to give your floors a last-minute refresh.
8. Make use of extra storage
Spare rooms and utility rooms are great for stashing items that can clutter the main living areas.
Under-stairs cupboards also make an ideal “quick hide” zone, says Shannon. 'If you can, use clear, stackable storage boxes so things are contained rather than thrown in loose. Once you have more time, you can easily pull them out and go through them.'
If you don't have a spare room or extra storage space, Hester suggests putting piles and bags behind the sofa so they're out of sight. 'You can also put them in a corner and drape a blanket over them.'
'Some people store some items behind a door which they don’t usually close, to have these items out of sight,' adds Hester. 'Think about whether you have any storage space at the top of a cupboard or wardrobe that you’re not fully using. This could also serve as temporary storage.'
Shop guest-ready essentials
I swear by these storage cubes that slot into a cube unit as they're a great way to keep toys and bits and pieces hidden away out of sight.
An L-shaped storage basket is ideal for chucking things inside that need to go upstairs - and it's especially handy when you don't have the time to put things away in their proper home.
A blanket or throw you can drape over temporary piles of clutter acts as a great disguise. This herringbone throw from Dunelm is subtle enough to blend into any room, while creating the illusion of a tidy, put-together space.
Simple baskets, such as these stackable ones from Amazon, can be added to any room - and if you keep a couple spare, you can easily toss any random bits of clutter when you need to clear your space fast.
You might not have time for a full-scale cleaning session, but a quick dash around the house with a multi-surface spray with a microfibre cloth will instantly refresh surfaces before guests arrive. This method one smells divine too!
There's no shortage of decluttering books, but this one might be particularly useful if you're short on time, as it focuses on keeping on top of housework quickly and efficiently.
There you have it - expert-approved ways to hide clutter before guests arrive this Christmas. This isn't the season for perfection, so focus on making your home feel welcoming, cosy and stress-free instead.
