Mermaids of the Lake - A Lifestyle Publication for Women Creative Smart Fun Articles Liberty Lake WA

{The dreaded drive-by-drop-in}

By Shelley Hepler

It's one of those days. Your house is an absolute and total disaster. The laundry is spilled out all over the family room. Kid's toys are piled upon piles. Dirty dishes cover the counters and the stove is a sticky mess. Both bathrooms smell to the high heavens. The bedrooms look like a tornado blew through. You don't dare to look in the mirror. In the midst of this chaos the phone rings. It's your in-laws. They're in the area and will be over in 10 minutes. Eeeek! Honey, you've just become a victim of a drive-by drop-in.

Definition of Term

A drive-by drop-in is anyone who pops in on short notice. Of course we always pick on the in-laws, but doesn't it really fit? It could be your neighbor who calls to say she's running over to return the book she borrowed. You know she's going to want to chat over a cup of coffee. Your spouse might be the instigator of a drive-by drop-in. Have you heard something like this? "Hey, Dave's coming over to watch the game tonight. He'll be over in a couple of minutes."

Triage the Situation

You're fortunate if you get a call, even if it's only a five minute warning. What to do? Ok, you get one second to scream in panic. Then you need take a deep breath and get going. It's important to keep a level head. If you know what the priority areas are, you can calmly (but quickly!) speed clean. Work your way from the most important to the least important.

Warning: Use this dash & stash cleaning approach for emergencies only. There can be a cost, that is- having to go back and straighten out what you hurriedly tucked out of sight.

How do you look? Take a super fast inventory. If you need to, change your shirt, throw on a clean pair of jeans, run a brush through your hair. Is your lipstick handy? Seriously, this is the most important step in feeling calm in a crazy situation.

Clear the entry way This is the first thing your drive-by drop-in will see. Don't get hung up on the details. If you need to, quickly shove that pile of stuff in a closet or into a large trash bag.

Move to the main living area Gather up dirty dishes, herd toys to one location, straighten pillows. If you need to, keep shoving stuff into that trash bag.

Next is the kitchen Fill the sink with hot soapy water. While it's filling, stack the dishes. Plunge your washcloth in that hot water and quickly wipe down the biggest messes. Is the garbage overflowing? Bag it up and put it aside. At this point, move to the next room. If you have time left, come back to finish. Even if you don't actually do the dishes, having things organized looks like you're on top of it!

What's the condition of the main bathroom? Scoop up any towels and dirty clothes on the floor. Stash them away. Grab the all-surface cleaner and quick like a bunny, wipe down the sink, counter-tops and toilet. We're not disinfecting here, just polishing. Don't mess with the master bath. If a drive-by drop-in needs to use the facilities, direct them to the one that's clean.

Lastly, the bedroom Just lock the door! However, there are the few drive-by drop-ins that will make their way to the bedroom. Here again, gather up clothes, socks, towels. Stash them away. Pull the covers up on the bed, you don't need to mess with straightening the sheets. Just make it look good.

Breath You did it. You're in control and things are rather presentable. Greet your drive-by drop-in with a smile.

Preventive Tactics

If you know you are especially prone to drive-by drop-in's, then prevention is going to help you be relaxed and in control. Of course life happens. However, a few simple adjustments to your daily routine just might help you keep your cool when you get that surprise phone call or knock on the door.

Run a comb through your hair, wash your face, and brush your teeth Even if you know you're going to be scrounging in the garage or rototilling the garden, start the day with simple grooming. If you take a little effort to be tidy it won't matter if you're dressed in grungy work clothes. It's to be expected that you get messy some of the time. But, it's a good feeling to know that you look put-together, even when dirty.

Keep your entry way clear This is the first thing a drive-by drop-in sees. Do you have piles of shoes and coats by your front door? You might consider getting rid of the table that is a magnet for junk mail. Evaluate. Clear out as much as possible And, keep it that way.

Frequently do the two-minute walk-through That is, take two minutes to pick up miscellaneous stuff that's floating around the living areas: back-packs and coats from the kids, old newspapers and magazines, dirty dishes, discarded wrappers, whatever. Staying on top of the mess means if a drive-by drop-in shows up, anything that is there is a new mess, not a mess piled upon an old mess.

If you know you can't fold that last load of laundry, then don't take it out of the dryer Leave it where it is. It won't be in your line of sight. Bonus: it's not going to get dirty, and it's not going to get any more wrinkled than it would if it were piled on the sofa or on the floor.

Clean up as you go in the kitchen Before you start preparing a meal, fill the sink with hot, soapy water. As you finish a process, wipe down the counter-top or stove. When done with a pot, put it in the dishwasher and not the sink. You don't always feel like doing the dishes right after eating. That's ok. But take a minute to clear the table and stack the dishes.

Don't let the trash get too full Pile-ups and over-flows are bad business. If the bin is full, tie up the bag and set it aside. Know that even if you can't take it out to the garbage that minute, at least a tied bag is orderly. Better yet, if it works in your kitchen space, keep the trash undercover. Place your garbage can in a pantry or under a sink.

Keep all-surface cleaner handy Have a spray bottle under every bathroom sink (if you have little kids this may not work for you). When you change out the hand towel, use it to shine the mirror and wipe down the sink and counter-tops.

Is it a battle keeping towels hung-up and straight on the towel rack? Try using pegs or hooks. It takes two seconds to hang a towel on a hook. This way there's no fuss or worry about all the towels being even and carefully folded.

Always, I mean always, hang your clothes up No matter how frantic you are, do not try on clothes and throw them on the bed or floor. It takes literally 30 seconds to return a garment to the closet. Keep the hanger within arm's reach when dressing. If your shirt, skirt, dress doesn't feel right, then immediately put it away.

Your mom had it right; make your bed every day I suggest pulling the covers up as soon as you pop out of bed in the morning. Even with the most restless sleepers, smoothing the sheets and straightening up the covers should take less than two minutes.

Avoid piles of clutter on dressers and bedside tables If your things have a designated place, then don't waste effort by having to put things away twice. Put the socks directly into the sock drawer, pop the earrings immediately in the jewelry box, and drop the coins into the change jar.

Looking for more ways to control the evil clutter monster? Check out Debbie's tips in Five Quick Ways to De-Clutter.