How to quickly clean the apartment: tips from an experienced hostess. The beauty of the home: urgent cleaning for the arrival of guests Cleaning before the arrival of guests walkthrough

Probably, there are people in the world who are happy to clean the apartment. But most prefer not to spend precious hours of free time on cleaning. But you don’t want to live in chaos and disorder, so we will tell you how to quickly clean up the apartment. This skill will come in handy if guests suddenly decide to come in, and simply if there is a desire to devote the weekend not to a rag and a mop, but to more interesting things.

Books on home economics distinguish the following types of cleaning:

• Daily. It includes making beds, washing dishes and other small chores.

• weekly. This is a larger event, including cleaning plumbing, washing the refrigerator, window sills, etc.

• General. This cleaning, during which things are moved in closets, chandeliers, windows, etc. are washed.

Modern people, as a rule, try to minimize time costs and not spend a whole day off cleaning. To do this, you need to properly organize your life.

Here are some helpful tips:

• Get helpers. A good powerful vacuum cleaner, dishwasher and other household appliances will free up a lot of time.

• Convenient inventory. You should not spare money for the purchase of a good mop and comfortable rags. Dust is much easier to remove if you wipe it with a microfiber cloth rather than an old T-shirt.

• Without household chemicals not enough. Now it is fashionable to refuse household chemicals, to use "grandmother's" means. But you have to pay for it free time. Modern cleaning products make the job much easier.

• Minimalist setting. People have different ideas about comfort. If you like a style with a bunch of pillows, blankets, various figurines, then you will have to spend long hours cleaning. Those who prefer not to start "dust collectors" clean up much faster.

• We act gradually. There is such a system "fly lady". Of course, it is not suitable for everyone, but there is a rational grain in it. If you spend 20-30 minutes daily on cleaning, you won’t have to “kill” the whole day off to sort out the weekly blockages.

• Use modern systems storage. If all things are in their places, then the room looks cleaned.

How to clean up in an hour

To clean up in an hour, you need to learn how to combine several things at the same time.

• Start with the bathroom and kitchen. Treat plumbing and stove with special cleaning products, while you are doing other things, cleaning agents will do their job and you won’t have to spend a lot of time scrubbing stains.

• If there is no dishwasher in the house, then close the sink in the kitchen with a cork, pour warm water, add detergent and immerse dirty dishes in this "bath". Let it lie down, only it will be better to wash off later.

• In the meantime, walk around the rooms, collect things that were out of place. Wipe the dust, clean the mirrors with a special tool. It's time to take out the vacuum cleaner, clean upholstered furniture, and then, changing the nozzle, remove dust from the floor.

• Now you can rinse the detergent from the plumbing fixtures and stoves and wash the dishes. And the final touch is washing the floors. If you have a good mop, this work will not take much time and effort.

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Before guests arrive

If you need to urgently clean up before the arrival of guests, then try to look at the apartment through the eyes of a stranger. It is unlikely that guests will begin to look behind the sofa in search of dust or begin to inspect the order in kitchen cabinets. Therefore, we pay attention only to those places that immediately catch the eye.

• Hallway. This is the first room in the house that the guest enters. Therefore, we quickly collect lying shoes, bags, umbrellas and other little things.

• Bathroom. We pay attention to the condition of the sink in the bathroom, if there are clean towels and toilet paper.

• Then the guests go to the rooms. When cleaning in an emergency, there is no time to put things in their places. Therefore, we take a large box or basin, and add everything that is not in place. We'll sort things out later when we have time. We pay attention to whether there is dust on horizontal surfaces.

• Guests rarely enter the kitchen, unless they want to help set the table. To clean up the kitchen, you need to free the surfaces as much as possible and wipe them. Can't wash the dishes? Just put it in neat piles in the sink. The main thing is that cups and spoons do not roll on the table.

• And of course, you need to pay attention to the condition of the floor. It should be free of crumbs and other debris. If there is a robot vacuum cleaner, then it must be started in advance. If this technique is not available, you will have to use a conventional vacuum cleaner. But you don’t need to clean the dust from the corners and thoroughly clean under the furniture; in emergency mode, it is important to clean the center of the premises.

If there are children in the house

If there are children in the house, keeping order is especially difficult. Just got out, the toys were scattered again, and juice was spilled on the cleaned sofa. To keep the apartment in order, try from the most early years to teach the baby to eat only at the table and not to run around the apartment with cookies or a sandwich.

It is very important to properly organize the storage of toys. This question must be decided taking into account the age of the child. Up to a year, as a rule, there are no problems, since the playing space is limited to an arena or a rug, and toys are given out by an adult.

Read also: 7 ways to get rid of cockroaches

By the age of 2, the baby accumulates a lot of toys. But at the age of 2-5 years, children are not able to play for a long time. Therefore, it is worth dividing all the toys into 2-3 parts. And give the baby only one part. When mom notices that interest in toys has faded, they should be removed and replaced with another part.

Tip: Don't waste time neatly arranging dolls and cars on the shelves. It is better to purchase a box or a special storage basket.

At 6-7 years old, the child should already be accustomed to independently monitor their toys, insist that after the game everything is put away in its place.

What is important to remove

When cleaning quickly, you need to optimize the work. Therefore, you need to decide what is important to remove in the first place, and what can wait.

In the kitchen

In the kitchen, you need to maintain order every day, otherwise you will then have to spend a lot of time dismantling the rubble and wiping off the film of fat. It is better to have closed lockers, not shelves. Moreover, the front part of the cabinets and cabinets should be smooth. Then the furniture will be easy enough to wipe, without wasting time washing out the dirt from the grooves and curls.

Cover the top of the cabinets with foil or paper (newspapers work the same). Then, when cleaning, it will be possible to simply remove and replace this coating without wasting time washing.

Try not to keep foreign things in the kitchen. If the surfaces are free, then cleaning will be much easier. Clean your kitchen sink daily. If you do this every day, then it will take a couple of minutes to wash. If you ignore this rule, then you will have to clean the sink for a long time to a shine. You also need to wipe the apron and countertops daily.

In the bedroom

Cleaning the bedroom will not take much time if this room is not cluttered with various things. Try to keep all the little things in the nightstands or chest of drawers.

We start cleaning from the bed. If the bed is in a mess, then a feeling of slovenliness is immediately created. Then we collect the clothes, immediately putting the things that need washing into the dirty laundry basket. Now we remove extraneous things that should not be in the bedroom. If there are a lot of such things, then it is better to put them in a box or bag and then take them to their places, and not go with each thing separately.

In the living room

In the living room, as a rule, the whole family gathers in the evenings. Therefore, various things often accumulate here. Collect them in a separate bag or box, then spread them all at once in their places.

Then you need to wipe the dust and polish the furniture. Use modern polishes, they will help to quickly bring surfaces in order. Next, you need to wash the glass surfaces - cabinet doors, inserts in the doors, and then clean the floor. The final touch is to adjust the pillows on the sofa, when they lie at random, it seems that the room is a mess.

Probably, everyone faced situations when they had to rush to restore beauty in the house for the arrival of guests. Most often this happens when the news of the imminent arrival of visitors pops up unexpectedly. But it also happens that the owner of the dwelling, having tuned in advance to the upcoming meeting, for certain reasons, postpones important preparatory activities until the last moment.

In such cases, the presence or absence of the habit of keeping the room clean on a daily basis does not play a significant role: no matter how neat a person is, household activities are always associated with a violation of order - to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, anyone can be taken by surprise!

In such "emergency" circumstances, cleaning is usually hectic, and therefore often leads to the cultivation of real chaos, which is much more difficult to cope with. Of course, when minutes count, it is impossible to create a complete idyll. However, if you correctly outline an action plan and clearly follow the strategy, you can quickly restore absolute order in the house ... More precisely, create its appearance. Even the most demanding guest and mentally will have nothing to complain about!

Consider a few basic points, the implementation of which will help to quickly give the home a presentable look and create a comfortable environment for receiving guests.

Unloading open surfaces: collection and distribution of small items

On the initial stage it is necessary to release to the maximum all monitored horizontal areas. Small items that are still useful (for example, kitchen appliances, interior decor elements, etc.) should simply be set aside for a while, while everything superfluous should be completely removed from view. To simplify this task and not rush from one room to another, it is best to take a capacious box or basin. Collect all the little things in one container and then, after wet cleaning, move around the house and "deliver" things to the appropriate "addresses".

If there is very little time, you can simply leave all the most “unnecessary” in the container and put it in the closet, and start sorting after the end of the guest visit. This saves tens of minutes!

Cleaning shelves, countertops and window sills with a damp cloth

For daily care of cabinets and upholstery with washable materials upholstered furniture instead of rags or gauze, it is better to use a microfiber cloth (such products do not leave lint, do not roll, do not shed, and are easily cleaned by rinsing with water). Quickly "brush" the dust off the top shelves, and then wipe the countertops and window sills, removing small debris and dirt. After that, put in place all the necessary items that you collected in the previous stage of cleaning.

Home care: cleaning floors

If beauty and comfort reign in the house, but the floors are dirty, then good impression will be corrupted. Fragments of garbage felt by the feet when walking, dirt sticking to the socks ... It is unlikely that any of the guests will be able to feel comfortable noticing such an error!

Even if the floors in the house are cleaned regularly, they must be treated additionally before the arrival of visitors. The first thing to do is vacuum or sweep. At the same time, it is desirable to pay attention not only to carpets and rugs, but also to floor surfaces free from fleecy coatings. This will make it much easier to get through next stage- rubbing. Well, if the house has a robotic vacuum cleaner. Although perfect purity he will not be able to provide, this is a great help when you need to do a lot of things in a short time. Pet hair is easily removed from carpets with a laminate mop, the "working" part of which is made of microfiber, divided into many thick "macaroni".

As for the wet treatment of floors, they can be washed with both hands and a mop. It's a matter of habit and convenience. But it is worth noting that in a hurry, the second option is most preferable. The most important thing is not to make circular and smearing movements. First, it’s worth “walking” along the baseboards and the corners of the furniture adjacent to the floor. Next, rinse the rag and wipe the main areas towards yourself.

Radiant Beauty: Bringing Shine Back to Reflective Surfaces

If windows that have not been washed for a long time can be hidden behind curtains, then such a trick will not work with mirrors! They are always in sight and attract attention. That is why home care must necessarily include their cleaning. Shining mirrors, devoid of streaks, streaks and greasy stains, ennoble and visually expand the space, emphasize the beauty of the interior, enhance the feeling of comfort.

To give mirrors crystal clear, you can use not only specialized products. If you run out of glass cleaner, simply apply a small amount of soap or dishwashing liquid to a sponge, then dampen it with water, lather, and wipe the mirrors. Next, with a clean, damp microfiber cloth, remove the soap composition from the mirror surfaces and, without waiting for drying, wipe them dry with toilet paper or paper napkins (this will help avoid streaks). By the way, for effective cleaning of mirrors and glasses, it is incredibly convenient to use special reusable napkins made of artificial suede. They thoroughly clean smooth surfaces, completely eliminating streaks. If you are not familiar with such products, be sure to purchase the package and try it!

As for the glass doors of cabinet furniture, they are not important elements in the perception of the living space, since all attention usually goes to the objects stored behind them. But if time permits, it will not be superfluous to clean them too.

Eliminate minor flaws

If dirty dishes remain in the kitchen, be sure to wash them or at least just dump them in the sink, away from prying eyes. In the House there is Dishwasher? Excellent! Then there will be no problems with washing dishes at all!

Concerning cooker, then her appearance plays great importance to perceive the room. If the stove is dirty, but there is absolutely no time for proper processing - put a couple of pots or a kettle on its most visible edge, or cover its surface with foil (many housewives sometimes line the foil around the burners for hygiene purposes, so that guests will not even think about that in this way stains of fat and scale were hidden from them). Hang a clean waffle towel on the oven door for a quick clean-up on a stained stovetop.

Chrome and stainless steel parts can be polished by wiping them with a cloth soaked in olive oil or cosmetic baby oil and then wiping with a dry paper towel. Radiant beauty guaranteed!

Make a control tour of the territory, and, if necessary, eliminate the remaining shortcomings: make beds, fold furniture cushions on the sofa, straighten rugs, remove garbage, etc. If desired, you can additionally ventilate the room or use a pleasant refreshing fragrance.

Good habits for quick cleaning

If you want to optimize your home maintenance, take a walk around your home and remember which parts of cleaning tend to be the most difficult. Then think about how you can make it easier to complete these tasks in the future.

As a rule, cleaning is greatly delayed due to randomly scattered small things. Therefore, it is advisable to get rid of all unnecessary trifles in a timely manner. Various souvenirs, beautiful empty lighters, faulty watches, broken glasses… These are far from all the trinkets that people often keep in their homes out of habit, not trying to fix them, find a use. It is from such elements that you should get rid of, or at least put them in the pantry.

As for the necessary small items, many store them in large quantities on shelves, dressing tables, chests of drawers ... And when you need to wipe the dust, you first have to lift and rearrange all this trifle several times, which takes quite a lot of time and effort. To solve this problem, it makes sense to sort all these things according to their functional orientation, and then place each group of accessories in the appropriate separate container. Perfumes and nail polishes can be put into a nice plastic box, hairpins and combs into a neat little basket, lipsticks into a specially designated cosmetic bag, etc. To wipe the dust, it will be enough to lift one container. In addition, plastic containers with waterproof items folded in them can be periodically rinsed under running water, thereby eliminating the need to dust each item individually.

If there is a baby in the house, then it is best to store his toys in several spacious drawers, where they can be brushed away with one gesture. Of course, when the toys are arranged on the shelves in strict rows, the room looks neater. But such beauty does not last long, and it is very difficult to maintain it. In general, the freer the open horizontal surfaces are, the easier it will be to put things in order.

06.06.2018 10:21

Everyone has been in such a situation: only the elephant did not dance in your house, and suddenly your friends or mother-in-law call you and ask for a visit. Of course, you are not Cinderella, but if you have an hour left, then you can put your home in order. It is enough to clean up in key areas so that guests consider you the perfect hostess.

Hallway: floor

This is the first area where a person's foot enters your home. Shake out the rug, gather up the cobwebs, and sweep the floor quickly with the mop. It is not at all necessary to lift your shoes and be meticulous, it is enough to make a good impression. If you want to strengthen it, then run a damp cloth along the main routes: the transitions between rooms. When the dust does not sparkle in the rays of the sun, it seems as if you are aiming a marafet every day. Remove things from the table or stool in the hallway so that guests can place their bags and other things on them.

Balcony: animal bowls

If you have cats and dogs, be sure to clean up the trays and wash the bowls they eat from. Check that there are no balls of wool lying around the apartment, which, when the wind blows, turn into tumbleweeds. Important point: you are used to and no longer feel the specific smell that is characteristic of pets. But the rest he punches in the nose at the entrance. Therefore, to be sure, use air fresheners. Most people like citrus scents, which are associated with cleanliness and good mood.

Probably, everyone faced situations when they had to rush to restore beauty in the house for the arrival of guests. Most often this happens when the news of the imminent arrival of visitors pops up unexpectedly. But it also happens that the owner of the dwelling, having tuned in advance to the upcoming meeting, for certain reasons, postpones important preparatory activities until the last moment. In such cases, the presence or absence of daily maintenance of cleanliness in the room does not play a significant role: no matter how neat a person is, household activities are always associated with a violation of order - to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, anyone can be taken by surprise!

In such "emergency" circumstances, cleaning is usually hectic, and therefore often leads to the cultivation of real chaos, which is much more difficult to cope with. Of course, when minutes count, it is impossible to create a complete idyll. However, if you correctly outline an action plan and clearly follow the strategy, you can quickly restore absolute order in the house ... More precisely, create its appearance. Even the most demanding guest and mentally will have nothing to complain about!

Consider a few basic points, the implementation of which will help to quickly give the home a presentable look and create a comfortable environment for receiving guests.

Unloading open surfaces: collection and distribution of small items

At the initial stage, it is necessary to free up all the observed horizontal areas to the maximum. Small items that are still useful (for example, kitchen appliances, interior decor elements, etc.) should simply be set aside for a while, while everything superfluous should be completely removed from view. To simplify this task and not rush from one room to another, it is best to take a capacious box or basin. Collect all the little things in one container and then, after wet cleaning, move around the house and "deliver" things to the appropriate "addresses".

If there is very little time, you can simply leave all the most “unnecessary” in the container and put it in the closet, and start sorting after the end of the guest visit. This saves tens of minutes!

Cleaning shelves, countertops and window sills with a damp cloth

For everyday care of cabinet and upholstered furniture upholstered with washable materials, instead of rags or gauze, it is better to use a microfiber cloth (such products do not leave lint, do not roll, do not shed, and are easily cleaned by rinsing with water). Quickly "brush" the dust off the top shelves, and then wipe the countertops and window sills, removing small debris and dirt. After that, put in place all the necessary items that you collected in the previous stage of cleaning.

If beauty and comfort reign in the house, but the floors are dirty, then a good impression will be spoiled. Fragments of garbage felt by the feet when walking, dirt sticking to the socks ... It is unlikely that any of the guests will be able to feel comfortable noticing such an error!

Even if the floors in the house are cleaned regularly, they must be treated additionally before the arrival of visitors. The first thing to do is vacuum or sweep. At the same time, it is desirable to pay attention not only to carpets and rugs, but also to floor surfaces free from fleecy coatings. This will greatly facilitate the passage of the next stage - wiping. Well, if the house has a robotic vacuum cleaner. Although it cannot provide perfect cleanliness, it is a great help when you need to do a lot of things in a short time. Pet hair is easily removed from carpets with a laminate mop, the "working" part of which is made of microfiber, divided into many thick "macaroni".

As for the wet treatment of floors, they can be washed with both hands and a mop. It's a matter of habit and convenience. But it is worth noting that in a hurry, the second option is most preferable. The most important thing is not to make circular and smearing movements. First, it’s worth “walking” along the baseboards and the corners of the furniture adjacent to the floor. Next, rinse the rag and wipe the main areas towards yourself.

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Radiant Beauty: Bringing Shine Back to Reflective Surfaces

If windows that have not been washed for a long time can be hidden behind curtains, then such a trick will not work with mirrors! They are always in sight and attract attention. That is why home care must necessarily include their cleaning. Shining mirrors, devoid of streaks, streaks and greasy stains, ennoble and visually expand the space, emphasize the beauty of the interior, enhance the feeling of comfort.

To give mirrors crystal clear, you can use not only specialized products. If you run out of glass cleaner, simply apply a small amount of soap or dishwashing liquid to a sponge, then dampen it with water, lather, and wipe the mirrors. Next, with a clean, damp microfiber cloth, remove the soap composition from the mirror surfaces and, without waiting for drying, wipe them dry with toilet paper or paper napkins (this will help avoid streaks). By the way, for effective cleaning of mirrors and glasses, it is incredibly convenient to use special reusable napkins made of artificial suede. They thoroughly clean smooth surfaces, completely eliminating streaks. If you are not familiar with such products, be sure to purchase the package and try it!

As for the glass doors of cabinet furniture, they are not important elements in the perception of a living space, since all attention usually goes to the items stored behind them. But if time permits, it will not be superfluous to clean them too.

Eliminate minor flaws

If dirty dishes remain in the kitchen, be sure to wash them or at least just dump them in the sink, away from prying eyes. Is there a dishwasher in the house? Excellent! Then there will be no problems with washing dishes at all!

As for the stove, its appearance is of great importance for the perception of the room. If the stove is dirty, but there is absolutely no time for proper processing - put a couple of pots or a kettle on its most visible edge, or cover its surface with foil (many housewives sometimes line the foil around the burners for hygiene purposes, so that guests will not even think about that in this way stains of fat and scale were hidden from them). Hang a clean waffle towel on the oven door for a quick clean-up on a stained stovetop.

Chrome and stainless steel parts can be polished by wiping them with a cloth soaked in olive oil or cosmetic baby oil and then wiping with a dry paper towel. Radiant beauty guaranteed!

Make a control tour of the territory, and, if necessary, eliminate the remaining shortcomings: make beds, fold furniture cushions on the sofa, straighten rugs, remove garbage, etc. If desired, you can additionally ventilate the room or use a pleasant refreshing fragrance.

"An uninvited guest is worse than a Tatar." Our ancestors, who came up with this saying, implied the unwillingness of the hostess to set generous tables, which were an indispensable element of hospitality in those days.

Today, this is easier: food delivery in half an hour or an hour will help you organize a feast. But what she can't do is quickly clean up the apartment. And a call from friends or relatives with the words “We are going!” can lead to despair.

But experienced hostesses slyly wink at you: calm down - if you have 30 minutes before the guests visit, this will be enough.

Clean Up Quickly in 30 Minutes: A Step-by-Step Guide

First of all, decide on the status of the guests. If they are random people in your life, or just not very close, and they definitely won't stay longer than a few minutes, enough cleaning along the way from front door in the living room, and in the living room itself. But if they are friends or relatives and their visit may be delayed, use the following quick cleaning principles.

1. Remove everything from horizontal surfaces

Countertops, the surface of chests of drawers or cabinets, window sills, floors are the areas that first attract attention. Since you don’t have time, and you won’t have time to sort books, notebooks, vases and other stationery and decorative items, use a box or bag in which you put everything you don’t need and put it on the balcony, in the pantry or in any room that the guests definitely don’t will visit. After the guests leave, you will deal with these things, but so far the room is visually unloaded with clean horizontal planes.

Life hack. Take a few garbage bags, and separately put things from one piece of furniture into them. In one package - things with desk, in the other - from the chest of drawers in the hallway and so on. And make appropriate inscriptions on the packages with a marker. This will take you literally 2-3 minutes more time, but if you don't plan on "real" cleaning after guests leave, this distribution of things will help you quickly find them.

2. Wash the mirror and plumbing

Your guests are likely to want to go to the mirror in the hallway (for example, fix their hair), as well as visit the bathroom - wash their hands or go to the toilet.

Do not immediately rush to the sanitary ware with brushes at the ready - wet the working surface of the bathtub, washbasin and toilet bowl, then apply a detergent or cleaner on them and leave it like that. You will return to them after you finish the rest of the work, and during this time the dirt and plaque will have time to soften, and it will be enough for you to rinse the surfaces.

Life hack. Sparkling mirrors add a dozen points to the cleanliness of the room at once, so focus on them. If not at hand special means To clean mirrors, wet a sponge liberally, apply a little toothpaste on it and wipe the surface of the mirror well, rinsing the sponge several times. Then dry the surface of the mirror with paper towels or crumpled newspaper.

3. Ventilate the apartment

Stale air can give the impression of disorder and unsanitary conditions even in a sterile room. While cleaning in one room, arrange ventilation in another. Going to the next room, open the windows in the previous one - a room with a clean and fresh air psychologically perceived as pure.

Life hack. If there is no way to arrange cross-ventilation, or the smell is really unpleasant (for example, if you did not have time to clean the cat's tray) - do not try to mask this amber with air fresheners. First of all, isolate the source of the smell (pack the garbage hermetically, and pack the cat litter box in several bags without cleaning it). After that, in an ashtray or on a fireproof plate, burn a few pieces of plain paper. And now you can slightly flavor the air: 1-2 drops essential oil or perfume, put on a regular light bulb and turn it on. As it heats up, a subtle fragrance will spread around the room.

4. Clean up dirty dishes

It is unlikely that you will have time to wash the dishes, especially if it has decently accumulated. But do not panic and put the dishes anywhere. This is where packages come in handy again. Put clean dishes out of any cabinet for washing (or drying), and in its place put dirty plates and cups, neatly folded in a bag (it is needed to eliminate bad smell from dirty dishes).

A mountain of dishes at the sink will look like they have been recently washed and not yet put in place and no one will guess that this is a little trick.

Life hack. This part of the cleaning can be safely skipped if your guests do not stay for a long time or gatherings at the table are not planned at all. It is better to take the free time to put yourself in order and meet the guests as if you spent the last half hour not cleaning, but pleasantly doing nothing.

How to make sure that "emergency" cleaning is no longer needed

The steps described are for situations where unexpected guests take you by surprise. But how to make sure that the house is always clean, and you no longer have to quickly hide things and dishes in cabinets? There are many methods for this. However, the key to achieving consistent results is to make cleaning a daily routine (in a good way). Set a goal for yourself to develop the habit of cleanliness. Do not consider cleaning as something that should be done once a week. Give each room or area in the apartment 10-15 minutes a day, but steadily and regularly - and your house will always be clean.

But do not set yourself too high goals and do not turn on perfectionism. No one is required to live in sterile hospital conditions; everyone can be caught by random guests on a small hill of unwashed dishes. If this happens to you, take advantage of our advice. And do not worry - life is too beautiful to spend it maintaining the image of the "ideal hostess" in the eyes of other people.