Most TV "Lose-All-The-Clutter-And-Gain-A-Lot-Of-Baskets-With- 
Labels" organizing shows concentrate on long term solutions 
to your messy, messy ways. But for those who work from home, 
sometimes clean and organized lags behind paycheck and deadline. 
But what if your mother-in-law is coming down the street and 
your home looks like the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew?  Or what 
if your picky neighbor shows up unexpectedly?  (She's borrowing 
sugar...AGAIN?)  You need help QUICK! Here's some ideas for 
quick down and ..ummm...dirty cleanup (and a few ideas for 
items to have on hand for future emergency cleanups!)

1. Grab several large garbage bags and stuff in all clutter. 
   Don't stop to sort. Just stuff it all in and move the bags 
   to the garage. Keep the bags in the garage for a month. If 
   you don't remember what's in the bag, or miss something 
   which may have been stuffed there, then donate the entire 
   bag to a thrift shop. (No fair peeking inside - if you 
   didn't miss it, you don't need it!)

2. Invest in a couple of large storage ottomans. You will be 
   surprised how much you can stuff in those ottomans between 
   the time your mother-in-law gets out of the car and the time 
   she rings the doorbell!)

3. Invest in under-bed storage boxes. No self-respecting 
   neighbor will look under your bed. (If she does, you might 
   want to reconsider your friendship! Who wants a neighbor 
   you can't be messy with?)

4. Buy a sofa with a skirt. Those wonderful skirts can hide a 
   multitude of sins...and a few dozen shoes and a big stack 
   of newspapers, magazines and week-old potato chips.

5. Don't forget the laundry you can hide in your washer and 
   dryer! Don't worry about how much it holds – just stuff 
   and hide!

6. Don't hide the clutter in closets! It's the first place your 
   mother-in-law will look!

7. If all else fails, just say you are getting ready for a yard 
   sale and you were just beginning to price your treasures!  
   (Care for some old magazines? Just a quarter each! How about 
   a couple of half-eaten bags of cookies? I'll make you such 
   a deal!)


As a freelance designer and writer, my priorities are time with 
my husband, time with family, answering my reader's questions, 
and meeting my writing deadlines. Placed proudly at the bottom 
of my list is housework. If you work from home, don't feel 
guilty for trying these ideas. As my mother always told me, 
"You can always do housework when you can't find something 
interesting or fun to do!" 

Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer and designer for 35 years
(Yikes, has it been that long?) Enjoy her tongue-in-cheek
approach to inexpensive interior design at:
http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com and
http://www.diy-homedecor.com