“Tidy the house” is one of the first items on my to do list everyday. I don’t always have time to clean as much as I would like to, but I always take time to tidy. Why? A tidy house gives the illusion of a clean house, a tidy house is much easier to clean, and a tidy house just looks good!
“Tidy the house” for me means going through each room and putting it in order. For example, I usually start with the living room. I fold up the quilts, put the couch pillows in place, straighten the magazines, remove any dishes – whatever else needs done to make the room look orderly. Then I move to the next room and do the same thing. It’s really just a matter of putting things away.
It sounds like a big undertaking, but if you do it regularly throughout the day, it doesn’t take very long and your house is always a few minutes away from being company ready.
We are so alike. I an a cleaner, always cleaning and picking. I hate clutter and I resonate so much with what you said about the house being better when it is picked up and “just looks good”.