Your house guests have arrived with big smiles, but behind those grins are snarky comments about your home. From the moment they walk in, you are greeted with passive-aggressive remarks about the carpet, dusty shelves, dirty dishes, and cluttered cabinets. While we all do our best to keep our homes clean, sometimes cleaning tasks are forgotten or saved for later. I love having company, but the ones who compliment and appreciate my hospitality are my favorites. We have all experienced the house guest who isn’t quite so friendly. Here are 16 things a guest might say that will make you cringe – and 16 ways you can prevent that from happening.

The guest walks in and looks at the carpet with their nose scrunched up: “Do I really need to take off my shoes?”

While my carpet isn’t brand new, it certainly won’t get your socks dirty! Instead of worrying about replacing your carpet, do a quick vacuum in the front room to let guests know you keep your carpets clean.

While staring at a streak of food on your couch, they ask, “Is leather hard to keep clean?”

Kids spill, adults spill, and sometimes, our pets spill. There are going to be messes that you didn’t even realize happened. Try to do a quick walk through your house to check for hidden messes before your guests arrive.

They intentionally wipe a finger across the furniture: “I didn’t even realize it was dusty until I touched it.”

Some places in my house get dusty seconds after I finish dusting! It is completely frustrating, but I have found a quick dusting with a feathered brush goes a long way. I save more detailed dusting for only one day a week or twice a month.

Rubbing the glass in a picture frame with her shirt, they ask, “Who is that a picture of? It’s hard to see through this glass.”

Picture frames are so easy to forget to clean. I never realize they are dirty until someone else is looking at them. Put them on a monthly cleaning list to remind yourself, and prevent embarrassing T-shirt cleans.

Pointing towards several hand prints scattered across the doors, a disgusted house guest says, “Your kids must love those doors.”

Kids love to touch glass doors, and while you might clean them daily, little hands quickly find them again. I wish I could give you a remedy, but instead, I can only suggest enjoying those prints before you wipe the last one away.

Staring at a dirty spot on the carpet, they sweetly say, “I vacuum my floors every day.”

I try to vacuum my floors daily, but sometimes I simply don’t have the time! If you are struggling to keep an entire house clean, only vacuum the main areas and save the bedrooms for later.

After walking by a heaping pile of laundry, they ask, “Are you doing laundry soon?

I only do laundry once a week, and by the end of the week, the load is huge. Building a laundry shelf to hold several baskets is a great way to keep laundry off the floor and organized.

Glancing over at a full sink of dishes, they question, “Is the dishwasher broken?”

When the dishwasher is full, dishes can often sit in the sink waiting for an empty spot. Instead of only using the dishwasher to clean your dishes, wash the larger items by hand and get them all done at once.

Pointing to the obvious streaks on the mirror, they ask, “What kind of cleaner do you use on your glass windows?”

Some cleaners are terrible. This is something you have to test and try on your own; you will find what works best for you, so you can proudly look in a streak-free mirror.

The kids’ toys are everywhere, and your guest becomes concerned about their safety: “I almost tripped on something in that room.”

Whether it is toys or some other item, nothing is more annoying than a guest who can’t walk around or over something. Focus on keeping clutter out of the main rooms and off the floors, and leave the messes behind hidden doors.

With a slow, dramatic glance around your cluttered home, your guests decides to bring up your more-organized friend: “Have you ever been to Jane’s house? She just keeps it so clean.”

I keep my house clean, but there are days where it doesn’t look its best. I always save my deep cleaning for the day before a guest arrives; this ensures that it will be looking its best. I scrub down the bathrooms, clean inside the refrigerator, mop the floors, wipe down the doors, finish the laundry, and vacuum the entire house.

Food, dishes, and other random items are scattered on the counters, so naturally, they ask, “What did you have for dinner?”

Oh, the dinner question. To avoid this awkward question, clean up the dishes right after eating and get that dishwasher running.

The microwave is an embarrassing mess, and your guest sneakily hints towards it: “Do you have a paper towel I can put over my food in the microwave? I wouldn’t want this food to splatter all over in there.”

Paper towels work great at preventing microwave splatters, but sometimes, they fall off, and within seconds, the microwave can be destroyed. For a quick clean, heat a cup of vinegar and water in the microwave. Everything should wipe off without scrubbing hard or working your muscles.

Then there are the guests that don’t even try to hide their disgust: “What’s that smell?”

Sometimes homes stink, and you might not even know it. For a fresh smell in your home, heat a pot of water with orange peels and cinnamon sticks. It will get rid of bad odors and make your home smell lovely.

There are few blankets on the couch, several books, and a couple of children, but your guest is looking at your couches like a nasty infection: “I don’t really feel like sitting.”

We live in our house and actually use our couch! Of course there are going to be people and blankets on it! Have a basket for blankets and a basket for books and knick-knacks, so you can quickly clear the couch for house guests.

The dishwasher left some water streaks on your glasses, but your guest can’t help commenting: “Are these dishes clean?”

Water streaks are nothing but an innocent streak of clean water. They can’t hurt anyone, but they also aren’t a pretty sight to see while you are drinking. Make sure you add a glass cleaner when you run the dishwasher to prevent streaks, but washing and drying glass cups by hand is a sure way to prevent streaks.

I always try to have my house looking its best before anyone arrives, but even at its cleanest, I have still heard the remarks. When people want to find something mean to say, they are going to find it. Do your best to get your house clean, and then sit back and relax. If your guest still has something rude to say, let it go and enjoy your fresh-looking home through positive eyes.

Image Courtesy of kbcanon (Flickr)