How to Fake a Clean House

When you’re short on time, here's how to give your living spaces the illusion of cleanliness.

The Living Room

• Reserve one side of sofa cushions to be shown to guests. Before company arrives, flip over the cushions to reveal good-as-new fabric. When guests are gone, flip them back.
• Rid the sofa of pet hair by wetting the fingertips of rubber gloves and gliding your hand over the sofa. The hair will stick to the rubber.
• Stack books, catalogs, and magazines in neat piles on the floor or arrange them in a deep decorative basket.
• To disguise windows in need of washing, pull curtain panels closed.
• Fold a clean blanket neatly and drape it over a stained sofa. Strategically placed throw pillows can also camouflage soiled upholstery.