Should you clean your home before guests arrive? My cleaning habits stem from my childhood

Do you clean your house for guests? I certainly do. It’s a habit I learned as a child, and luckily my spouse shares the same mindset. As far as I’m concerned, guests should be invited into a tidy home! I realized early on that not everyone shares this view. Once, I heard a couple that had just moved in together squabble at the dinner table about how burdensome cleaning for guests had been. One felt cleaning was simply about upholding appearances (and only did what the other told them to), while the other thought a messy home was rude (and therefore cleaned alone and frustrated).

I think that cleaning for guests is a bit like Christmas cleaning: it’s not absolutely mandatory, but a tidy home definitely brings a more festive feel. As you vacuum, mop, and dust, you get to start looking forward to the evening ahead. Once the tablecloth is laid out and the candles flicker, I’m ready to open our home to guests.

We visit the homes of friends, acquaintances, neighbors, or relatives about 25 times a year, which is nearly every other week. One in four Finns reports paying visits even more frequently—at least once a week, according to the Finnish Happiness at Home survey (Asuntosäätiö, 2023).

The study also shows that we value punctuality when it comes to visits. So do I! Above all, don’t arrive too early. Sometimes the preparations—cleaning, cooking, and grocery shopping—are as time-sensitive as planning a state visit. I’ve decided I always need to be in the shower no later than 45 minutes before guests arrive. That way, in addition to the house, I have time to get myself ready.

For guests, I also put out a basket of small terrycloth hand towels in the bathroom (like in fancy restaurants). I’ve realized it’s entirely unnecessary, because most guests dry their hands on the towel hanging from the wall. “You didn’t have to do this just for us,” they say. They probably think the same about the cleaning hassle.