Century 21 Home Team Realty *** Vicki Begley, Realtor ***

The phone rings. Surprise! Buyers will be at your front door in 10 minutes. You have no time to clean the house. What you need is the 10-minute rescue. This is a terrific technique you should learn right now, and then keep tucked away for that time when despite your best efforts, you are caught in a jam!

Set a small pan of water over meduim heat. Dump in spices like cinnamon, allspice and cloves and leave it to heat.
Grab a laundry basket, box or grocery bag. Move through the house, starting in the kitchen, clearing counters, coffee tables, end tables and all other flat surfaces of clutter. Just scoop everything into the container and stash it . . . (either in your closet or in your car trunk.)
Gather all bathroom clutter including towels, stuff lining the walls and ledges of the tub and shower, toys and all the stuff on the vanity and deposit it in the shower. Draw the curtain. Or put the basket in your car!
Clean the flat surfaces you have just cleared using furniture polish or all purpose cleaner.
Empty the kitchen sink of dishes, pots and so on, using the stash methods described above. The oven and dishwasher are handy hiding places if you're out of baskets! Scrub the sink, rinse quickly and perform a quick polish.
Starting at the front door, vacuum the visible areas.
Light the candles and fireplace.
Switch on the stereo and turn on the lights.
Whew! You made it! The house looks great and smells good too! After showing, take a few more minutes to go through the boxes that you've accumulated and above all - remember to remove the things you've stashed in the oven!