Half of Brits carry out 'emergency tidy-up' when expecting guests in their home

28 August 2023 , 12:45

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It takes under a minute to form a first impression after entering someone's home (Image: SWNS)

Three-quarters of house-proud Brits are eager to leave a good impression when welcoming guests into their homes – and half will always carry out an “emergency tidy-up” when they are expecting visitors, research has found.

The top tasks they will carry out before guests show up include vacuuming (48%), hiding clutter away in cupboards (42%) – and spraying an air freshener (37%).

And other chores carried out to make their home more presentable include cleaning the windows, lighting candles, and buying special food or drink in preparation for hosting.

The poll of 2,000 adults found that three-quarters say it is important to them how others view their home – with eight in 10 keen to leave a consistently good impression, whether they are welcoming a guest for the first time or not.

And this is perhaps unsurprising, as 80% of visitors to someone else's home admit they judge their hosts on the state of their abode within a minute of walking in the door.

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Over a quarter of those polled (28%) say they will judge the living room first, while 56% appreciate a pleasant smell upon entry – and a fresh and clean bathroom does not go unnoticed, for 63%.

Half of Brits carry out 'emergency tidy-up' when expecting guests in their home

And the living room is the most common room to be judged, for almost three in ten - while more than half will note a pleasant smell upon entry (SWNS)

The research was commissioned by Febreze, whose spokesman said: “Our research shows that it really doesn’t take long to form a first impression – just under 47 seconds.

“It’s understandable if people are put off by funky smells, and the last thing you want is to feel underprepared for when guests are coming over.

“The adrenaline of the “emergency tidy-up” can both put your mind at ease, as well as creating a homely environment for visitors – but sometimes there’s just not the time, and that’s where we can at least help make the home smell fresher.”

The results also found 36% of adults would put the most effort into getting their homes in order for a new friend visiting – while 26% would spruce up their place for a prospective romantic partner.

And in return, 45% make sure to offer compliments where they are due – such as “you have a lovely home”, and “I love what you’ve done with the place”.

Four in 10 are more likely to judge the interior of a house than the exterior – though the same percentage say they’ll size both equally. And more than six in ten (64%) feel having a “tidy” home is the best way to leave a good impression.

However, “full bins” (61%), the “smell of pets” (56%), and “mess everywhere” (52%) are some of the easiest ways to put someone off your gaff, with 53% even having made an excuse to bounce from someone’s house early – because the smell was “too much”.

In fear of this happening to them, 17% admit they’ve suggested a different meeting place to save themselves embarrassment.

But it emerged that the top ways they hope guests feel in their company include “comfortable” (62%), “welcome” (61%), and “relaxed” (60%), according to the study, carried out via OnePoll.

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The spokesman for Febreze added: “We all have clutter and smells in our busy lives, and it’s nice to see from the results that 17% wouldn’t be that fussed if things weren’t in pristine condition upon arrival.

“With kids, pets, and just general life, it can be toilsome to keep on top of things – but with just a few small adjustments we can settle the fears of judgements.”

THE TOP 10 WAYS BRITS PREPARE THEIR HOMES TO LEAVE A GOOD IMPRESSION: