So, you promised your mum you would have your room organised before you go to the party. Now it’s almost time to go and you have to do something FAST! You look around and it looks like a disaster area… clothes, books, empty dishes, you name it…

Yes, off course you had heaps of time to actually clean your room but you didn’t and now it’s crunch time. You need to do it NOW – here are some speedy organising tips to help you out:

• Do not panic – Deep breaths (30 seconds)
• Immediate prioritising – Take a step back and REALLY look at the room. Choose the biggest culprit which will catch the eye first. Is it a pile of clothes? Or the dirty dishes? Maybe the overwhelming odour of dirty socks? (30 seconds)
• Get rid of the worst first – If it’s the dishes, stack them quickly and run them to the kitchen – hide them in the dishwasher if you have time. If it is clothes, grab the laundry basket and stack them all in quick as you can. Alternatively, grab a plastic bag and fill it up with the dirty clothes – hide them in your closet. If you are asked about the bag, just say it is clothes you will go through next week to see what can be donated and what should be thrown out! (2 minutes)
• Get rid of anything gross – Take out the overflowing trash. Possible smelly containers or left over lunch in your school bag. (1 minute)
• Books & Papers – If you have books, magazines or papers everywhere, make quick neat stacks on your desk. Ensure you have the most recent homework task or prescribed reading on top! (1 minute)
• Open all your windows – Even if it’s freeing cold – air the place out. This will help with lingering odours left by dirty socks and week old dishes… (30 seconds)
• Quickly make the bed – This is normally the biggest thing in any bedroom and will give the instant impression that your room is a lot tidier. Don’t spend too long on this, just pull up the sheets and drag the cover over the top. The big secret is to leave a body print in one spot next to your book casually left on the bed – as if the bed was made AGES ago. (1 ½ minutes)
• Put a clean sock on each of your hands – Get one damp. Now you have a duster and a wet wipe. Use the wet one to remove any sticky rings from glasses. Run the dry one over any surface at eye level and any spots which are truly horribly dusty. (2 minutes)
• Add realism – Carefully add a few “messy” items for realism. Let your school bag look “fallen over” and accidentally have one shoe stick out from under the bed. (1 minute)
• Optional Tip – If you have a lamp, switch that on instead of the room’s normal light. This way it will have a less sharp glow in your room and make it appear cleaner than it is.
• Last quick tip – DO NOT let your mum read this!!