Top 14+ Decluttering Tips That Will Impress Every Guest You Invite

Clear Your Kitchen Counters the Night Before

This simple step transforms your kitchen from chaotic to welcoming faster than you can say "surprise visit." Before guests arrived, I moved through the house and cleared off every surface I could – counters, benches, side tables, coffee tables, desks. Your house is about to get a lot more chaotic, with not only many more bodies but their attendant cups/bags/chargers/water bottles/books.

Creating space in advance not only gives those items a place to land, it helps to keep your home visually calm. Clear counters signal to guests that you're organized and prepared, even if you're secretly improvising dinner plans.

Think of it like making your bed – it's the one thing that makes your whole space look instantly tidier.

Set Up a Dedicated Drop Zone

Every guest needs a landing spot for their keys, wallet, and phone, and creating this designated space prevents clutter from spreading throughout your home. Invest in closed storage pieces for your living room, dining room, or family room.

These pieces allow you to organize and hide your clutter, so surfaces stay clean and minimal. A simple console table with a small dish or tray near your entrance works wonders.

However, she finds that now it's all about being intentional with what you keep. "Instead of just decluttering for the sake of it, people are curating their homes with items they truly use and love," she explains.

"This makes maintenance easier and helps create a home that feels calm and effortless to manage."

Tackle the Bathroom Medicine Cabinet

Nothing says "I've got my life together" quite like a well-organized bathroom cabinet that doesn't avalanche when opened. Remove excess: Focus on eliminating duplicate items and unnecessary clutter.

Functional storage: Implement storage solutions that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Daily habits: Encourage daily decluttering routines to maintain minimalism.

Start by removing expired medications and toiletries – most people have bottles from three years ago they've forgotten about. Group similar items together and invest in clear containers that make everything visible at a glance.

Your guests might not peek inside, but you'll feel more confident knowing everything has its place.

Create a Charging Station

In our digital age, guests constantly worry about their phone battery dying, so having a dedicated charging station is more hospitable than offering them a drink. Smart home organization gadgets are revolutionizing how spaces are managed.

These gadgets not only save time but also improve efficiency. Voice-Activated Assistants: Help keep track of tasks and reminders for decluttering.

Smart Labels: Enable easy identification and location of items using a connected app. Set up a small basket or drawer with multiple charging cables and a power strip in a common area.

This prevents guests from leaving their phones scattered around your home while searching for outlets.

Declutter Your Coffee Table

Your coffee table is prime real estate in your living room and often the first place guests look when they sit down. Especially for multifunctioning rooms like living rooms or even kitchens, Nicole recommends carving out individual spaces for different activities in these areas, to make decluttering more manageable.

You can take it a chunk at a time and plan accordingly. "Start by identifying the activities you will be engaging in within the room (entertainment, reading, play).

Next, within each section, establish zones," says the professional organizer. Keep only a few carefully chosen items: perhaps a small plant, a stylish book, and maybe a decorative tray.

Everything else should have a designated home elsewhere. This creates visual breathing room and gives your guests space to set down their drinks without playing Tetris with your belongings.

Organize Your Entryway Closet

First impressions happen at your front door, and a chaotic coat closet can set the wrong tone before guests even make it inside. She suggests some sustainable tips for storing your things safely: Use fabric-lined baskets for towels and clothes so they don't snag on the material.

Use shoe racks in the mudroom or entryway so they (and your floors) stay clean. Use water-resistant drawer organizers (such as bamboo) in the kitchen.

Remove out-of-season coats and shoes that don't belong there. Add shelf dividers and hooks to maximize space while keeping everything neat.

When guests need to hang their coats, they shouldn't have to navigate through your winter gear collection to find space.

Streamline Your Guest Bathroom

Your guest bathroom gets more scrutiny than any other room in your house, so it needs to be absolutely flawless. After staying in "thousands of hotels," Brown says one of her key takeaways was learning the importance of always providing her own guests with extra toiletries.

"Travelers are a forgetful bunch. Put out an amenity kit of all those items we're most likely to forget, toothbrush and toothpaste being the top two items," Brown recommends.

Clear out personal items and half-empty bottles that scream "I haven't cleaned this in months." Make sure your guests have everything they need by offering an extra set of towels and washcloths. Having these neatly folded in the cupboard ensures they have fresh linens without needing to ask.

Stock it with essentials like travel-sized toiletries, fresh towels, and maybe a small plant to make it feel spa-like rather than sterile.

Master the Art of Digital Decluttering

While your guests won't see your phone screen, being digitally organized reduces your stress and makes you a more present host. Studies show that digital clutter is just as toxic to your mental health as physical clutter.

It triggers high levels of stress and anxiety. She said our brains tend to favor order over chaos, so when you're bombarded by clutter, it can make you feel overwhelmed.

Did you know that the average person consumes about 74 GB of data daily? That's equivalent to watching 16 movies!

Our brains aren't designed to process this tsunami of information, leading to what experts call "digital fatigue syndrome." Before guests arrive, delete unnecessary photos, organize your apps, and clear your desktop. You'll feel more focused and less likely to frantically search for that delivery app when ordering takeout.

Perfect Your Living Room Flow

A well-organized living room allows conversation to flow naturally, making your guests feel comfortable and engaged. So pros recommend creating multiple seating areas that allow for intimate conversations or larger chats, both inside and out.

Mixing seating pieces like sofas, love seats, chaise lounges, accent chairs, swivel chairs and movable footstools can make numerous arrangements possible. Remove unnecessary furniture or decorative items that make the space feel cramped.

A sofa bed transforms living rooms into guest spaces. Storage ottomans provide seating while hiding clutter.

Fold-out desks create instant home offices. Convertible furniture helps maximize space without compromising style.

These functional pieces seamlessly blend into any decor. The goal is to create clear pathways and cozy conversation areas where people naturally want to gather.

Set Up Your Kitchen for Easy Entertaining

An organized kitchen makes hosting feel effortless instead of overwhelming, allowing you to enjoy your guests' company rather than stressing over meal preparation. And consider placing the sink on the outer side or end of the island.

This lets guests use the sink to prep food or rinse glasses without the need to cross paths with someone using the main area of the kitchen. "I always recommend having a prep sink in the kitchen, or two regular-size sinks," designer Ksusha Olson of Titus Contracting says.

"If one truly likes to entertain and does a lot of cooking, having two sinks in the kitchen makes food prep and cleaning so much more efficient". Keep your most-used entertaining supplies in easily accessible spots.

You want to prepare most of the dishes in advance. It's best to have most of the dishes out and ready by the time everyone arrives.

I like to have a friend help out, too. She can greet the guests, take their coats, and ask what they would like to drink.

It's hard for just one person do everything when you have that many people over.

Create a Memorable Welcome Experience

The first few minutes after guests arrive set the tone for the entire visit, so having your entrance organized and welcoming is crucial. Surprise your guests with a small welcome gift placed on their bed.

Whether it's a box of chocolates, a local souvenir, or a card, this gesture will immediately make them feel special and welcomed. Clear sight lines from your entrance to the main entertaining area help guests feel immediately oriented and comfortable.

I always make sure I have a nice tablecloth and some kind of centerpiece to make the guests feel like I took time to impress them. Even if it's just a vase of flowers and some cloth napkins, it's better than a plain table.

Small touches like having a designated spot for coats and shoes shows thoughtfulness without being pretentious.

Organize Your Dining Space

Whether you're serving a full meal or just appetizers, your dining area should feel spacious and inviting rather than cluttered and cramped. Creating authentic physical connections between your guests makes for an intimate dining experience.

"A slim table ensures everyone around it is involved in the conversation," says Lynn Easton, co-founder of Easton Porter Hospitality Group. "Pair a 30-inch wide table with some simple folding chairs and decorate it with slim candles or low and small flower arrangements.

Don't overcomplicate the glassware and pass on using chargers." Remove everything from your dining table except the essentials – salt, pepper, and maybe a simple centerpiece. Store extra table linens and serving pieces in a nearby sideboard or cabinet, but keep them easily accessible for when you need them.

Master the Minimalist Approach

Less really is more when it comes to impressing guests – they notice cleanliness and organization far more than expensive decorations. There are 300,000 items in the average American home.

The average size of the American home has nearly tripled in size over the past 50 years. While 25% of people with two-car garages don't have room to park cars inside them and 32% only have room for one vehicle.

If that sounds like way more than you have to declutter, consider that the average US home has over 300,000 items. 😱 An annual purge like the 2025 challenge can help you to keep steady progress until you find your home's equilibrium.

Focus on keeping only items that serve a purpose or bring you genuine joy. Your guests will appreciate the calm, uncluttered environment more than they'll miss seeing your collection of decorative objects.

Prepare for Unexpected Moments

The best hosts are prepared for spills, late arrivals, and other surprises that inevitably happen when entertaining. Spending a night or two in your guest room about a month before your guests arrive is a smart move.

It will help you notice any issues, like uncomfortable mattresses, faulty light bulbs, or anything else that might need attention. Keep a small basket of emergency supplies easily accessible: stain remover, paper towels, phone chargers, and basic first aid items.

One thing I make quickly is an easy cracker dip. I just put cream cheese on a dish and top it with jarred hot pepper jelly.

I put out different kinds of crackers and you just spread the cheese and jelly on. It takes less than a minute to prepare.

I also always keep mixed nuts and chips and salsa on hand. Having these items organized and ready means you can handle any situation gracefully without missing a beat of conversation.

Conclusion

Impressing guests isn't about having the most expensive furniture or the biggest house – it's about creating a space that feels organized, welcoming, and thoughtfully prepared. Welcoming guests into your home is all about creating a space where they feel comfortable, relaxed, and appreciated.

Whether it's a weekend visit or a longer stay, the little details make a big difference in making them feel at home. These 14 decluttering tips work because they address the fundamentals of hospitality: making people feel comfortable, removing stress from social situations, and showing that you've put thought into their experience.

Over the course of our lifetime, we will spend a total of 3,680 hours or 153 days searching for misplaced items. The research found we lose up to nine items every day—or 198,743 in a lifetime.

The real magic happens when your organized space allows you to be present with your guests rather than worrying about where to put their coats or scrambling to find a clean glass. Start with just one area today, and you'll be amazed at how much more confident you'll feel the next time someone knocks on your door.

Did you expect that being organized could make such a difference in your hosting game?