Our space can tell people a lot about who we are—whether that's because of the decorations we decide to display or how we organize our rooms. The last thing we want the guests coming into our homes to feel is turned off. But there are plenty of small things that you might easily overlook until someone else points them out—and in many cases, they'll be too polite to say anything. To help you avoid embarrassment, we talked to experts to figure out what you should take note of before hosting. Read on to discover five gross things in your home that could be scaring off your guests.
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1 | Hair all over the place
iStockHair has a habit of getting everywhere, but cleaning it up is a necessary battle when you're expecting to have guests over.
"Nobody enjoys finding hair in the bathroom, whether in the sink, on the floor, or, heaven forbid, on the towels," Ivo Iv, a home improvement expert and the founder of Decor Home Ideas, tells Best Life. "Hosts might not realize how much hair is around, especially if they have long locks."
You'll also want to watch out for facial hair trimmings in and around the bathroom sink, adds Christina Giaquinto, a professional home organizer and brand ambassador of Modular Closets.
"Do you shave your beard in the same bathroom your guests use? It can be off-putting for guests to see beard trimmings around the sink while they wash their hands, so make sure to clean up the bathroom sink and countertop before your guests arrive," she advises.
And it's not not just human hair you need take note.
"While you may love your furry friend, your guests may not appreciate seeing pet hair on furniture and floors," warns Karina Toner, a cleaning expert and the operations manger at Spekless Cleaning. "This can be particularly problematic for guests who have allergies."
2 | No hand towel in sight
iStockYou might be more than willing to dry your hands on any available surface in your bathroom, but this isn't a suitable option when you have other people over.
Don Rees, a home expert who has been building houses for over 40 years and the founder of RealCraft, warns that your guests could start to think differently of you if your bath towel is the only thing they have to wipe their hands on.
"No one wants to use a used bath towel to dry their hands after washing them," he says. "It’s important to always switch out hand towels for your guests, or provide them with paper towels to dry their hands."
3 | Overflowing trash
iStockDon't forget to take out the trash before your guests arrive. Having an overflowing garbage can is one of the easiest way to gross out your guests, according to Justin Carpenter, a cleaning expert and the owner of Modern Maids in Houston.
"Not only is it unhygienic, but overflowing garbage cans are also incredibly off-putting," he explains.
Rees warns that you're not off the hook just because you have your overflowing trash tucked away in a cabinet.
"You might think hiding away your garbage can is a good thing when you have company over. But keeping your garbage out of sight also means it smells more," he shares. "When you place your garbage in a confined space, the smell becomes condensed and when your guest goes to throw something out, they are greeted by a horrific smell."
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4 | Worn-out pillows in the guest room
iStockIf you're hosting people for an overnight stay, be conscious of what you're asking them to lay their heads on at bedtime. While your guest room may seem like a convenient place to store your old pillows if you don't want to toss them, Vincent Zhu, a home and hotel contractor who currently works as the CEO of ACSLocks, warns that this can easily make visitors uneasy about staying with you in the future.
"The grossest thing is that worn-out pillows will have months or years' worth of accumulated dust, oils, drool, dust mites, mold, mildew, and even fungi if they aren't cleaned and maintained correctly," Zhu says. "I suggest you remove your old pillows and replace them with high-quality, machine-washable pillows and pillow protectors, both of which you should wash frequently."
5 | Dirty chairs
iStockYou can easily forget to get the back of your dining room chairs when cleaning, says Lorraine Thompson, a home expert and the founder of Best Florist Review. But if you're hosting a sit-down meal, your visitors likely won't be able to miss the grime when they go to sit down.
"There probably is some pasta sauce or chocolate hanging on by a thread," she warns. "It will disgust guests to touch a sticky chair back."
According to Thompson, you should be taking a close look at your chairs, because you might not notice all the dirty spots that could repulse your guests.
"The legs are also frequently covered with spills and splatters and are rarely seen or cleaned," she says.
