BoomerGirl.com

Only two hours to straighten the house? Several experts agree that's time enough for a fairly thorough job and certainly a cursory once-over that will pass muster.

Think strategically, starting curbside. Go out and look at the house as if through a stranger's eyes. "Check the porch for rotting pumpkins and that dead Christmas wreath," says Marla Cilley, author of "Sink Reflections" and founder of FlyLady.net, an irreverent Web site offering cleaning and decluttering advice. Dump the seasonal decor, then corral toys, boots, snow shovels and anything else abandoned near the front door. If the porch or walkway needs sweeping, grab a broom.

Back inside, check the route from the entrance to the rooms your guests will be using. When time is very short, "tackle only those rooms where you'll actually be," such as the kitchen, family room and bathroom, suggests Donna Smallin, author of "The One-Minute Cleaner." For other spaces that may be less than pristine (home office? master bedroom?), close the door.

Cheryl Mendelson, author of the exhaustive (884-page) "Home Comforts," would head straight for the kitchen and bathroom, where cleanliness is as important as tidiness. Wash or stash in the dishwasher anything in the kitchen sink. Wipe down countertops, clean the sink, sweep the floor. In the bathroom, clean the mirror, countertops, sink and toilet. Then, says Mendelson, "put out a fresh towel for the visitor and throw the other ones in the washer or laundry basket, which is the right place for them."

Laura Dellutri, author of "Speed Cleaning 101," says her quickest strategy is to start at a doorway and go around the perimeter of each room, working top to bottom so that dust from the ceiling, light fixtures and tops of tall cabinets wafts down to the floor. She wraps a damp towel around a Swiffer mop for the "high-to-low work; that's done in three minutes. Spot-clean the glass, dust, and by then you'll be in the center of the room and can mop or vacuum yourself out."

Sandra Felton, founder of the self-help group Messies Anonymous and its Web site, www.messies.com, suggests starting by clearing all surfaces, including the floor. Gather like items in a box or bag — magazines in one, toys in another — and stash them in a closed-off room or even the bathtub with the curtain drawn. Then throw out junk mail, stack books or magazines, dust the tables and plump sofa pillows. Vacuuming is last. Felton sings the praises of her robot vac, which frees her to do other things. Finally, she says, create a "beauty spot." Often, this will be the dining room table. "Make sure it's clear and has something nice on it so it becomes a place to entertain your guest."

And Mendelson cautions us to go easy on our frazzled selves. "Anyone who shows up with a two-hour warning has to pretty much take what they find. There has to be a certain amount of `This is me.' "