The feather duster: Good enough for company (except the in-laws)

There are important truths in life that you can never learn from a book. 

Truth #563:   The feather duster: Good enough for company (except the in-laws).

This morning, while the coffee brewed, I ran a quick feather duster over the house.   As I was dusting a few pieces in my son's room, I got to thinking--this is good enough for now...but when my in-laws come to visit, I need to be much more thorough about the dusting (and cleaning for that matter)

Don't get me wrong, I love my in-laws.  They are wonderful.  But, my mother-in-law keeps an immaculate house.  IMMACULATE.  While I was growing up, my mother kept an amazingly clean house too.  I remember as a young child thinking that Mom vacuumed to keep the lines on the carpet straight.  (She vacuumed every day)  I too vacuum every day--or at least every other day.  However, my house is not immaculate.  You see, I have these two giant dogs.  They shed, bring dirt in, slobber, and are generally a nuisance to me.  I still love them dearly, but my house would be cleaner and would stay cleaner if they didn't reside here.  Seeing how clean my mother in law keeps her house is a little intimidating.  I mean, it's perfection.  My house will never be that clean...but I can try, right?

I don't want my in-laws to think that I'm raising their grandson in a pig sty. I have resigned myself to the fact that no matter how many times I sweep, vacuum, or mop, my little crawler will still have dog hair on his hands and probably in his mouth.  It doesn't seem to bother him.  :)

So, in order to put my best foot forward with the in-laws, I'll be a cleaning fiend before their arrival.  How about you?  Do you do anything special when your family comes to visit?  Do share!