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It\u2019s date night. You and a gal have been out a few times and tonight you\u2019ve invited her over your place for the first time for a dinner you\u2019re whipping up yourself<\/a>. The chicken\u2019s in the oven, you look dapper<\/a>, and you\u2019ve applied a manly aftershave<\/a>. When you hear her knock, you open the door to your apartment, your date steps inside, and she looks\u2026kind of turned off. What went wrong?! With clear eyes for the first time, you see that your bachelor pad is the culprit. It\u2019s messy, it\u2019s smelly, and it\u2019s uninviting to anyone of the opposite sex.<\/p>\n You can have everything go right on a date, only to ruin it with an unpresentable living space. Making a good first impression with what you call home shows your main squeeze that you care, but it also shows what kind of man you are. It will give her a sense of your personality, and also your personal responsibility. Don\u2019t blow the golden opportunity to impress your date the second she crosses the threshold into your place.<\/p>\n In researching this article, we got information from the ladies themselves via Reddit<\/a> (fair warning, as with anything on Reddit, it can get fairly vulgar) and Facebook about what makes a good first impression.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll look at a few general guidelines, and then delve into some room-to-room pointers.<\/p>\n Smell is probably the most cited infraction for men\u2019s bachelor pads. It has the potential to offend the nose as soon as your gal steps into your home. Follow these tips and you\u2019ll be okay in the olfactory realm.<\/p>\n Start a couple days early.<\/b> If you know you\u2019re having a lady over to your place in advance, even if it\u2019s just a chance, start right away. If there\u2019s some lingering or deep-seated scent, it won\u2019t go away in the hour before her arrival. Perhaps even bring in an objective party to let you know what\/where smells the worst. You\u2019ve been living in it, so you won\u2019t necessarily know.<\/p>\n Eliminate the most obvious smell offenders.<\/b> If it\u2019s not some mystery banana peel behind the couch, the smell in your place is likely the result of multiple offenses. Do your dirty laundry (including bed sheets). It doesn\u2019t take long for those sweaty gym clothes to reek. Take out the trash. Those fresh vegetables you chopped two weeks ago have gone rotten. We\u2019ll cover the bathroom more in-depth later, but get an air freshener in there ASAP. Do the dirty dishes and run the disposal in the sink if you have one — those are two big contributors to smelly spaces that you wouldn\u2019t necessarily think of.<\/p>\n Go easy on the Axe.<\/b> Many a well-intentioned man, realizing his place smells funky, will decide to give everything an Axe (or other scent) spray down. Mixing this smell with any other kind of odor is a recipe for disaster. A very light spray after you\u2019ve cleaned is fine, but don\u2019t be tempted to think that a thick coating will cover up the smells of your apartment.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I care about is that it’s relatively clean, but not sterile<\/i> looking. I do actually want to be in your apartment — not a furniture showroom.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n General cleanliness seemed to be the second biggest offender in a fella\u2019s bachelor pad. A quick look on Reddit will show that ladies have far too often dealt with beer bottles strewn about, unmade beds, used dishes on every surface, etc.<\/p>\n Now, hopefully you know what general cleanliness looks like. But if you don\u2019t, bring in a lady-friend of yours to give some pointers on what she\u2019s seeing.<\/p>\n A few items to definitely take care of:<\/p>\n Hint: This job will be easier if you have a weekly cleaning plan<\/a> in place.<\/p>\n \u201cHave something unique that reveals something about your personality: artwork on the wall, books, a modest set-up for their computer\/TV\/etc, a musical instrument, and so forth.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n You can be sure that once a woman enters your abode for the first time, she\u2019ll be looking around for those things that display your hobbies and interests. She\u2019ll take a look at your bookshelf, your DVD collection, the art\/photos on your wall, and anything else she can find that shows your personality.<\/p>\n Get your hands on some <\/b>manly art<\/b><\/a> for your walls.<\/b> Lose the posters of the babes. That\u2019s for high school boys. Lose the never-ending sports memorabilia. Having a few pieces is fine, but having your pad draped in your team\u2019s colors will be a turn-off. Don\u2019t leave your walls blank, either. That would contribute to that feeling of sterileness mentioned above. Honestly, a trip to your local Goodwill for some cheap, framed art is one of your best bets. Landscapes are always a manly winner.<\/p>\n Put up some photos.<\/strong> In addition to hanging up some manly art, display some photos on your shelves or wall. Pick photos that say something about your life — you and your family, you in a different country, you at the finish line of a marathon. Pictures are some of the easiest conversation starters — your date will be sure to look them over and ask you questions about them.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t hide things.<\/b> Unless it\u2019s a large photo of yourself above your bed (yes, one woman mentioned that), it\u2019s probably okay to keep your nerdy collection\/hobby out. Don\u2019t feel the need to hide yourself. If there is something you enjoy, you\u2019ll want your date to be okay with the things you care about and like to do. One woman mentioned she knew her boyfriend was the one when she got a look at his stash of board games; you never know what\u2019s going to turn someone on. Just don\u2019t go overboard. If you\u2019re questioning whether it\u2019s too much, it probably is.<\/p>\n Be prepared for some snooping.<\/b> I don\u2019t mean she\u2019ll look through your closets or drawers. But you can bet that she\u2019ll have a gander at your bookshelf or vinyl collection<\/a> when you aren\u2019t looking. Heck, maybe even when you are looking. One of the first things I do, almost by instinct, when I\u2019m in a new place is check out their books. Don\u2019t have anything in eyeshot that you\u2019d be embarrassed of. Many ladies mentioned how impressed they were with a manly collection of books<\/a>, so if you\u2019re lacking, consider a trip to your used bookstore. It may even inspire you to actually read them!<\/p>\n Be aware of pet sensitivities. It\u2019s a good idea to have your pet corralled when a date first comes over, letting the critter out once you’ve given her the heads up. Ask ahead about pet allergies, and be sure to vacuum your furniture if you have a pet that likes to lounge with you on the couch.<\/p>\n Now let\u2019s move on to specific rooms to pay special attention to.<\/p>\n \u201cI asked him why he didn\u2019t have toilet paper and he told me he only pooped at work so he wouldn’t have to buy any…I don’t even…\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Don\u2019t be that guy.<\/p>\n Of any single room, the bathroom was mentioned as being the biggest offender in the first impression category. There are a lot of very simple considerations that men too often neglect. It often comes down to basic hygiene and common sense, so don\u2019t get caught having not taken care of the following bathroom essentials:<\/p>\n When I was a bachelor, I think I had one plastic cup, a few mismatched bowls, and a couple forks and spoons. I also had a nice collection of Pop Tarts<\/a>, Chef Boyardee, and cheap coffee. How my then girlfriend married me is beyond me.<\/p>\n Have, at the very least, the essentials in your cupboards and pantry.<\/b> Don\u2019t know what the essentials are? Good thing AoM contributor Matt Moore has already helped us with that<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have at least one set of matching dishes.<\/b> That aren\u2019t plastic.<\/p>\n Have more than just junk food.<\/b> When you offer a snack to your date, you don\u2019t want your only options to be Cheetos and instant mac and cheese. Have some fresh fruits and veggies on hand, pita chips and hummus, etc. Anything to class it up a little.<\/p>\n Offer a variety of beverages.<\/b> One of the first things you should do when a date comes over is offer her a beverage. If your only options are water and beer, your gal won\u2019t be too happy. Having juice, wine, mixed drinks<\/a>, soda (bonus points for unique, craft varieties<\/a>), etc. available conveys your thoughtfulness. As a bonus, you\u2019ll be prepared for guests that drop by at other times as well.<\/p>\n Keep it clean.<\/b> This has already been mentioned, but it\u2019s worth mentioning again to keep the kitchen spick and span and smelling nice.<\/p>\n The bedroom is the most personal of all the rooms in our home. It can also be where we tend to let ourselves go a bit. An unkempt bed and clothes strewn about is a common find in men\u2019s bedrooms. Don\u2019t let that be you. If your most personal space is messy, it\u2019s a good bet that\u2019s closer to the real you than the rest of your place.<\/p>\nGet Rid of the Man-Funk <\/b><\/h3>\n
Be Clean, Not Sterile <\/b><\/h3>\n
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Display Your Personality<\/b><\/h3>\n
Pets<\/b><\/h3>\n
Bathroom<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Kitchen<\/b><\/h3>\n
Bedroom<\/b><\/h3>\n