Hosting a house party can be a lot of fun, but the cleanup aftwards can be a challenge, especially with larger numbers of guests. And if you’re planning a party –whether it’s a brunch, barbecue, dinner or house warming — you can expect a mix of food spills, tracked-in dirt and scattered decorations.
The good news is that a little preparation can go a long way. With the below tips, you can keep the mess under control and make cleanup much easier once your guests head home.
Before the party
- Avoid staining food and drink: Try not to serve items that are prone to staining. While mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce are a great combination, they can easily stain fabrics and carpets if they melt or spill. The same goes for drinks, like red juice blends or red wine.
- Use an air fryer: An air fryer can make an array of foods like pastries, roasted vegetables, brunch sides and more as good, if not better, than an oven. As an added bonus, it’s easier to clean and won’t heat up your whole house.
- Rug removal: Roll up and remove area rugs if you can. While it may tie the room together, cleaning a carpet is tougher than cleaning a spill-off vinyl or hardwood.
- Use disposable tableware: It’s not environmentally friendly, but disposable plates, cups and utensils can reduce how many dishes you need to wash. You can also spend a bit more for biodegradable bamboo or paper plates rather than plastic.
- Protect surfaces: Use tablecloths or plastic covers on furniture to prevent spills and stains. This can look a bit tacky, though, if you overdo it, so you may want to skip covering the couch and large furniture pieces and just stick to tablecloths.
- Have trash cans readily available: The more the merrier when it comes to trash cans. Guests are more likely to dispose of trash properly when they have plenty of options to do so.
- Keep pets out of the way: Pets are family, but having dogs and cats underfoot increases the likelihood of guests tripping or floor-surfing dogs trying to steal food. You may want to keep them in a different space with their own food, water and toys while your guests are around.
- Prep for spills: Keep cleaning supplies like paper towels and stain remover handy for quick cleanup.
Read more: Want to Spend Less Time Cleaning Your Kitchen? Try These 10 Hacks For Cleaning While You Cook
- Outdoor party: If the weather permits and you have backyard space, hosting a party outdoors can make cleanup easier, especially for spills and food debris. It’s also a great excuse to grill, which is always a hit when the weather is nice.
- Limit decorations: Avoid decorations that might be difficult to clean or take down afterward. Most guests are there for the food and company, not elaborate decor. If you want a festive touch, simple pastel accents or smart lighting can set the mood without creating extra cleanup. If you want a cool ambiance, a nice touch might be to use your smart home with color-changing lights to set the mood.
- Food in one zone and drinks in another. Keeping drink stations on hard floors means any spills are easier to wipe up.
- Use serving dishes with lids: Dips, desserts and candy spreads are hits, especially with kids, but they can get messy. Serving dishes with lids can help prevent spills and keep food fresh. Offer small plates or cups so guests aren’t juggling large portions.
- Provide coasters and napkins: Plentiful coasters and napkins can help protect surfaces and prevent spills.
- Clear empty plates and glasses throughout the event: A quick sweep during the event halves your workload at the end of your party.
After the gathering
- Tackle spills and stains immediately: Address spills and stains before they have time to set in. The faster you get to them, the easier they will be to clean up. Resolve and a carpet cleaner can be a game changer if you have a lot of carpeted space.
- Enlist help: Don’t hesitate to ask friends or family members to help with the cleanup. Hey, you’re hosting them; it’s the least they could do.
- Start with the perishables: Dispose of any leftover food promptly to prevent spoilage and odors.
- Wrap up or refrigerate food that won’t be eaten soon: Getting cold foods into the fridge or onto ice helps prevent foodborne illnesses and frees up surface space for cleanup. Have containers ready so guests can take food home instead of leaving you with mountains of leftovers. This reduces waste and keeps counters clear.
- Soak dishes: If you’re not using disposable tableware, soak dishes that can’t go into the dishwasher in hot soapy water to get embedded grime and food particles off.
- Clear countertops and tables: Use cleaning wipes or all-purpose cleaners to wipe down surfaces and put away any remaining food or drinks.
- Gather trash and recycling: Collect all trash and recycling and take it out to the appropriate bins.
- Vacuum or sweep the floors: Once the main debris is cleared, vacuum or sweep to remove any crumbs or spills. If you have a robot vacuum, having it take over this task can save you quite a bit of time and effort, though you may still want to do a once-over with a vacuum cleaner.
- Put away furniture: If you moved any furniture for the party, put it back in its original place or put it into storage if it’s not something you commonly have out.
- Air out the space: Open windows or use fans and air purifiers to clear lingering smells.
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