As if you didn't have enough to do! Your party list already includes getting food ready, digging out the serving trays, and finding something to wear . . . add to that making your house look good enough for company. Party planners agree on this advice: Don't stress over a clean house. There are easy ways to tackle quick pre-party cleanups that will leave you free to be the perfect host.
Cleaning your house for a party isn’t the same as cleaning it for any other reason. It doesn’t have to be spotlessly clean; it only has to look good for guests. When preparing your house for guests, take whatever standards you have for housecleaning and throw them out the window. Make a mental picture of your party and decide what needs to be done and what doesn’t. Remember, your guests are not coming to see what a great housekeeper you are. Your party has a lot more going for it than that!
Make house preparation an early item on your to-do list. You’ll have enough last-minute things to do without worrying about running the vacuum minutes before your guests are to arrive.
Here are some tips for quick pre-party cleanups for your next gathering.
What the experts have to say:
The Dinner Party Planning Site has Seven Quick Housecleaning Tips you can do in about an hour to get your house spotlessly clean for a party.
For a more laid-back approach to prepping your house for partiers, gather up your sense of humor and read Kathe Fraga's Top Ten or Eleven Quick and Easy Holiday House-Cleaning Tricks, which include pushing clutter to the walls, and making magazine towers with fluff on top!
The Anyclean company of London has some tips for prepping your house for a party.
Leave it to Good Housekeeping to come up with ingenious ways to clean a house quickly. One of their tips? The “paper towel shuffle.” Spritz spray cleaner on two paper towels, put them under your bare feet, and slide around to spot-clean a dirty area on your kitchen floor.
Cleaning your house for a party isn’t the same as cleaning it for any other reason. It doesn’t have to be spotlessly clean; it only has to look good for guests. When preparing your house for guests, take whatever standards you have for housecleaning and throw them out the window. Make a mental picture of your party and decide what needs to be done and what doesn’t. Remember, your guests are not coming to see what a great housekeeper you are. Your party has a lot more going for it than that!
Make house preparation an early item on your to-do list. You’ll have enough last-minute things to do without worrying about running the vacuum minutes before your guests are to arrive.
Here are some tips for quick pre-party cleanups for your next gathering.
- Concentrate only on areas your guests will see. If you’re putting coats in a bedroom, straighten it up; if not, close the door and forget about it. Your time is better spent than dusting, sweeping and making beds in rooms your guests won’t see.
- Do clean the powder room or the bathroom your guests will be using. Make sure there is a clean hand towel and all of your personal items are stashed away.
- Clean floors make a whole room look clean. Vacuum the rugs in the rooms your guests will see, and broom-sweep the kitchen and wipe up any spills and marks. Forget dusting knickknacks and polishing out of the way furniture.
- Don’t set your standards too high. Remember, once a few people arrive and the food is put out, there will be a certain amount of “party clutter.” That’s expected. Dust, finger marks and dirty windows will be virtually invisible once your house fills with people. Don’t kill yourself making your house spotlessly clean; no one will notice.
- Plan ahead for after-party cleanup by running and emptying your dishwasher before the party.
- Clean your oven before a party if you’re going to be using it to bake, broil or reheat food. The last thing you want is an old spill to be smoking and smelling up your house!
- Clear off your kitchen counters before the party. Put the toaster, blender, can opener, canisters, and other things you won’t be using into a cupboard. Make room for the items you will be using.
- Dim the lights and light candles. A lot of dirt and dust becomes invisible in mood lighting.
What the experts have to say:
The Dinner Party Planning Site has Seven Quick Housecleaning Tips you can do in about an hour to get your house spotlessly clean for a party.
For a more laid-back approach to prepping your house for partiers, gather up your sense of humor and read Kathe Fraga's Top Ten or Eleven Quick and Easy Holiday House-Cleaning Tricks, which include pushing clutter to the walls, and making magazine towers with fluff on top!
The Anyclean company of London has some tips for prepping your house for a party.
Leave it to Good Housekeeping to come up with ingenious ways to clean a house quickly. One of their tips? The “paper towel shuffle.” Spritz spray cleaner on two paper towels, put them under your bare feet, and slide around to spot-clean a dirty area on your kitchen floor.
