Can you give me tips on cleaning up after a party?
by
Nellie Perry
+3
I am organizing a house warming party next month. We just finished the work of our new house, and it looks damn good. The house is pretty big, so is the neighborhood. We have invited over 200 guests. They are distinguished members of society. I have arranged for entertainment, caterers, and gifts. However, I am concerned about the hygiene of the place after the party. Though these are people who have high standards of living, I don't want even the slightest stain on my rugs of tiles. Though my husband has suggested that I hire an event cleanup service, I would like to take charge of it myself. So do you guys have any suggestions for someone who is organizing a party by herself? Any help is appreciated. Thanks
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IMO, when guests see that ample napkins, tissues, wet wipes, and waste baskets have been put out at strategic locations for their use, they will be more apt to use them, and to be more considerate as to where they put down empties, and messy foods.
One way of reducing the size of the onerous post-party clean up job, is not to leave it all until after the party is over. During the event, have some cleanup going on already: emptying trash cans, vacuuming up any spills asap as they occur, wiping down the sinks faucets, refilling the toilet paper rolls in the bathrooms, emptying the dishwasher of glasses, and so forth.
You don't want to be occupied with these ongoing 'keeping the house clean' tasks while you are hosting.
My suggestion is to take your husband's thought about delegating some of the workload, and hire one person for this role. They can discretely circulate throughout all rooms, collecting empty bottles, wiping up counters, etc. throughout the evening, keeping surfaces shiny, the way you hope to present your home.
Knowing that you have 'taken charge' of the situation by foreseeing a need for such a designated person, will release you of one big worry and hopefully help make the evening more relaxing for you, and enjoyable for your guests.
Hi Nellie - We host several events/parties in our home every year, the biggest one being Peace, Love, and Chocolate which is a ladies social and breast cancer fundraiser. I recruit a few of the neighborhood girls to help before, during, and after the party. It's a fun way for them to learn how to entertain and also a big help for me. I also schedule our cleaner to come both the day before and the day after the party.
If there is anything of value, either remove it from the party area and temporarily keep it in another room out of sight, or if it can't be removed (like the floor) then maybe find a way to temporarily cover it or be mindful of what you serve (is it proper to host a party without red wine?)
I hope this helps and happy entertaining! Hugs, Holly
You could put shoe covers at the front door so your guest doesn't necessiarly drag in dirt/stains onto your flooring.
Hi Nellie, personally I would take the idea of a clean up service after the party. Hope these tips help you have a wonderful party and easy clean up. 9 Tips for Hosting a Large Party Without the Dreaded Clean Up
Jul 31, 2018 - 9 Tips for Hosting a Large Party Without the Dreaded Clean Up ... and have luckily picked up some tricks that help keep the cleaning to a bare minimum ... on post-party cleaning time and morning-after anxiety before your ... Don't waste time cleaning other rooms of your house that will be 'off limits' to guests ...
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If attending your party is an opportunity to dress up, then guests may want to wear their dressy shoes also. They might not feel comfortable schlepping about in the paper slippers all evening. I know that I wouldn't.
You could put a little sign by the entrance, "Thank you for wearing your indoor shoes' or similar wording. But hopefully, if the guests are accustomed to high standards, as you described, they will know that it is only standard courtesy to not wear dirty footwear inside someone else's home.
I know you’ve said you’d like to manage it yourself but for a party that large, for your own peace of mind and ability to be a present host, hiring people to assist with cleaning up will help keep you sane.