Holiday parties are meant to be fun and festive, not stressful and overwhelming. The key to limiting holiday party stress is keeping it simple. Here are five tips for quick and easy holiday party cleaning.
Holiday Party Cleaning Tip 1: Get Help
Avoid feeling overwhelmed by getting a lot of hands to help you clean and prepare. Sometimes, this means hiring a cleaning company to focus on the tasks that are easy to delegate while you work on the items only you are suited for.
Consider other ways to get more hands involved and work smarter, not harder.
Examples include:
- Hiring a caterer
- Asking someone to lead games or activities
- Asking for help with tearing down and setting up
- Assigning people to small tasks
Don’t go it alone if you don’t have to!
Holiday Party Cleaning Tip 2: Think Ahead
Keep things simple with some pre-planning. Put trash cans in highly visible areas along with extra bags. Have a cleaning station available for guests in case of spills. A roll of paper towel, a spray bottle of cleaner, and some small trash bags do the trick.
Make sure there are rubber-backed mats and rugs to prevent dirt and mud from being brought in. Ensure there is space for coats to be placed and there is enough seating for guests. When there is a place for everything and everyone, it reduces crowding and clutter.
Holiday Party Cleaning Tip 3: Store Away Unneeded Items
Whether an office party or hosting at home, storing away unneeded items makes cleaning before and after the event easier.
At home, put full laundry baskets, the stack of unsorted mail, and even extra children’s toys into a bin and out of sight in a closed bedroom. Now isn’t the time to put a week’s worth of chores into a few-hour stretch of crunch time.
At the office, close off areas, such as a copy room, and fill it with items that are off limits. The less there is to interact with, the less that will need to be cleaned up later.
Holiday Party Cleaning Tip 4: Rearrange for Better Flow
Once you have stored away unneeded items, rearrange furniture for better flow. Arrange seating to accommodate conversation. Set the table for dining ease. Create space for serving food, hosting games, or placing gifts.
By creating pathways for guests, you can reduce cleaning time by limiting access to areas you won’t have to clean later and also controlling the high-touch areas to focus on when you clean.
Holiday Party Cleaning Tip 5: Keep Priorities Straight
Often an aspect of overwhelm comes from forgetting what’s important. Holiday get-togethers are precisely that – an opportunity for friends and family to gather and connect. It’s a time to reflect on the past, present, and future. It’s a time for celebration.
A Cleaning Service for Holiday Cleaning Done Right
Cleanliness is important for safety and comfort, but a scuff on the wall or a basket of dirty clothes hidden in a bedroom doesn’t impact that. When facing the feeling that there isn’t enough time, prioritize your guests’ experience and what they will remember. They aren’t likely to leave the party wondering why you used paper plates instead of fine chinaware. Hopefully, they leave with memories of laughter and connection.
If you need help with preparing for holiday company, or if regular, ongoing cleaning tasks don’t bring you joy, consider letting them go into the professional and competent hands of A Cleaning Service.
We’re an award-winning cleaning company serving the Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland areas. Contact us today for a quote and spend your holiday time on the relationships that matter most to you.