The winter holidays are a time when families, co-workers, and friends often gather. This year, as we continue to emerge from the pandemic, it is likely more precautions will be taken for a healthy and happy season leading up to the new year.
We are often impacted by the flu season as well as muddy, snowy, and dirty winter conditions. This makes preparing for guests critical for safety. It’s not just about health either – we love hosting guests in a clean space, as well as not having a big mess to deal with when they leave.
Let’s enjoy the winter festivities with these 7 tips to get your home or office ready for get-togethers.
Tip 1: Consider the weather
When planning for guests – whether a holiday party or family dinner – consider the weather.
Thinking about the conditions outdoors will help you be proactive and prepared. Will space be needed for wet boots and heavy coats to be placed? Will ice melting remedies like sand or salt be needed at the entrance and exit safety?
Knowing the weather will help you plan for cleaning as well. Having mats to capture snow or mud and using trays for boots, for example, could help protect your carpet, wood, or tile.
Tip 2: Be proactive
It’s not just the weather to consider. Allergies, event flow, and the guest count will all make or break the celebration.
Ask yourself:
- Who is expected to be there?
- What seating needs to be in place?
- Will guests be mingling and is there enough space for everyone to be comfortable?
- What needs to be in place to increase safety?
- Do guests need to wear masks, bring their own table settings, or bring ingredient lists for the prepared food they’ve made to share?
- In what ways can you organize or rearrange the space to make it more accommodating for the guests who plan to attend?
Tip 3: Think floor care
Entryways and foyers will catch the bulk of snow and mud brought in. Salt or sand used to keep walkways safe can become a big mess quickly. Plan on cleaning right after the event, and possibly have someone responsible for checking on and tidying up the entrances to keep them safe throughout the event.
Protect the floor with runners, plastic, or continual cleaning.
Tip 4: Plan for trash
Parties and get-togethers create a lot of trash. If you use a cleaning company, let them know there will be extra trash and cleaning to do. If you don’t use a janitorial service, consider hiring one to help. They can get the space clean prior to the event, clean up after, or both, saving you time and headache.
Have extra trash cans or a plan to take out the trash several times during the gathering to prevent spillage and having to pick up trash later from the floors and counters.
Tip 5: Keep things safely personalized
Hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of disease. Encourage hand washing as well as keeping things personalized, such as designating utensils and cups in a way to prevent cross-contamination. Specific seating charts can also help with this.
Cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer can be placed in high-touch areas to encourage their use and keep germs at bay. Consider having cleaning personnel on-site for high-touch areas at larger events.
Tip 6: Keep it simple
Sometimes the easiest way to keep a space clean and organized is to limit how much ‘stuff’ is in that space. Limit the spread of germs by keeping things out of reach. Put up barriers to displays, hang items out of reach, and limit interaction with items.
Hand out gifts, rather than have people grab them. Use signage to explain how and why you are reducing touch, such as distance decals, hand washing, and “cover your cough” picture grams.
Tip 7: Have fun
Holiday gatherings are meant to be fun and create connections. Planning ahead of time will help you relax more during the event so you can focus on your guests.
This may be a good time to enlist the help of a professional cleaning company. You want to engage with family and friends, and organize a great get-together, a cleaning company will help keep you all healthy and happy so you can relax and enjoy your time together.
Commercial or residential space, A Cleaning Service is the professional, award-winning cleaning company you can trust. We service the Greater Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland areas and want to keep your environment healthy for every season. Ongoing cleanings or a deep clean; pre or post-party, we handle it all so you can focus on the tasks and relationships that matter to you!
Call us at 703-892-8648 to get a free cleaning quote today!