With the world reopening, people are starting to throw house parties again. The problem is, most of us forgot how messy a house could get after a party. It’s no wonder that, according to The Guardian, the US produces more waste and recycles less of it than other developed nations. Environmental concerns aside, cleaning up after an event can be a time-consuming chore. As with regular cleaning, you might think that you’re done only for more things to pop up that you didn’t notice before. Having a plan to clean before you start can help you immensely and give you an edge in getting ahead of the garbage monster that seems to be littering your house.
Table of Contents
Start With a Plan
Before the first guest sets foot in your house, you should already have a general plan for what you want to do. You’d obviously make it part of your party plan to strategically place garbage bins around the interior of the house. You should be aware that, even if you manage to place garbage containers at accessible locations, people will still ignore them, and you’ll have to clean up afterward. It’s just a fact of life at this point. A good plan for the kitchen would be to have two clearly marked bins – one for organic waste (like food) and the other for other things (plates, bottles, etc.). Having coasters in every room is also a good practice. Many people are just too shy to ask for one when they’re at their friends’ house and end up ruining the furniture instead.
Right After The First Guest Leaves
Cleaning doesn’t and shouldn’t wait until the following day. It starts the minute the first guest you had steps outside. Removing leftovers that you find on tables around the party area usually comes first. Filling the dishwasher as dishes are done being used also saves the trouble of trying to scrub grease off a plate after it has dried. Clearing your kitchen counters of food and debris also helps to manage pests. You can do all this while still entertaining your guests. You might be surprised that a few would pitch in to help (or not, depending on your social group’s dynamics).
The Morning After
Most people dread this part since it’s where most of the cleaning usually takes place. However, with the proper preparation from the night before, the next morning’s cleaning can be over and done within a few hours, tops. Living and Dining room cleaning can be done quickly if you already cleared all the stuff out the night before. There may be one or two empty cans left about from the last of your guests, but it should be mostly clear. Your kitchen quartz countertops should be easy to wipe down and clear away anything on top of them. Packing away the dishes you loaded the night before is also an easy feat to accomplish. Sweeping and mopping floors should come last since it deals with dust and dirt that may have come off the countertops earlier.
