Follow These Tips to Host a House Party Without Dreading the Cleanup

Hosting a party at home can be a lot of fun, but cleaning up afterwards can be a challenge, especially with a larger number of guests. And if you’re planning a party, whether it’s a brunch, barbecue, dinner or housewarming, you can expect a mix of food spills, caked-on messes and scattered decorations.

The good news is that a little preparation can go a long way. With the tips below, you can keep the mess under control and make cleanup much easier once your guests return home.

Before the party

• Avoid staining food and drinks: Try not to serve items prone to stains. Although mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce are a great combination, they can easily stain fabrics and carpets if they melt or spill. The same goes for drinks, like red juice blends or red wine.
• Use an air fryer: A air fryer can prepare a range of foods like pastries, roasted vegetables, brunch sides and much more, if not better, than an oven. As a bonus, it’s easier to clean and won’t heat up your entire house.

• Carpet Removal: Roll up and remove mats if you can. Although it can tie the room together, cleaning carpet is more difficult than cleaning spilled vinyl or hardwood.
• Use disposable tableware: It’s not environmentally friendly, but disposable plates, cups and utensils can reduce the number of dishes you have to wash. You can also spend a little more on biodegradable bamboo or paper plates rather than plastic.
• Protect surfaces: Use tablecloths or plastic covers on furniture to prevent spills and stains. However, it can seem a bit cheesy if you overdo it, so you may want to avoid covering the sofa and large furniture and stick to tablecloths.
• Have trash cans available: The more, the merrier when it comes to trash. Customers are more likely to dispose of their waste properly when they have many options for doing so.
• Keep animals away: Pets are part of the family, but having dogs and cats underfoot increases the likelihood that guests will trip or that dogs will surf the floor and try to steal food. You may want to keep them in a different space with their own food, water, and toys while your guests are there.
• Prepare for spills: Keep cleaning supplies like paper towels and stain remover on hand for quick cleanup.

Learn more: Want to spend less time cleaning your kitchen? Try These 10 Tips for Cleaning While You Cook

• Outdoor party: If the weather permits and you have space in your yard, hosting a party outside can make cleanup easier, especially for spills and food debris. It’s also a great excuse to grill, which is always a hit when the weather is nice.
• Limit decorations: Avoid decorations that might be difficult to clean or take down later. Most guests are there for the food and company, not the elaborate decoration. If you want a festive touch, simple pastel accents or smart lighting can set the mood without creating extra cleanup. If you want a cool ambiance, a good idea might be to use your smart home with lights that change color to set the mood.
• Food in one area and drinks in another. By keeping beverage stations on hard floors, any spills will be easier to wipe up.
• Use serving dishes with lids: Dips, desserts and spreadable treats are a hit, especially with kids, but they can get messy. Serving dishes with lids can help prevent spills and keep food fresh. Offer small plates or cups so guests don’t have to juggle large portions.
• Bring coasters and napkins: Many coasters and napkins can help protect surfaces and prevent spills.
• Empty empty plates and glasses throughout the event: A quick scan during the event cuts your workload in half at the end of your party.

After the gathering

• Tackle spills and stains immediately: Resolve spills and stains before they have time to settle down. The sooner you get to them, the easier they will be to clean. Solve and one carpet cleaner can be a game changer if you have a lot of carpeted space.
• Request help: Don’t hesitate to ask your friends or family members to help you clean up. Hey, you host them; It’s the least they can do.
• Start with perishables: Dispose of all leftover food promptly to avoid spoilage and odors.
• Wrap or refrigerate foods that won’t be eaten soon: Putting cold foods in the refrigerator or on ice helps prevent foodborne illness and frees up space for cleaning. Prepare containers so guests can take food home instead of leaving you with mountains of leftovers. This reduces waste and keeps counters clean.
• Soak the dishes: If you are not using disposable tableware, soak non-dishwasher safe dishes in hot, soapy water to remove embedded dirt and food particles.
• Light counters and tables: Use cleaning wipes or all-purpose cleaners to wipe down surfaces and clean up leftover food or drinks.

• Collect trash and recycle: Collect all trash and recycling and place them in the appropriate trash cans.
• Vacuum or sweep the floors: Once the main debris is removed, vacuum or sweep to remove any crumbs or spills. If you have a robot vacuum cleanerhaving it take over this task can save you a lot of time and effort, although you may still want to do a one-time check with a vacuum cleaner.
• Put away the furniture: If you moved furniture for the party, return it to its original place or put it away if it’s not something you’re used to taking out.
• Ventilate the space: Open windows or use fans and air purifiers to eliminate lingering odors.