Clean Up Tips for After Your Holiday Party

Lancaster County is beautiful around the holidays. With access to farm fresh foods, an abundance of live Christmas tree farms, and our Amish neighbors selling beautiful garlands, greens, and decorations, we can make our homes quite festive.

If you plan to host a holiday party over the next few months, the idea of cleaning beforehand can be daunting. Let Angie’s Custom Cleaning help by performing a pre-holiday party cleaning! In addition to providing traditional residential cleaning services, Angie’s Custom Cleaning also offers specialized services like this. We can give your home an extra-deep cleaning before you entertain your holiday guests.

Angie’s Custom Cleaning can also help you with the aftermath of your holiday party by providing clean up services. But, if you decide to try to tackle this task on your own, we can offer some tricks to make your party cleanup go quickly and smoothly. Here’s a step-by-step guide to clean up fast and efficiently.

Get Organized Before You Start

Before your party even begins, it’s a good idea to gather supplies. Have a trash bag, recycling bin, multipurpose cleaner, microfiber cloths, mop, and broom or vacuum at the ready. During the party, use disposable or easy-clean items, keep coasters out, and designate trash bins in each room, so guests know where to toss things.

Trash and Recyclables

The first thing you should do after your guests leave is walk through your home with a trash bag, and pick up all disposables—cups, plates, napkins, food scraps, and decorations. Try to get everything in one pass. Next, walk through with a recycling bag or container and do the same thing. It would be easiest to just throw away everything, but it’s important to recycle.

Dishes & Kitchen

Next, make sure all the dishes and food are brought into the kitchen. Start by sorting the food – throwing away items that you don’t want to keep or may have gone bad. Next, store leftovers.

After all the plates and dishes are cleared, you should hand wash large and delicate items. Put everything else in the dishwasher. If there are too many items, consider soaking dishes in hot, soapy water while you clean other areas. Last, but not least, wipe down the sink and stove and give all kitchen surfaces a quick clean.

Surfaces

Once cleared of clutter, use a damp cloth or disinfecting wipe to wipe down all tables and surfaces. Be sure to clean sticky spots and wipe up crumbs. Glass and mirrors can often be overlooked. A quick wipe-down with a glass cleaner will remove fingerprints and smudges.

Bathrooms

Take out the trash and wipe down all surfaces. Focus on counters, mirrors, and floors if necessary. If your bathroom towels were used, replace them with fresh ones.

Floors

Sweep, mop, and/or vacuum your floors. Focus on high-traffic areas first and any obvious spills. For sticky spots on hard floors, a quick mop or wipe with a damp cloth and cleaner will help.

Deodorize

Empty all trash bins and take the trash outside. This will minimize lingering odors. If it’s not too cold, open a window for a bit to circulate air. If it’s really cold outside, you can light a candle or activate an air freshener. Fresh air or a subtle scent will help to eliminate any smells left behind.

You can do your post-party home cleaning after your guests leave or wait until the next day. If you do decide to clean up immediately following your party and you have guests that have stayed behind and offered to help, give them simple tasks like gathering trash or wiping down surfaces. In less than an hour, you’ll have your home back to normal!

For more information on the services Angie’s Custom Cleaning can provide for your home, visit our website.