In the spirit of tradition, the holidays bring about excitement and anticipation. After all, it’s a time to grow with friends and family, to love and live life. Along with the upcoming joyous events, the holidays may also bring about a moment or two of anxiety. With only a short time before the big event, you’re faced with the overwhelming task of preparing the home for the rush of guests who’ll be arriving. Where do you begin? How will you get everything done on time? Stay tuned as we show you how to turn your home into holiday central with this cleaning house for the guest checklist.
Let’s begin!
Step 1: Regardless of whether you are having overnight guests, it’s mandatory to make sure all accessible bathrooms are cleaned, including the floors, trash cans, sinks, toilet, shower, mirror, and windows. Aside from the living room, this is the highest traffic room in the home. When cleaning the bathroom, take care to put out extra towels and stock extra toilet paper. If expecting elderly guests or those with disabilities, you may wish to consider a safety rail.
Step 2: Welcome to the heart of the home, the kitchen. Within this magical space is where memories are made, stories are shared, and laughter is heard. It’s crucial to disinfect all surfaces before and after preparing and handling food. Next, sweep the floor, empty the trash cans, and wash the windows. And if you are expecting a large party, make sure you have enough dinnerware.
Step 3: The dining room works as an extension of the kitchen; a gathering of friends and family. In this room make sure you have provided adequate seating for all your guests, including any guest who may be handicapped. Sweep or vacuum the floor, clean the windows, and dust all surfaces. Now take a deep breath you’re halfway done.
Step 4: In hub central, the living room, we’ve shared birthdays, Christmas presents, the Super Bowl, baby showers and so much more. With so much need for space, it’s important to provide extra seating. If possible, rearrange the furniture to allow for better traffic flow, after all, it can be moved back after everyone leaves. Of course, don’t forget to sweep or vacuum the floor, clean the windows, and dust the surfaces. Also, make sure there are plenty of tissue out and wastebaskets. If you have pets, find a safe place to keep them while your guests are visiting. Not everyone is pet-friendly.
Step 5: When hosting overnight guests, spare bedrooms are indeed a blessing. However, if you are short on rooms and must double-up make sure to provide guests with comfortable sleeping arrangements. If the weather is warm, perhaps the children would like to camp out in the backyard. Or if the weather is cold, the kids could camp in the basement. Either way, try to make the experience fun and not an obligation. Holidays should be enjoyable for everyone. When loaning out a room to a guest, make sure to wash all linens, clean the floors, wash the windows, put personal items away, and dust.
Step 6: Other rooms to consider when hosting during the holidays include the basement, the office, and the den. The basement not only works as an excellent kid’s campout space but could also double as a recreational room. When cleaning, dust the cobwebs, sweep the floors, and put away unsafe/unnecessary items.
If you have an office, this space would work great as a spare bedroom. Make sure to clean the floor, dust, clean the windows, and put away unnecessary or breakable items. Like the basement and the office, the den is a bonus room that can be used as a second party room for the kids or as a game room. Either way, be sure to clean the floor, dust all surfaces, place a trash can in the room, and wash the windows. As a precaution, set aside a few folding chairs or beanbag chairs for extra seating.
Congratulations! You’re finished. With the cleaning checklist firmly in your hand, you’re on your way to the perfect holiday bash each and every time. This also works like an Airbnb host cleaning list for those who just want to get their property ready for the holiday parties too. With this, you’re no longer filled with anxiety, free to welcome your guests with open arms. The other option, of course, is simply to hire the cleaning professionals over at Love My Maids and do a deep house cleaning for you prior to your gathering!
