The one thing that makes holidays special is the time you get to spend with your family. The one thing that drives everybody crazy over the holidays is spending time with family… or cleaning…maybe the two go together. If you are hosting the family Holiday party this year it is important to remember these tips to ensure a clean and fun holiday party.
Step one? Remember you’re not alone. Really…there will be people gathered in every inch of your apartment so put them to work!
In all seriousness, since we know Aunt Ethel should probably enjoy the view from the living room, we have compiled a short list of tips that will help you, the host, maintain your sanity throughout this party.
- Pre-Clean:
This probably goes without saying, but if you start with clean surfaces, you will only have one day’s worth of trash and grime to clean when you’re guests are gone. We always want to welcome guests into our clean apartment space instead of a cluttered mess. Definitely clean out your refrigerator before the festivities so you have room for all the leftovers!
- Triple Bag the Trashcan:
Before placing a trash bag in the can, drape a few bags over the sides of the can. This simple trick will allow anybody to take out the full bag and replace it with an empty one without the hassle of asking you where they are stored.
- Clean as you Go
Cleaning as you go will prevent you starting at zero when the guests leave. Once you have placed side dishes and the like in the oven, use that time to clean the prepping utensils. If the cooked sides are not warmed in a serving dish, place the finished product in the appropriate dish and clean the one it was cooked in. When the dishes are rinsed, place them in the dishwasher to keep your sink free for prep work and handwashing.
- Line dishes and pans
Let’s face it: nobody really enjoys doing the dishes…this simple hack allows you to repurpose your dishes without having to wash them all day. All you have to do is line the dish with parchment paper or the pan with aluminum foil prior to cooking. Once your food is cooked and removed, throw away the paper/foil.
- Don’t stack dirty dishes
Everybody does it, but we shouldn’t. All we are doing when we stack the dishes is creating more work for ourselves. Stacking a dirty dish on top of another dirty dish only creates a dirty bottom that you have to clean in addition to the area the food sits. Just by asking your guests to both rinse their own dishes before placing them in the dishwasher or by asking that they not stack, you’ll be cutting your dish washing time in half!
