Hosting a party at your house is a lot of fun, but can also be a lot of work; worthwhile, but still work. The aftermath of a house party can seem like trying to clean up after a natural disaster, but with these five helpful tips, you can get the job done and your place back to its neat and tidy original state with minimal effort.
Collect bottles, cups and glasses the night of. You don’t have to begin sorting them and bagging them immediately, but having everything in one place, ready to be separated into their respective recycling and garbage bags the following morning will make the task of getting rid of it all seem much less daunting.
Maximize dishwasher space. If you have a dishwasher, letting it do most of the work, goes without saying. But this is not the time for haphazardly throwing plates and cups in wherever is within reach. If you organize your dishwasher well before you turn in for the night, you may not remember it, but come the following morning, the mountain of dish and glassware you swore you saw the previous evening will now seem that much more manageable.
Be methodical about your garbage pick-up. Going room to room with trash bag in hand is the best way to make sure you are getting rid of absolutely everything. Frenetically jumping from the kitchen, to the living room, back to the kitchen, to the basement trying to do everything piecemeal is a sure-fire way to leave stray cans, bottles and paper cups where they don’t belong.
Double bag. Even after dumping out left-over liquid before throwing plastic or paper cups in the trash, there will inevitably be some liquid that ends up in the garbage bag. It is always a good idea to double bag when cleaning up after a party. The last thing you need is a bag catching and tearing open, leaking a concoction of soda, cake icing and pizza sauce all over your carpet or hardwood and then having to add mopping and scrubbing to your list of things you really don’t want to be doing.
Make sure to recycle. Parties create waste, and being a responsible party host means minimizing yours and your guests’ environmental impact. Separate the glass, plastic and cardboards as you would for anything else.
Hosting a house party is usually a great time. You get to interact with friends and family in your own space, on your own terms and knowing that at the end of the night, you will be sleeping in your own bed. You are however, committing to a clean-up that the rest of your guests (unless some of your more saintly friends feel like staying around to help) are not going to be dealing with. Follow the above five clean-up tips and make hosting a breeze!