Hosting a holiday party is a great motivator to do a good cleaning, but there is no reason to stress out and try to do everything at the last minute.
Here is a plan:
All three Cleaning Checklists are below the jump...
How To: Clean House for a Party
Big Clean (5-7 days ahead):
Time Needed: 4-5 hours
Wash insides of windows/clean windowsills.
Move furniture - mop the floors and vacuum rugs.
Wipe all doorknobs, doorjambs and light switches.
Throughly dust/clean all surfaces.
Vacuum upholstery and vents.
Shake out doormat.
Replace light bulbs as needed.
Wash shower curtain.
Scrub sink, stovetop and refrigerator.
Clean kitchen cabinet exteriors.
Clean stove hood.
Scrub sink,toilet and tub and clean mirror.
Declutter and Recycle (clear up magazines and stacked up junk mail, old shampoo bottles etc., put away items that really belong elsewhere, pack up items for donation).
Daily Maintenance List (during party week):
Time Needed: 10-15 minutes per day
Make the bed.
Hang all clothes.
Do all dishes.
Wipe tabletops.
Wipe out sinks.
Wipe toilet seat and rim, swoosh bowl with brush.
Straighten coffee table, nightstand and kitchen and bathroom counter surfaces.
Keep rooms clutter-free.
Short Clean List (day before or day of party):
Time Needed: 60 - 90 minutes
Dust mop floors and vacuum rugs.
Dust/wipe all surfaces.
Clean kitchen.
Clean bathroom.
Do final clutter sweep.
What's your strategy for pre-party cleaning? Methodical or mad dash?
Let us know and share any tips or items we missed on our lists in the comments...
Image: gascoals.net
Comments (4)
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It depends on the party. If it is a small, intimate dinner party, I do a deep clean broken out in stages.
For a large party, (where I am not asking guests to remove shoes), I do a quick big clean, and stow away clutter. If your place is packed with people, they most likely aren't poking into your deepest darkest corners looking for dust bunnies. Plus, you can expect to be left with a big mess.
The next day, I do the big clean... especially the floors, table tops, etc.
view addy's profile
I used to kill myself (i.e. the first list) before a big party. (I mean, shake out doormats? I never do that...should I?) but then I realized that no one notices anything but clutter so I do a quick clean right before (put away clutter, quick mop the floor with a swiffer, quick dust, vacuum) and like addy mentioned, clean up the mess that the party creates afterwards.
view Christine (the one in DC)'s profile
Please, those daily chores usually take up a whole lot more than 15 minutes, lol.
But the cleaning lists are great and I thank you for that. :-)
view rose's profile
anyone know the name of this painting? is it a Norman Rockwell?
view mfarling's profile