If you are planning to welcome friends and family to your home over the festive season, here’s a few tips you might find helpful.
We all like to make our homes look clean, tidy and inviting for guests, but because we live in our homes all the time, there are some things we tend to overlook – simply because we just don’t really see them anymore.
1. So tip number 1 is to go outside, and look at your home with an objective eye to examine just how welcoming it is going to look when people arrive, and continue inside with the same critical eye. Fist, make sure your entryway looks clean and inviting – and then as you walk inside, consider where you are going to store shoes, coats and bags etc.
Then, really have a good look throughout your home. All those things you might leave in a convenient spot, like rows of shoes, a pile of magazines, a host of condiments, and/or appliances on the kitchen benchtops. Just take a general 360 view and declutter as much as you can.
2. Next, think about the areas you will spend the most time during your event. Perhaps in your lounge room or rumpus looking out over the garden. Pay most attention to these areas and be sure to clean your windows, to let in all that lovely summer light and allow a pleasant view of the outdoors.
3. You might need to move in a few extra occasional tables to make sure your guests can place their drinks safely.
4. Bathrooms will probably get a bit of traffic, and depending how many people you have invited, you may need to prepare more than one bathroom. On top of the obvious cleaning, make sure you have plenty of soap and clean hand towels, or a basket of face towels with an empty basket for used towels. It’s a good idea to remove your face and bath towels so no one is tempted to use them.
5. Keeping the room fragrant is a good idea, so leave a scented candle burning, or oil diffuser wafting the atmosphere with pleasant aromas. Lastly, make sure you leave a stack of toilet rolls in there to avoid any embarrassing moments.
6. If your group of guests is going to be quite large, you might want to remove some items of furniture or décor to make sure you have lots of room for people to move around easily and also avoid any mishaps by removing your favourite, or delicate ornaments.
7. An emotive fragrance always makes people feel good when they walk into your home, so sprinkle your spaces with fresh flowers, candles and/or essential oils to set the mood.
8. Don’t forget the outdoors. Whether you are planning an outdoor event or not, proceedings inevitably spill out onto your entreating space, so make sure it is ready for, well entertaining. You might need to jet-wash flooring, wipe furniture with a damp cloth, maybe even give the cushions a wash, and check that you have enough tables or surfaces for people to put drinks down. Again, some flowers and storm candles will help create a welcoming ambience. You may also want to consider some citronella candles in case the mossies decide to get busy.
9. Finally, make sure you have a cleaning emergency kit prepared so you can quickly tackle any unexpected spillages.
10. And our favourite tip for the day after is to go meet a friend for lunch and leave the after-party clean to the family! You’re welcome 😉