It's My Party And I'll Clean If I Want To!!

We had a little soiree this weekend. I love entertaining; in fact I enjoy the whole process, from deciding who to invite to planning the food and decorations. Our fete this weekend was fairly casual, a BYOB gathering with munchies. However, there's one part of the party process that remains the same no matter what kind of hoopla is being thrown - the cleaning. When we're having guests, we want our homes to be at their best. So we dust, mop, scrub and shine in preparation. And it's totally worth it when you look around the crowded room and see all those gleaming floors and table tops!

However, all that work comes undone very quickly, and the morning sun can reveal quite a different sight (not to mention smell!). Chip crumbs, empties, and spills. And why is it that the morning after a party always smells like salsa?

After many get togethers, I've developed a post-party strategy that has my house back in pre-party condition in no time! When I'm shopping for the party, I try to pick up something yummy for breakfast the next morning that won't take a lot of time and mess to prepare. After a good night's sleep, we get up and make some coffee. While the coffee's brewing, we cue up some upbeat music. Then, we assemble the cleaning supplies and get to work!

First up, grab a garbage bag and get rid of any trash. If you are going to recycle bottles, give them a quick rinse and then place them in a blue bag. Once the garbage is out of the way, run the vacuum around. Unless you had a lot of spills or a ton of foot traffic, you can probably get away without mopping, but only you can decide that. Once the floors are finished, I like to give the sofa a quick vacuum as well, since it's usually a bit crummy from snacking. Moving right along, it's time to tackle surfaces. Grab your favorite cleaner and a cloth and wipe down any surfaces where food and drink were placed.

By now, things are starting to look and smell fresher! I like to give the rug and sofa a quick spritz of fabric freshener, but that's a personal choice.

It's time to move along into the kitchen. Wash any dishes in hot, soapy water. As you dry, put aside any serving dishes your friends brought to be returned later. Wipe down counters and put away any special dishes or bar items. Sweep the floor and mop if necessary.

Finally, the bathroom! Follow your regular routine for cleaning the bathroom (you can determine how much cleaning needs to be done!) Change the towels, restock the toilet paper, and change the garbage.

And that's it! If you work together you'll be finished in no time flat, and all that will be left is to do is to put up your feet and enjoy the rest of the morning (or afternoon!) with another cup of coffee!

I hope your weekend was as fun as mine! Have a great week!!