Preparing Your Home For Holiday Guests
Getting your house ready for holiday guests can be a lot of work. Not only do you need to clean your entire house, you need to make sure you have plenty of food, toiletries, and sleeping space for your guests. Fortunately, the process doesn't have to be difficult. Check out these tips to help you prepare your home for holiday guests.
Stock Up on Supplies
Before your guests arrive, you need to make sure you have all of the supplies you need to make them feel relaxed and comfortable.
- Plan meals and snacks for the duration of your guests' stay. Then, use the meal plan to create a grocery list before you go to the store.
- Gather blankets and pillows for your guests. You should have at least one blanket and one pillow per guest, but it's a good idea to have a few spare pillows and blankets on hand just in case.
- Purchase things, such as extra toothbrushes, razors, and feminine products, in case your guests forgot to pack something.
- Make sure you have plenty of extra bath towels and washcloths for your guests to use.
Clean the House
Even though you probably think it's imperative that you have a spotless house when you're guests arrive, you shouldn't stress yourself out over a few dust bunnies. It's okay to have a house that looks like it's lived in, as long as it isn't dirty. So, make sure you take care of the basics.
- Pick up each room in your house. Make sure you put everything that's sitting out away, and throw out all of the trash.
- Clean the kitchen and bathroom countertops and floors.
- Clean your kitchen appliances -- the interior and exterior.
- Clean the bathtub and/or shower.
- Clean the toilet.
- Vacuum, sweep, and dust.
Additionally, you should consider having your carpet or rugs professionally cleaned, by a company like Kleen As A Whistle or another location, before your guests arrive. Not only does having your carpet and/or rugs professionally clean help eliminate any household odors, but your guests will feel more comfortable walking without shoes on freshly cleaned floors. Also, if your guests have small children, you should make sure your carpet is clean before allowing the kids to crawl around on the floor playing.
Put Up Decorations
After you've tidied up the house and had your carpet cleaned, it's time to pull out your holiday decorations. After all, you want your home to look festive, because you've invited your guests over to celebrate the holiday season. When you're arranging your holiday decorations:
- Make sure none of the decorations are located where your guests can easily trip over them.
- Ask your guests how things, such as scented candles, affect them before using them as decorations. Some people are really sensitive to certain smells, and you don't want to make your guests feel ill.
- Don't overdo it. Yes, your house should look festive, but too many decorations can be overwhelming. You want your guests to feel welcome and comfortable in your home, and living rooms that are overflowing with holiday cheer don't typically have a warm, inviting atmosphere.
While preparing your home for holiday guests does take some time, it's worth it in the long run. Once you've gathered all the necessary supplies, cleaned your house, had your carpet professionally cleaned, and put up your decorations, you can relax and enjoy the holiday festivities with your guests.
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