Dinner parties are the ideal gathering for any time of year because they’re held indoors, allowing you to focus on just a few rooms, so there’s less work when decorating and preparing. Get your home ready for a dinner party in just a few days by following this handy guide to cleaning and setting up space.
Declutter First
Always begin by tidying up the rooms that will see the most traffic during the party. Start with the dining room and bathrooms, then follow up in the kitchen and entryways as well. Remove furniture, personal items, and any out of place stuff during your tour and at least tuck it away in a closet before getting on to the deep cleaning. Always declutter first.
Start at the Entry
Since guests get a first impression when strolling in, begin your cleaning with the walk to the door and your entryway. Sweep the front steps, vacuum any rugs in the foyer, and give the front windows a quick clean if you have the time. Consider a seasonal wreath or other inexpensive touches for dressing up this area.
Scrub the Bathrooms
Once you have the entryway ready, give your guest bathrooms a thorough cleaning. Empty wastebaskets, hang fresh hand towels and make the tubs and toilets presentable. Don’t forget about relocating any medications or other sensitive items away to your bedroom or master bathroom before the party begins.
Ready the Guest Areas
If you’re having guests mingle in both the living room and dining area, make them as neutral as possible by removing fragile items. Vacuum the floors and consider removing rugs that might get spills of food and drink on them. Make sure there are plenty of pathways between furnishings and consider relocating some items to make more floor space for the party. Polish your dinner table if necessary a day or two before the party with a spray-on buffing product that is easy to touch up with a soft cloth.
Prepare Your Linens
Many casual dinner party hosts tend to forego linens, but cloth table covers can disguise a table with signs of age and protect it from further wear and tear. There are plenty of modern and artistic options for dressing up a table if you don’t want a classic white linen look. Fabric napkins are also much nicer and cost a lot less than you might think to own or rent, especially if you only need enough for eight to ten people.
Bring In Some Help
When you’re hosting a big dinner party or need to get ready in a hurry, it’s best to call in the professionals. Hiring a home cleaning company to prepare your house from top to bottom is the best way to get ready for hosting a gathering without putting yourself in a bind. There are plenty of other details to manage for a dinner party, and deep cleaning a home can take hours. Let a professional cleaner put the finishing touches in every room, so guests that wander astray will find clean rooms everywhere they go.
