Party Planning Tips, Prep, Pre & Post Cleanup
I love hosting parties. And when I say love, I mean it’s a passion of mine. Birthdays, holidays, just because weekend get-togethers. A boring night? Let’s throw a party! And what goes into making a great party? Well, party planning of course!
This post is in partnership with Hate Stains Co. All opinions are my own.
Now, over the years of all this party-throwing, I’ve gained a tip or two based on personal experience with said party planning. I have some wisdom to impart about decorating, organizing for the night ahead, and cleaning. Pre and Post. Because both are equally important.
This post is in partnership with HATE Stain Co. All opinions are my own.
You want to present your house shiny, warm, and welcoming to guests. Also, you don’t want to feel personally victimized by the mess when everyone leaves. Our goal is to have you waking up the next morning feeling like everything is back to normal, clean, and cozy.
And that friends, is why I think I love to throw parties so much. I’ve refined the art, (if I do say so myself) so the next day I can stretch in my warm bed, open my eyes, shuffle over to pour my first cup of coffee, look around, and life is just as it was before the fun previous night. The only mementos from the event are the photos on my phone.
Party Planning Important Tips
With everything I’m about to share, think in terms of time management. If I plan and have things ready, it will be so much easier to prep for the party, because all the key components are in place.
Tip 1: Have a place for party items
For me, this means having a cupboard in our dining room hutch dedicated solely to party supplies. Plates and bowls, utensils, napkins, and cups. And at this point, I’ve trained all my favorite people to know where this stash is. They can go right to it, open up the drawer, set out all the items, and we’re ready to get started!
When planning my regular shopping trips, I always open the cupboard, take inventory, and purchase needed supplies to keep my stash full.
Tip 2: Have a extra fridge for drinks, and to store food guests bring
This could be a true drink fridge or a full-size fridge you reserve for drinks and extra goodies. Again, we always try to keep some of our return guests’ favorites in it. And I’ll do the same as with my party cupboard, I’ll check the fridge before regular shopping, and replenish items as needed.
Case in point. Two of my sweet girlfriends came over the other night, and when one was done with the beverages she brought, she headed out to the fridge (we keep ours in the garage) to grab a new one. She knew she was welcome to everything in that fridge, and that it would have something she liked in it.
My whole goal with guests is to not be stuffy. What’s mine is yours. I want you to feel comfortable, valued, and at ease in my home.
Tip 3: Keeping it budget friendly
Another reason to replenish party supplies when doing regular shopping is it’s more budget-friendly. You don’t end up shelling out a lot of money for drinks and staples the day before. You’ve planned, pre-purchased, and are ready to go whenever the hosting bug bites!
This can also mean keeping a bag of chips and a can of salsa stashed in the pantry, as well as other party munchies that store well and can be grabbed at a moment’s notice.
Party Prep: Cleaning
Again, this is about having a cleaning plan in place, and a schedule that keeps the house primed for guests so whenever someone knocks at your door, you’re ready!
Cleaning tip 1: Get a robotic vacuum
I’m not joking with this one. A robotic vacuum is a huge timesaver. And more so than ever before, the prices are comparable to a regular upright vacuum. Mine goes off twice a day. (Did I mention I have a Saint Bernard, three cats, two kids, and a husband?) Two times is basically the minimum of how much it needs to go off in our home.
Cleaning tip 2: Get Yourself Some Safe, Fast, Strong, and Non-Toxic cleaning products
I’m going to be honest with you. I’m a clean freak. Now, you may not think party planner and clean freak go together. But they can, and do! You just need the right products that have your back.
It use to be, if you wanted a product to work well, it was harsh and filled with chemicals.
No thank you.
I run a pretty green home. I’m not into a ton of products, especially ones filled with questionable ingredients. Because of all my animals, family, and favorite friends popping over frequently, I want a home that’s not only clean but healthy and safe. I’m picky. And what I’m about to share with you? Well, let’s just say they all pass my test for safety and getting the job done!
Pre-party cleaning:
Stain treating
As seems to be the theme of this post, I clean, prep, and treat things as I see them. Cleaning as you go is much easier than doing it all at once before an event. I’ll use the products I’ll mention below as I have stains and messes. But, before a party, I’ll always go above and beyond to get an even deeper clean.
Before an event at my home, I’ll grab the Miss Mouth’s Messy Easter Stain Treater, and do a slow walk around the house. I’ll check couches, throw pillows, carpets, and rugs. Because kids.
My two are old enough that they make themselves snacks frequently, and who knows where they end up eating those? Not at the kitchen table sadly. The morning of the party, I hit all the stains I find and quickly get rid of them.
Dusting
Out of all the home chores, I detest dusting most of all. If you follow me over on Instagram, you know all about it since I lament often. But, before an event, I’ll put on my big girl pants, grab my duster, and make it happen!
Washing Windows and Walls
Cleaning windows is something we all know we should be doing more often. But washing walls, well that’s something that can get easily overlooked. If you have kids though, check the walls of high trafficked areas and you’re sure to find fingerprints and darkened areas where hands touch and leave behind residue. Ick.
If you have animals, particularly a slobbery dog, let’s just say the walls tend to get dirty more often. Slobber flings my friends. The movie Betoveen was way more accurate than I realized. Once we got our sweet Bruno, I quickly saw I added a bit to my cleaning routine.
But it’s okay! We love our sweet boy and my walls are just a bit cleaner than normal since I’m constantly wiping them down.
In Party Maintenence
Again, something some people might not think to do is to spot clean as the party is going. If you clean it as you see it though, there’s less to do later and the stains don’t have time to set.
I have a lot of red wine drinkers in my life. Heck, I’m one of them. There’s no shame in my red wine game. We all know though, red wine is hard to get out of fabric. Or it use to be.
Let me introduce you to my secret weapon: Chateau Spill Red Wine Remover. Your fretting of red wine is over. I almost welcome a spill, because it’s like a magic trick for my guests. The stain vanishes before their eyes. I’m almost mean how I act so taken aback that they actually stained my rug! Then a few spritzes of this product and I look up at them and laugh. The party moves on.
I also keep a few packs of the red wine wipes beside the drink table so people know where to go if they get some on their clothes.
I’m very into aesthetics. I like a good-looking product, and I don’t mind keeping these ones out for people to use and grab because they’re not ugly or obnoxious.
Another favorite is the Emergency Stain Rescue spray and wipes. Not sure what that stain is on your shirt? Doesn’t matter. Grab this product and you’ll be right as rain in short order!
Post Party Clean Up
To keep things simple when clean-up time comes, I use as many disposable (and recyclable) items as I can. There are some beautiful disposable plates, cups, and utilizes out there if you’re having a holiday event at your home or an extra special get-together. For regular parties, I use cheap, disposable plates from the store.
I also make sure to add an extra garbage can somewhere in the house so it’s easy for people to dispose of their items. Fewer things to go around the house picking up after everyone leaves.
Once the big things are picked up, the garbage is taken out, and the items that needed to be washed are placed in the dishwasher, I release the robotic vacuum to do God’s work.
I then grab my three go-to cleaning products, and walk around the house, doing a quick survey of anything that may need my attention.
Like a lost knife with peanut butter all over it.
Oh, the things that leave you scratching your head after a gathering. A little Emergency Stain Rescue though, in spray or wipe form, and you’re back in business.
Well, what is that there? Some mustard on the front rug? Okay then . . .
Don’t ask questions after a party is my motto. Just deal with it and move on. Thankfully, the HATE Stain products make that super easy to do.
All this usually takes less than 30 minutes. Before I know it I’m walking up to bed, happy and tried after another fun evening of memories made.
I hope these tips helped!
I truly hope these tips and tricks are helpful for planning and getting prepped for your next party, and for the holiday season, as it’s fast approaching.
Top take aways
Pre-planning is key. Take inventory and shop for items before you need them.
Home maintenance and cleaning are such a great help so you don’t feel overwhelmed the day of with cleaning and decorating.
Grab and keep this trio on hand so your home says stain-free, and your parties rocking all year long!
Happy party planning friend!
