Every year, as far back as I can remember, I’ve hosted my entire family on Christmas Eve. This includes an average of 20 to 30 of us. We all pile into our tiny house of under 1000 square feet.
Building memories is important to me so I spend countless hours the entire week before baking everyone’s favorite goodies. There are lots of appetizers and a few lasagnas and salads for the main course.
We all have a blast being together and I love hosting my family. However, the post-holiday clean-up is another story. After all, let’s face it, it’s a lot of work.
But over the years I’ve learned a few tips and tricks for not only hosting the event but more importantly dealing with the post-holiday cleanup.
9 Ways to Simplify Your Post-Holiday Clean-UP
If you’ll be hosting any holiday events this year, here are a few of my favorite tips to simplify the post-holiday clean-up so that you’ll be left with nothing but positive memories.
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1. Before The Event
It really is true that the post-holiday clean-up starts before the party even begins.
Here’s the thing, for years I would spend hours cleaning every nook and cranny of the house. I wanted it to be perfect before everyone arrived. If the kids messed anything up, I was a crazy person. All this did was put unnecessary stress on myself and my poor family.
The reality is that within moments of everyone arriving the mess begins. Everyone is busy enjoying each other and no one is inspecting the nooks and crannies of your house to see how clean it is.
I learned the hard way not to invest a ton of time and effort into deep cleaning beforehand. Honestly, it’s enough that your main areas are clean. As long as the floors are vacuumed and mopped and the surfaces clear you’re good to go.
Don’t emotionally invest in a spotless house. Put your effort into creating wonderful memories for everyone, including yourself.
2. Start Your Post-Holiday Clean Up During Your Party Prep
Even if your holiday gathering is usually a more formal affair, you should seriously consider disposable dishes and utensils. These days they have so many fancy looking disposable plates your guest will be shocked they are disposable.
One year I used these utensils and these plates. They were so nice no one wanted to throw them out. But boy did they make the post-holiday clean-up nice and easy.
If the environmental impact of disposable keeps you up at night there are also many compostable and biodegradable options.
Whether you use disposables or not, one of the last things you want to do before your guests arrive is to empty the sink and dishwasher. This will make it so much easier to pop the dirty dishes in as you go through the evening.
3. Lable Receptacles to Make Post-Holiday Clean-Up Easier
Have a few containers clearly labeled “trash” and “recycle”. This makes it easy for guests to help with clean up during and after your holiday gathering.
Put your containers in a place that has easy access for your guests. Make sure to empty them when they get full and simply replace them with fresh trash bags. This will really help make your post-holiday clean-up a breeze!
4. Provide Leftover Containers For Guests
Investing in a few inexpensive disposable leftover containers makes post-holiday clean-up so much quicker.
When your guest is ready to leave, simply hand them a container to fill up before they head out. By doing this, your guests are actually helping with the cleanup. As they fill up their leftover containers, they are also clearing out the serving dishes and saving you that work!
Another tip is to make sure the fridge is clear so anything you are left with is easy to put away.
5. Keep The Menu Simple
I grew up having lasagna every Christmas Eve. None of us particularly love lasagna, but it just wouldn’t be Christmas without it. So because it’s a tradition, we all love lasagna on Christmas Eve.
Another thing I’ve learned to love about making lasagna each year is that it is perfect for easy post-holiday clean-up. Lasagna is a casserole type meal. This means there aren’t a ton of serving dishes to have to clean up afterward.
By keeping our menu fairly simple, I’m able to avoid having to wash a ton of dishes and serving platters at the end of the night. This, of course, makes it so much quicker to get the post-holiday clean-up done.
6. Do a Little Bit of Cleaning During The Party
The last thing you wanna do during your holiday gathering is to spend the entire time cleaning. That is a definite no, no! You’re the host, your focus is on helping your guest have a wonderful time.
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t do a little bit of cleaning during the party. It’s perfectly okay to collect empty dishes and glasses and move them to the kitchen. Also, as you’re circulating and visiting with your guests, pick up any empty cans and bottles that can be easily disposed of.
By doing this through the night you’ll shorten your post-holiday clean-up time quite a bit.
7. Keep Cleaning Supplies Handy
When you have a house full of people, especially if there are little ones, spills are guaranteed to happen. Make sure to keep a few rags and a spray bottle handy for these moments.
Getting those spills cleaned up quickly will make the major after party clean-up much easier.
Related: Enjoy a Simplified Christmas
8. After the Meal
While your guests are enjoying their meal, steal away and fill the sink with warm soapy water. As any plates and serving dishes are emptied they can easily be placed in the water to soak. This way, by the time the evening is over and you’re ready to clean up the dishes, they will be ready for an easy wipe down and clean up.
9. Hire Help
If it’s at all within the budget, hiring someone to come in after the party is the best thing you can do. I know that conventional wisdom is to hire someone to come in and clean before the party. However, as I mentioned above, no one is going to inspect the cleanliness of your house.
When you hire help before the party, all that work gets messed up very quickly. Your money is much better spent hiring someone to help with the clean-up. Having someone to help you with the post-holiday clean-up is a wise investment you won’t be sorry you made.
When all is said and done you’ll learn and adjust as you continue to host your holiday gatherings. My hope is that some of these tips will help you to simplify and make your post-holiday clean-up just a little bit easier.
Are there any tips you would add? I’d love to hear about them, share in the comments!
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