Spending time with family and friends is the best part of the holiday season. It is an honor to spend cherished time with them in your home. However, before you entertain overnight visitors, make sure that you and your home are ready for house guests by following our below holiday hosting tips.
Channel your inner Ina or Martha this year and master your Christmas holiday hosting chores. Whether you’re hosting a Christmas party at home or hosting family for an extended period, our tips will make the process easier. These are the guidelines to live by for considerate hospitality, from setting up a guest bedroom (when you don’t have one) to the power of delegation. Below are a few holiday hosting ideas to help you get through the season.
Top Holiday Hosting Tips
Get to Know Your Visitors
Is your son bringing home a college friend? Will the in-laws stay for a few days? Those visitors will almost certainly have distinct wants and expectations, so it’s critical to anticipate what they will be.
Take into account everything from dietary allergies to sleeping arrangements. For example, an air mattress may be appropriate for young adults and kids but not for your parents or in-laws.
Fortunately, it’s simple to figure out – ask them. Find out what sort of food they enjoy, what kind of sleeping arrangements they want, etc. But, of course, your guests must be at ease. So, the first step for holiday hosting is to show them that you want their stay to be enjoyable.
Clear the Clutter Before Holiday Hosting
It should go without saying, but with visitors coming in for a few nights, your house needs top-to-bottom cleaning to make the best impression. Pay special attention to the rooms where your guests will sleep and the bathrooms.
Take this opportunity to perform minor repairs, such as wiping up paint scratches or tightening the grab bar in the shower. Consider safety as well. With more guests in the house, it may be good to secure Christmas lights or place a non-slip pad beneath your threshold. Clean Heart Maids can make clearing the clutter and mess easier by coming in and doing your work! Whether you’re looking for top-to-bottom deep cleaning before guests arrive or just laundry and light cleaning, we are here to help.
Preparing a Bedroom for Guests
Do you have a plan for where your guests will sleep? You need to make a strategy for it as soon as you know who will be staying. If feasible, it’s generally best to iron out that aspect before inviting them.
Are there enough beds to go around? If not, consider purchasing an air mattress, hidden bed, or foldable bed. You might need one if you ask the youngsters to stay together to make room for Grandma and Grandpa.
Your guests will enjoy clean, fresh bedding, so wash those extra sheets, pillows, and comforters ahead of time. Stock up on extra pillows and blankets for your visitors as well.
Don’t forget to install a light next to the bed, allowing guests to read or check their phones before retiring for the evening. It also serves as a safety feature. Because your visitors are in a new setting, having quick access to light allows them to walk about securely at night.
Phone chargers are crucial these days, so make sure there is an accessible method for employees to plug in their electronic devices. Even in the age of phones, a clock is a pleasant touch and helpful addition to a guest room.
Your visitors will appreciate having a location to unload their belongings, especially if they stay for more than a couple of nights. If the room has a dresser, clean out a few drawers for them to use. Consider providing them with closet space or an additional valet rod to hang their clothing.
Leave a Greeting Note
If you’re entertaining out-of-town guests, send them a message with recommendations for their stay in addition to putting a few things in their room like clean towels, an alarm clock, a hairdryer, and basic toiletries. It may be directions to the nearby coffee shop or lunch location, your internet password, TV instructions, or a few recommended activities – whatever it is, it will make your guests feel welcome.
Holiday Hosting – Make the Bathroom Ready
Know which bathroom to allocate guests before they arrive. They should ideally have their own to utilize. However, if that isn’t an option and they must share, you may still make them feel at ease.
There are never enough clean bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths for guests. So keep extra linens in the bathroom and make sure your guests know where to locate them.
Though most guests will bring their amenities, you should also supply them. Set out shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, an extra toothbrush or two (in the packaging), soap, lotion, and other personal care items. It’s good to have additional supplies available, such as cotton swabs, clean nail clippers, tampons, contact solution, and anything else your visitors might require to make their stay more comfortable.
Also, show them where the plunger and wastebasket are in case of an emergency to avoid embarrassing situations.
Prepare Ahead of Time!
The most crucial thing anyone can do if hosting a Christmas party at home or trying to survive the steady influx of Christmas house guests is to prepare as many yummy snacks as possible before they arrive. Whether it’s freezable soups, ready-to-bake cookies, or preparing your main dish for Christmas dinner the night before, you’ll be glad you completed the work during a calmer period.
Holiday Hosting and The Little Details
Fresh flowers and a carafe of drinking water on your guest’s nightstand, a scented candle in the entryway or bathroom (caution: don’t overdo it on the scented candles), peaceful music playing in the morning, a spare phone charger on the dresser, or container of fresh-baked cookies in the kitchen will all make an impression.
Stock the Pantry
Purchase more snacks and treats for your cupboard and refrigerator. First, do you know what your guests like and don’t like? Do they have any dietary restrictions? You may prepare by stocking up on the right foods and beverages if you know ahead of time. It may seem simple, but show them where everything is and make them feel at ease accessing it when they want to eat or drink anything.
Prepare things that your home visitors can help themselves to, such as dry goods for breakfast or late-night snacks. It is unnecessary to make everything from scratch. Stock the pantry with granola, nut butter, jams, a good loaf of bread, and spiced nuts for your guests. For an added touch, place everything in a basket with bowls, forks, and napkins so your visitors can quickly help themselves. This also applies to beverages: keep bottled water, seltzer, or soda on hand, and brew a pot of your favorite roast coffee in the morning so everyone can pour their own. If you feel inspired, bake a family favorite.
Additionally, it is crucial to consider table space. If your table does not accommodate everyone for the holiday meal, you may always get a folding table and extra chairs.
Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Assistance
As much as we’d like to think we can do it all, we all need a little help from time to time. For example, assign a family member to vacuum or set up the glasses on the bar. If you’re cooking a large meal, ask a buddy to assist guests in finding a drink or hang up their jackets so you can attend to the food in the kitchen.
Plan and Unwind to Celebrate Holiday Hosting
Plan activities for everyone who comes to stay with you over the holidays. Take them to a museum or a play. Discover what they enjoy doing and create arrangements to accomplish it. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to give your visitors some room. They could prefer to visit the city on their own or go out to supper one night.
Make every effort to prepare your house for visitors, but keep in mind that things may not be ideal. And, they aren’t required to be! However, make every effort to make everyone feel welcome; they will appreciate it. It’s the Christmas season, and your friends and family are coming to visit, so make the most of it!
The holidays are for family, traditions, new memories, but the holidays can often be stressful. So take some time for yourself before and throughout the craziness. Relax with a hot bath or a bottle of wine! No one will notice if you forget an appetizer or the pie is a bit overcooked. If you are at ease and relaxed, your guests will be at ease.
Lastly, Hire Clean Heart Maids for Extra Help
As we mentioned before, don’t be afraid to ask for help. With that, don’t be afraid to hire Clean Heart Maids to take the deep cleaning off of your plate. Holiday hosting takes energy and time. Clean Heart Maids are the cleaning experts of Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas. Focus on cooking and stocking the pantry. Let the cleaning experts take care of deep cleaning your space. Call us today to learn more about our professional cleaning services, and happy holidays from us to you!