Planning to host a get together for the holidays? Hosting can be very enjoyable, and taking the time to be with the people you are hosting is also a wonderful experience, whether it is family, friends, or work acquaintances. But, how exactly should you prepare for upcoming guests? 

You want to make sure that the entire experience is amazing from before they enter your home, to during, and finally after when they leave. Every moment is important and we want to help get you started with the very basics of cleaning and preparing for guests.

Here are COIT’s 5 easy ways to prepare for guests.

1. Outdoor Cleaning Tips

Cleaning the porch is the very first step. This is the first impression your home makes when people come to your door. You want to make sure that the front of your house is not dusty, does not have any spider webs, dirt, or any other debris. To start the process of cleaning your front porch, follow this list.

• Clear every furniture item from the front of the house - give yourself a cleared station.
• Using a duster clear the area of any webs and dust – do not forget the corners and the overhangs
• Using water, a cleaning solution, and cloth (or sponge), wipe down the furniture, plants, metals, and outdoor décor
• Using a broom, sweep the floor of your porch of any leaves
• Once the floor is clean of visible debris, scrub the floor with a brush

2. Cleaning the Entryway

The entryway is the most highly trafficked area of the inside of your home. No matter who comes in, they must go through the entryway first. So, here are some cleaning tips to prepare your entryway for guests.

• Remove the rugs and mats from the entryway, so you can clean them independently before placing them back.
• Dust the light fixtures
• Dust off all furniture, remove shoes from shoe racks and remove clothes from clothing racks before dusting
• Clear the entire entryway. Clean the floors with a vacuum first then mop the floors.
• Great! the entryway is now cleaned,  put all your furniture back in place

3. Cleaning the Living Room

After the entryway, we come across the living room. The living room is the area where you will most likely be entertaining. It houses the TV, the lounging furniture, and the most space for the occasion. We want to make sure the living room is presentable, that there is enough space to walk around, to sit, and be comfortable. 

This what we recommend to get you started on cleaning the living room.

• Remove all furniture
• Remove all picture frames from tabletops, fireplace, bookcases, shelves, etc
• Do a proper dusting, dust all surfaces and vacuum the floors
• If you have hardwood floors, you will want to give the floors a good mopping to give it that shine.
• If you have carpet, you should call for a professional deep cleaning before the party – Call COIT
• Use a cleaning solution and a washcloth to scrub down any metal or wooden surfaces of the furniture.

4. Let’s Not Forget About the Restroom

The general or guest bathroom also needs to be cleaned. The bathroom is an important part of the overall guest experience. We want to make sure there is no grime on the sink, no stains on the toilet, or hair in visible areas of the bathroom. We also want to make sure we have clean towels for our guests to use, soap readily available, and a clean shower area.

• Clear out the bathroom to make all cleaning surfaces visible, clear the counters also
• Squirt toilet bowl cleaner in the bowl of the toilet, making sure to get all the way under and around the rim. Spray the sink and countertop with bathroom cleaner
• Fill the bath tub with two inches of hot water. Use the scrub brush to scrub shower walls and bathtub
• Wet one of your small rags in water, then wipe down sink and countertop well, rinsing the rag as necessary
• Use a toilet brush to scrub the inside bowl of the toilet, then around rim, seat, and lid. Use the wet and dry rags from cleaning the sink to wipe down the entire toilet
• Drain the tub. Fill your bucket with warm water, and then dump along the sides of the shower wall to rinse off the cleaner. Once the shower walls have been rinsed well, wipe down the entire shower and tub with a large dry rag.
• Wipe everything your just cleaned, dry, with a rag
• Sweep and dust the bathroom floor before cleaning the floor completely by wiping it with an all purpose cleaner

5. Finish Off with Cleaning the Dining Room

For a quick sweep of the living room and fast tidy up for your guests follow these steps.

• Dust the dining room furniture
• Polish the furniture after dusting
• Wipe off the furniture with a soft cloth dipped in the solution then wipe dry
• Vacuum the floors and upholstery. 
• If not using carpeted floors then mop the hardwood
• Make sure the table linens are clean. 

We hope COIT has helped you in preparing for your hosting event. As a bonus tip, we recommend some well-scented candles or a spray to help give your home the memorable touch. Do not hesitate to call COIT for any home cleaning and deep cleaning needs.