10 Quick Tips for Holiday Party Cleanup

The holidays are approaching and for many of us it means entertaining family and friends in our home. We cherish the time we have to spend with our loved ones but cleaning up after them can be a hassle. Take the stress out of holiday cleanup with these quick and easy tips.

Use disposable dinnerware

Consider using disposable dishes, cups and even utensils for your holiday entertaining. While plastic utensils do not cut it for a formal sit-down dinner, they are suitable for less formal occasions. You can use high end plastic plates and cups for most occasions. Just toss them into the trash when the party ends. Disposable table cloths are another time saver.

Club soda to the rescue

Keep several bottles of club soda on hand to help remove stains from carpets, upholstery and clothing. Club soda will help remove wine, juice and other spills before they become stains. Blot up any excess moisture from the spill, soak the area with club soda and blot dry.

Candles remove odors

The lingering scent of a party is not always pleasant. Light a couple of scented candles to help freshen the air. Several candles are on the market that are supposed to remove odors from the air. My experience is that any scented candle works. By the time the candle burns out, the air smells great and the odors are gone.

Use outdoor mats

Roll out the red carpet, literally, for your guests. Winter brings bad weather. With the foul weather comes mud, water, snow, muck, dirt and ice melt. Keep the mess outdoors by purchasing or renting large door mats. The mat should be as long as your entrance-way. Put a smaller, decorative mat just inside your door. Door mats will trap the majority of dirt that gets tracked in on boots and shoes. Vacuum or wash them later. You do not have to clean rented mats.

Peanut butter removes water stains

Did your guests forget to use a coaster? Remove water stains on wood furniture with creamy peanut butter. Gently rub the peanut butter into the water mark and leave it sit for 10-15 minutes. Wipe off with a clean, soft cloth and the stain should disappear. Repeat the peanut butter treatment if necessary.

Spot treat carpet stains

Did your carpet take a beating at your last holiday party? Use a spot treatment to remove the stain until you are ready to clean the whole carpet. Most commercially available spot treatments work well. My favorite are Woolite ® and Resolve ® . Prior to treating with a commercial product, scrape off any remaining stain material, use baking soda to soak up excess liquid, allow the baking soda to dry and vacuum.

Kill odors fast with rose water

Spray rose water around a room that has stale or lingering odors. You can buy rose water at most health food stores or you can make your own using rose hips and water or using rose oil and water.

Recycle wrapping paper

Don't throw out all of that wrapping paper. Reuse the old paper. Save it to make collages with the kids, use it as a drawer or shelf liner, or use it as packing material. Store the paper in a plastic bin until you are ready to use it.

Lemons deodorize and add a fresh scent

Garbage disposal smelling a little off? Drop a quarter of a lemon down the disposal and run it. Flush with cold water. This will remove foul odors and the citric acid will kill bacteria that causes bad smells. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice into your garbage can will help to keep bad odors at bay.

Recycle coffee grounds and tea bags

Save the coffee grounds and tea bags from your party. They can be safely added to your compost pile. No compost pile--don't worry, use coffee as a mulch for your outdoor plants. It will deter plant eating insects.

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season. I hope you found these cleanup tips useful. Holiday parties should be fun. Don't stress too much--focus on enjoying the good company of family and friends.

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