Party Cleanup - How to Get it Done Fast

We all dread it - the task of post party clean up. After your guests have come and gone, you’re left with the seemingly insurmountable task of cleaning up what looks like the aftermath of World War III. It doesn’t have to be so bad!

Here are a few hints you can employ to minimize the agony of the Day After and get it done fast.

First off, for a large party, don’t even think about using your normal, everyday flat ware, dishes and glassware. Not only are you likely to lose plates and glassware to breakage, but you’ll be spending a good portion of the evening washing and rewashing them. You’re supposed to be the host / hostess - not the bus person.

Disposable plates, flatware and cups may seem tacky, and of course are not environmentally friendly, but unless you are entertaining the royal family, or hosting anything less than a handful of guests, practicality trumps aesthetics every time.

So your guests have arrived, and your party is in full-swing. While it might seem obvious, the best strategy to keeping the mess to a minimum is a pro-active one that addresses the mess as it is being made. Even though, you won’t be washing dishes, a quick sweep through the room; collecting empty cups and plates and making a run to the trash bin once an hour or so will pay off later on and save a lot of time on cleanup. You don’t have to take party items from people and wait on them, but policing the area every now and then is a good idea to keep trash from gathering or cluttering.

Put out at least one large trashcan (with heavy duty plastic liner) for every dozen guests you expect. Place them all around, not just in the kitchen. Make them accessible and seen. Believe it or not, most of your guests will subconsciously dispose of their trash if you make it easy and obvious for them. If there is no trash can available, everyone will leave their used plates, cups, and napkins piling up in any space available, which of course translates to more mess for you to take care of later on.

A large trash bin is the key word here - your regular household small waste basket will fill up faster than you can say “where did I set my drink?” Depending on the size of your extravaganza, you may have to empty them once or twice over the course of the evening. This is where the heavy duty plastic liner bags are your friend. They don’t rip and leak as your carting them away.

Plastic bags and plastic containers are your friend. Use them wisely after the party to store leftover food. Or think ahead and purchase Chinese delivery cartons from your local party store. Send guests home with a “doggy bag” of party food to help cut back on food you’ll have to clean up, put away, and store in your refrigerator. The more food you can send home with people, the easier your cleanup will be. And what is left, stash away in plastic bags and containers and put in the refrigerator or freezer as to not waste.

So it’s the day after your party. You’re spent from your host / hostess duties and the last thing on your mind is cleaning up the disaster you have willingly inflicted on yourself and your domicile. Well then... don’t. If you have it in your budget, hire a cleaning service ahead of time to handle it. Yes, it’s a splurge, but if there’s a large mess to tackle, you’ll be glad to have the extra sets of hands to help put your house back to its normal state.




Misha Anatolia writes about party planning topics like bridal shower planning and other bridal shower ideas. Misha enjoys reading and hosting parties when not writing.

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