With the holidays approaching, you may be getting ready to host an event at your home. Preparing for your guests to arrive doesn’t have to be a huge ordeal. You obviously want your guests to feel welcome and feel comfortable in your home, so these are my 7 tips to prepare for your guests and to ensure your guests’ stay is enjoyable:
7 TIPS TO PREPARE FOR HOUSE GUESTS
CLEAN THE GUEST BEDROOM
Give your guests’ room a complete and deep cleaning. This is the room they will be staying in, so make sure it’s spotless when they arrive. Wipe down all surfaces with an all-natural multi-purpose cleaner, and try to avoid strong fragrances. Clean all windows and be sure to dust the blinds and the corners. I like to wipe down the baseboards and even the shelf in the closet. Don’t forget to vacuum or mop the floors as well.
WASH THE SHEETS
You don’t need to go out and buy new sheets for your guest, but be sure to wash all linens and make up the bed for your guest. Fluffy, soft sheets are the best. I really like using the Downey UNStoppables because they give my clothes and sheets a long-lasting fresh smell, but your guest may be sensitive to fragrance, so I recommend avoiding scent boosters or overly-fragrant detergents.
GIVE YOUR GUESTS SPACE
Make sure that your guests will have space in the closet and/or dresser for any clothes they unpack. I like to have some empty hangers ready in the closet, as well an empty laundry basket for their dirty clothes. If you have an extra blanket or pillows for your guest, you can have them available in the closet as well.
DECLUTTER THE HOUSE
We get used to the things in our house and may not notice that it’s looking a little cluttered. You don’t need to stress about deep cleaning your entire house, but you will want to declutter everything. You want your guests to feel welcome; not overwhelmed or uncomfortable. You want your house to be stripped down to the essentials and feel like a cozy hotel. I like the idea of only having things you love in your house — if it’s no longer serving you, why are you holding onto it? I did a post on 27 things to get rid of this month for more declutter inspiration.
SHARE THE WIFI
Don’t forget to give your wifi password to your guests. You can leave it on a printed card in their room, so they can have it handy right as they get settled in. It would be a nice presentation to leave some drinking glasses and water bottles on the nightstand, and then have the wifi password printed out. Hotel vibes.
PLAN THE MEALS
It’s likely that you have the meal planning already done during this holiday time, but it’s nice to make sure that the guests know when the meals will be and what they’ll be eating. If all the meals aren’t all planned, let your guests know where the food is, or set out some easy snacks for them to just grab.
CLEAN ALL BATHROOMS
Your guest may end up using multiple bathrooms in the house, so make sure you deep clean all bathrooms. Scrub the floors and the toilets; and make sure there is plenty of toilet paper, fresh towels, and a nice hand soap. As a special touch, you can create a little guest basket with little toiletries like toothpaste, floss, a small bottle of shampoo and conditioner — just little items that they may have forgotten.
Your guests will appreciate the thoughtfulness and feel welcome in your home with these 7 tips. Do you have guests staying for the holidays? Let me know your tips for preparing for your houseguests on Twitter!
