Be the best host to your out of town guests for any event or holiday by mastering the art of comfort and clean on every level. Big holidays and events bring family and friends together, sometimes turning your house into a hotel. Be prepared and leave guests happy.
Guest Bathroom
Make sure the bathroom is clean. Windex the mirrors, clean the floors, shower, toilet and sinks. Empty and clean wastepaper basket and make sure bath mats and curtains are clean. Have fresh bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths available, put new soap on the sink and provide extra toiletries. If your guest linens are starting to loose their crisp look it may be time to find new ones, we found a big selection of bed and bath materials at Macys that matched our holiday theme. Remove personal items from the shower and clean out a drawer to give your guest space for their things. Set up fresh flowers and place candles for ambiance.
The Bedroom
The goal when prepping your guest bedroom for a visitor is to create a personal space for them to unwind and feel comfortable. Start by giving the space a thorough clean by vacuuming, dusting and washing all of the linens. Decorate the room sparingly, use flowers, an alarm clock and have recent books and magazines available, but keep personal items out. Having too many personal things present in a room may cause a guest to feel like they are intruding or inconveniencing you.
Think of a room at a hotel: it provides the essentials and enough decor for the space to feel cozy, but leaves guests the space to add their own personal touches. Clean out closet and drawer space and stock the closet with good coat hangars. Outfit the bed with layers of heavy and lightweight bedding and an assortment of pillows. If you really want to go above and beyond “host duty,” provide visitors with small local souvenirs and place them on the bed for when they arrive.
Steps to making a hotel-worthy bed:
- The perfect guest bed should include a mattress pad, fitted sheet, flat sheet pillow cases, lightweight and heavyweight linens, a duvet and two to four pillow shams
- Iron for crisp linens. If this is hard, purchase a steamer
- Use corner fasteners to avoid bunching in the center and corners of the mattress pad
- Drape the flat sheet so that it hangs equally off either side of the mattress
- Make the blanket even with the length of the the sheets
- Tuck in hospital corners
- Layer the pillows
- Top the bed with a throw or coverlet
The Kitchen
Go through the pantry and fridge and throw out anything that’s expired. Make things easy to find and readily available. Stock up on basics like bottled water, basic condiments, tea and coffee. Check to see if your guest has any food allergies or preferences like a gluten intolerance or a meatless diet. Have options available and items out to munch on, like a basket of fruit or jars of cookies or nuts. Clean the kitchen inside and out, from the microwave to the fridge and drawers. Get those in-between spots around appliances and cabinetry that are hard to get to. A clean home will allow you and your guests to relax and enjoy their visit.
Do you have tips and tricks for having happy guests over the holidays?
thanks for this