At Christmas time visitors can make the festive season all the more stressful, but a few simple steps will help ease the pain.
Guest preparation is the key at Christmas time. Always make sure you are as organised as you can be so you can relax and enjoy special time with your friends and family. Think of your visitors, there is nothing worse than ignoring them because you preparing food in the kitchen or tidying up and in turn they are sat twiddling their thumbs in the lounge.
Make sure if you have guests coming over for a meal that you are fully prepped. (ie) The table is set, extra chairs have been brought in, food is nearly ready, drinks are ready for pouring and you are ready.
No dashing off too quickly get changed or apply your makeup!
I really enjoy playing host and will spend weeks getting organised. It’s so important that your guests feel welcome. If you have invited friends or family to stay then think about offering them privacy and a few home comforts. Have the guest room ready or a dedicated area to accommodate them.
Always have a few spare generic Christmas presents wrapped up under the tree in case a gift is given to you but you didn’t buy them one. You do not want to get yourself in an embarrassing situation.
The Guest room
Having a space that guests can make their own allows for a much easier stress free visit. Your spare room may also be a bit of a dumping ground passing off as a home office, or a place where you dry your clothes so this is a good chance for you to have a quick declutter and organise. If this room isn’t used much you may not have the radiators switched on so get these switched on ready and warm the room.
Allow your guest some storage space, make room for their bags and a space for them to hang their clothes.
Leave a set of clean towels at the end of the bed and a set of mini toiletries in case they have forgotten something. Pop the wifi code on the bedside cabinet along with a few bottles of water.
If you have a family staying in the room invest in a few airbeds so a family can all stay together.
20 Minute Mad Guest Dash
We can also have unexpected visitors where little notice is given, Here are some of my top tips for getting you guest ready within 20 minutes.
Throw open the windows to let air through the house to make it feel refreshed and to get rid of any smells.
Entrance Hall
Start by clearing the entrance to your home so guests don’t fall over shoes and coats when they walk in and make sure your door mat is clean by giving it a shake and sweep any dirt away.
Leave a space for guests shoes and coats.
Kitchen
Next, clean the kitchen. Put any dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher and make sure your tea towel is clean. lighting a festive candle and emptying the bin. Spray a damp microfibre cloth with all-purpose spray and use it to wipe over kitchen surfaces and brush crumbs onto the floor. Once you’ve finished, speed-vacuum yourself out of the room starting in the furthest corner.
People always migrate to the Lounge
The living room is another area of your home where guests are likely to spend a lot of time. Tidy away any clutter in your living room such as books and magazines, and if you have a pet, quickly rub your furniture with a damp rubber glove to remove pet hair. Spray sofas with a fabric refresher and turn your cushions over instead of vacuuming them to save time. Dim the lights and use lamps where possible to hide any dirt and hair on the carpets.
Your Bathroom must be clean
The bathroom is an area in your home where your guests will spend time alone and will make judgements about how clean it is! If you only have a few minutes to get your bathroom ready grab some fresh clean bathroom towels and change the bath mat.
1. Grab a clean cloth and a good bathroom cleaner and wipe down the sink, the toilet seat and underneath the base of the toilet. Keep some handy cleaning wipes under the bathroom sink so you can just grab one quickly when in and out of the bathroom yourself.
2. Scrub the inside of the toilet and add some toilet bleach.
3. Leave the window slightly open
4. Light a strong pleasant scented candle.
5. Replenish Toilet paper.
No go areas
Lastly, if there’s a room in your home that you don’t want guests to enter, simply closing the door will make them less likely to go in.
