Simple Cleaning Checklist for Hosting a Party

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Last updated on June 3rd, 2023 at 03:38 am

I love hosting people at my house. Doesn’t matter if it’s just a little girls’ night or a holiday, I think it’s fun. It’s totally like playing house when you were a kid, right?

But party hosting is no joke. All that prep and planning and CLEANING! Oh man, you definitely don’t want to have people over when your house is a mess.

You gotta have a game plan for every time you’re having company over to your house. And it’s even better when you do the same thing every single time. You know, a routine.

Today I’m sharing my cleaning to-do list to prep for party hosting that you can use too.

01. Clean Toilets

If I have time for nothing else, I make sure that the toilet is clean. That means cleaning inside, outside, dumping a few drops of essential oil in the tank and making sure there’s enough toilet paper (on the roll and in the cabinet).

02. Fresh towels or paper towels

I always put out fresh towels for guests. Depending on the size of the party, I’ll just put a roll of paper towels in the bathroom. It’s more hygienic.

03. Put things away

This is where I round up my child to pick up all her toys that might be laying around the house. You could also grab a basket and walk around the house picking up things that don’t belong in that area. If you’ve got time, put ‘em back. If not …well, put ‘em somewhere where you can put them away later.

Or go recruit the kids to help.

04. Dust furniture

It bugs me if there’s dust all over a sideboard or something completely visible to guests. Go swipe it with a cloth. (This was my job as a kid…so totally feel free to pass off the chore to someone on your “team.”)

05. Vacuum

Don’t mop. Just vacuum up the crumbs. If you’re having people over, the floors are going to get dirty and covered in crumbs no matter what. Save the mopping for after the party.

06. Empty trash

This is a job for my husband. He empties the bathroom and kitchen garbages because they’re definitely going to get filled up if we’re hosting a big party.

07. Put away the dishes

Empty the dishwasher so there’s plenty of room for dirty dishes to go back in. And put any leftover dirty dishes in there before guests arrive.

08. Wipe the counters

Do a quick wipe up in the bathroom (may as well wipe the faucet and handles too) and wipe down the kitchen counters. That should take less than a minute or two.

09. Clean the mirror

Wipe all the water spots off the mirror. Not that they won’t end up there again, but at least you’re starting out on the right foot.

10. Straighten up

Fluff up those couch pillows and straighten up any little decor items.

11. Make a “helpful guest” to-do list

This is one I’m definitely going to embrace from now on. There are always guests who ask how they can help, so keep a list of things they can do throughout the party.

Here are some ideas:

• Make sure the toilet paper/paper towels are stocked in the bathroom
• Replace wet hand towels in the bathroom
• Check that guests aren’t wandering into parts of the house they shouldn’t
• Show the ladies where they can store their purses
• Check that there’s soap in the soap dispenser (BTW, why is refilling a soap dispenser such a disagreeable task?)

And that’s how I get my house cleaned up and ready to party. Don’t forget a thing! 

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