Clean your House in a Day
When you're making your party to-do list, add "Clean the house" near the top, but don't think of it as a chore. Organize the tasks into easily achievable components. With a little planning, cleaning the house for a party is so simple, you'll be tempted to use these hints for your regular cleaning routine.
Divide the work into tasks that can be completed in small chunks of time throughout the week preceding the party to reduce the stress of party preparations. Give each day a cleaning theme, and finish that day's tasks in an hour or less. You can slip in many of the tasks among other daily activities. Start here:
Preparation is the key to no-stress party planning. Get our 7-Day "One Day at a Time" Housecleaning Plan, available below, to make sure you'll enjoy your party instead fret over smudges and clutter as your party guests arrive. We walk through each day on the following pages.
Day 1: Strategize
On the first day of party cleaning, the task is evaluation: See what needs to be done, and devise a strategy to accomplish the chores in an efficient way.
Check out these three easy tricks for recognizing important cleaning tasks and developing an achievable strategy for accomplishing them. By planning first, you'll save time cleaning and be able to see your progress throughout the week.
Pretend you're a guest. Amid the routine of daily life we often overlook clutter and dusty corners. Walk through your home with a visitor's eye, and use these tricks to get a new perspective on your home. First, identify imperfections.
Consolidate your list. After you've finished your walk-through, it's time to organize the list into achievable tasks.
Assign tasks. Gather family members to help clean for the party. When you split the task list among the family and by day, the chores will be finished more quickly than you expect.
Editor's Tip: Make cleaning for the party into a game so kids will be more willing to participate. Have a dance contest while you dust. Race to put away toys, clutter, or laundry.
