I love hosting overnight guests, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t ever get stressed out about prepping the house for their arrival. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to help manage the stress and streamline the process so it doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming.

Focus on the most important areas

You don’t need to clean the house from top to bottom before company arrives (let me repeat that again: You don’t need to clean the house from top to bottom before company arrives), but a good scrubbing of the main areas of the home (kitchen, guest rooms, and bathrooms) will certainly be appreciated by your guests.

Kitchen:

Clear out the fridge of leftovers and wilted veggies
Wipe down surfaces (cabinets, appliances, and countertops)
Mop the floor
Make sure the go-to morning items (coffee, sugar, tea, etc.) are easily accessible so guests can help themselves

Bathrooms:

Scrub, scrub, scrub: sinks, shower/bath, toilet, floor
Clean mirror & countertops
Make sure toiletry items are stocked (toilet paper, shampoo & conditioner, soap, etc.)

Guest Room:

Make bed
Dust & vacuum
Lay out freshly laundered towels

I try to break up the house prep chores throughout the week before company arrives to avoid getting overly stressed. Also, I’ve learned that if I start cleaning too early, it will have to be done again anyway (oh, the joy of housekeeping!) and if given the time, I can easily get hyperfocus and end up on my hands and knees scrubbing tile grout in the shower that company won’t even be using.

I begin with prepping the guest room & bath since I can pretty much just close the door to those areas to keep them clean & fresh (and very politely ask my husband not to use the guest bathroom until after said company arrives…). When possible, I try to carve out 2-3 hours on the day company arrives to do the kitchen, shared bath & floors.

For the pet lovers

Prepping for company takes a little extra TLC when you share your home with furry friends. Although you may be totally used to having fur covering most surfaces in your home, your guests likely will not. Be sure to spend some extra time deshedding the couch cushions & chairs and give your home a good vacuuming before guests arrive.

Hostess Tip: I like to keep an extra lint roller in the guest room because I know that no matter what I do to prepare, there will be fur. Oh, yes. There will be fur.

Here are my favorite products for tackling the fur-grenade that detonates daily in our household:

Mega Lint Roller by Evercare

This mega-sized lint roller is perfect for doing a quick-roll of furniture and linens. I’ve had mine for over ten years and use it at least once a week.

Shark Cordless Hand Vac

Not only is this vacuum super cute and easy to tuck away, it comes with a pet hair attachment that I use daily on our sectional sofa.

Reusable Lint Roller

I love that this is a sustainable option that you can easily clean and reuse without producing any waste. They have other versions out there, but this one is the prettiest.

You’ve Got This

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the household prep list before company arrives, remind yourself that ultimately, your guests are there to see YOU and that’s what matters the most to them. Whatever else you are able to get done is just icing; you are the cake!

Next up? Look for Part 2: Decluttering for Company

Cheers,

Lydia Fields

Seaside Styling & Organizing