CLEANING
Tidying up the house is typically one of the first places we start when preparing for our guests. You want your home to be warm and inviting so that your visitors feel comfortable to relax and enjoy themselves. As someone with a furry family, I have to acknowledge the fact that Sid is a four-legged puff ball of cuteness and with that comes cat dander, litter box smell, etc. While I may be used to Sid’s fur around, my guests may be sensitive to it. I have family members with allergies and asthma, so I do my best to make the house as comfortable for them as I can without evicting Sid for a few days. The last thing you want is for your guests to feel like this.
My primary focus when cleaning for company is where my guests will be staying. I want for them to have a nice clean room and bathroom. That means a lot more to them than that storage closet you’ve been meaning to clean out for months. The next priorities would be the kitchen and living room. A clean kitchen makes your guests want to enjoy the food you’ve lovingly prepared for them, and a neat living room gives them a comfortable place to kick back and relax.
Here’s a checklist of ideas to help get your house ready for company:
Guest Room
- Wash the bedding.
- Dust the furniture, window sills, wall art, and decorative accessories.
- Clean any mirrors.
- Vacuum.
Guest Bathroom
- Scrub the sink, shower/tub, and toilet.
- Sweep and mop the floor.
- Dust any Kleenex box covers, soap dispensers, wall art, and other accessory pieces.
- Clean the toilet paper holder and towel holders. Dust tends to collect in these areas.
- Wash the shower curtain.
- Clean mirrors.
- Provide clean towels and bath mats for your guests.
- Place a small trash can with a liner in the bathroom.
- Put out a new, full roll of toilet paper.
- Make sure there is plenty of soap in the soap dispenser or provide a fresh bar of soap.
Sid Cleaning
- Wash your curtains (make sure your curtains are washable first). Sid loves to sit in the window sills and look outside. The curtains pick up that fur quickly.
- Dust/wash the blinds. Dirt and dander build up in places we often overlook. Take the time to wipe these surfaces clean.
- If you use couch covers, wash them. If not, vacuum off your couch to help eliminate fur.
- Make sure the litter box area is clean. Wash the box, and put in new litter. Sweep and mop the floor. Sid has never been one to bury his business, so I need to be mindful of that since his box is in the laundry room on the side of the house with the guest bedrooms.
- Run a HEPA filter air purifier. I take this extra step because I do have family with sensitivities.
Kitchen
- Clean the counters.
- Have dishes washed and put away.
- Wipe out the inside of the fridge.
- Wash the base below where the filtered water comes out of your refrigerator.
- Clean the inside of the microwave.
- Sweep and mop the floor.
General Cleaning
- Pick up clutter.
- Dust.
- Sweep, mop, and vacuum floors.
- Wash or vacuum any rugs.
Take the time to care, and give it your best effort. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. When it’s time for your guests to arrive, let go. Enjoy your company, and have fun!
YARD WORK
Upon arrival, the first thing your guests are going to see is your front yard. Spend a little time sprucing up your curb appeal. You don’t have to go crazy and develop a whole new landscape design. Simply tidy up the yard, and perhaps add a small welcoming pot of flowers on the front porch. It’s always good to have someone supervising the trimming of the bushes to make sure you get them level.
Tasks to Consider:
- Mow and string trim the lawn.
- Trim the hedges.
- Weed and clean up your gardens.
- Put poison on any fire ant mounds.
- Wash any exterior lights that may be dirty.
- Check for any wasp nests around the house, and spray any you may find. Wasps like to build nests in your entry way, and if you don’t use your front door that often (as most of us go through the garage), you may not have noticed them.
- Sweep and tidy up your front porch and back patio.
- Spray weed killer on the grass and weeds growing in the cracks on your driveway and sidewalks.
- Spray the weeds in your yard.
- Put a welcoming plant out on your front porch.
- If your guests are arriving after dark, have a light on waiting for them.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
When you get together with friends and family, there has to be good food! Depending on the nature of your company’s visit, the types and amount of food you prepare may vary. Typically my company and I are out and about doing things and eat the majority of our meals at restaurants. So I tend to focus on breakfast, beverages, and a dessert. I like to prepare as much of the food in advance as I can so that I can spend more time with my guests instead of in the kitchen. Freezer Friendly foods are a great way to plan ahead. Warrior Waffles, Harvest Pumpkin Waffles, and Cinnamon Sugar Muffins all freeze well and make quick and delicious breakfasts. Having a yummy dessert to enjoy after a nice meal out makes a sweet end to the day. I will be serving my Fabulous Frozen Snickers Dessert and will bake some of my frozen cookie dough to make my Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice cream Sandwiches.
For breakfast, I am going to put together a Sausage Breakfast Egg Bake the morning of their arrival. It needs to sit in
the refrigerator overnight, so it’ll be ready to pop in the oven the following morning for a nice hot breakfast. I already have my Cinnamon Sugar Muffins baked and in the freezer. I will serve them with the egg bake. While I’ve eaten the egg bake many times, I’ve never actually made it. So if it doesn’t turn out, we’ll enjoy those 69 cent family size boxes of Lucky Charms and Cocoa Puffs I stocked up on a while back. I also printed and used the coupons for the $1.00 off Ocean Spray pink grapefruit juice. The Keurig will let my guests choose and prepare their coffee to their personal tastes. I also found a rebate for free Simply Juice Fruit Punch so that will provide another juice option.
Taking advantage of sales and coupons as they come along, I have stocked up on Dr Pepper for my cousin Jason and some Diet Pepsi for my brother. I will also make a big pitcher of sweet tea for a little variety. Planning ahead and stocking up when items are on sale help me entertain the way I want while not breaking the budget.
NICETIES
My hope is always to make my guests feel very welcome and comfortable in my home. I try to do little things that help put them at ease and maybe even make them feel a little special. Depending on how many guests are coming, I will have fresh towels laid out for them either in their rooms or hanging in the bathroom. I also like to have a little basket with extra toiletries they can use if they forgot something. Travel size lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and bottles of body wash you’ve acquired from your travels work great. Also keep in mind all of those bargains we’ve been taking advantage of in recent months. The FREE 
Dial soap, inexpensive toothbrushes, and 50 cent toothpaste make it affordable to go the extra mile. Taking the time to print a list of local restaurants and points of interest doesn’t cost you anything and is a nice added touch too. I also printed a little card with my WI-FI password on it for them (Just hoping it’s correct because my dad or brother always has to change it when they come because I always forget it! It doesn’t help that my nephew made a very successful attempt to mess up the saying in my head that I was to use to remember it.) For this weekend’s guests, I have an extra special treat. I found inexpensive Texas and Austin T-shirts, went to Hobby 
Lobby multiple times (so I could use a 40% off coupon on each pack of iron ons) and created a unique souvenir for each of them. If they weren’t flying, I might have gotten a jar of locally made salsa. You really don’t have to go to a lot of expense to make your guests feel welcome and comfortable. Just take the time to think of the little things.
Suggestions:
- Lay out a clean towel, wash cloth, and hand towel for each guest. I like to give each guest a different color if I can.
- Place a fresh bar of soap at the bathroom sink or fill the soap dispenser.
- Make sure there is plenty of toilet paper available. Put a fresh new roll on before they arrive.
- Leave out a basket of extra toiletries: fresh bar of soap, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, body washes, toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable razors, etc.
- Have a box of Kleenex easily accessible to them–in guest room or bathroom.
- Provide local literature. You can even print your own list of local restaurants and points of interest.
- Print a little card with your WI-FI password on it.
- Provide lamps or nightlights so your guests will have an easier time getting around at night in an unfamiliar setting.
- Let your guests know they are very welcome, and tell them to let you know if they need anything.
The basket idea is a wonderful house warming idea.
Your mother made me a beautiful side-window (by the front door) curtain. After a couple years I washed it in cold water with cold water rinse and hung to dry. In spite of that special care, it shrunk at least 6″! I would advise making sure the fabric is washable prior to throwing it into a washer.
Thank you for reiterating that point. When buying curtains, I look for ones that are washable. Mom had mentioned your unfortunate experience so I definitely wanted to convey that you need to check the type of material and cleaning directions before washing.