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You hosted a beautiful gathering. The food was delicious, the drinks were flowing, the laughter was loud…and now the party is over and your home looks like a festive hurricane touched down and you’ve got to deal with it. The good news is, there is a faster, smarter, calmer way to bounce back. Here is your cleaning expert-backed post-party cleanup strategy plan that will help you efficiently reset your home (even with a bit of a hangover).
1. Start With a Tidy
Before scrubbing, soaking, or spraying anything, do a quick pass to tidy up; you can’t clean any space that’s a cluttered mess. You can apply this technique to any space you were hosting in; dining room, den, kitchen, etc.
Turn the lights on, open the blinds, and grab a contractor-grade garbage bag and heavy duty clear bag for recyclables. Doing a rapid sweep of everything disposable — cups, napkins, food wrappers, bottle caps, the crackers someone accidentally crushed under your charcuterie board — instantly removes visual chaos.
Next, take a tray or basket and collect everything that clearly doesn’t belong: toys, gifts, socks… all of it.
This keeps you from doing 800 tiny trips around the house, which is where most people burn time.
2. Triage the Dishes Like a Pro
The kitchen is going to be the biggest, scariest part — but it doesn’t have to take forever.
Start with the worst offenders: greasy, baked-on casserole dishes, roasting pans, grill pans, pots, or anything coated in hardened sauce, grease or baked-on grime. Spray them with a high-power foaming dish spray to melt through the baked-on grime while you continue working.
At this point, your sink will likely be overflowing which is why it’s a good idea to have a collapsible sink basin that you can pop up and fill with hot water and a squeeze of dish soap (this is also great for camping or a picnic!) Place glasses or cutlery in for a soak. Soaking does the work while your hands stay free and able to do other jobs, cutting handwashing time significantly.
Once the toughest pieces are treated or soaking, start loading the dishwasher with everything to clear out what you can — the “fast wins” that immediately make your kitchen feel under control.
Circle back to those fully encrusted items that have been soaking or pre-treated and tackle them with some good rubber gloves and a premium non-scratch scrub sponge (premium = less work for you, trust me!) to safely clean without damaging your items. Rinse, dry, move forward!
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3. Save Your Linens With a Stain-Rescue Plan
This is where the real magic happens. Wine on your tablecloth? Gravy on your cloth napkins? Cranberry sauce on your beige dining chair? A horror show on your white kitchen towel? Don’t worry, there’s an easy fix for that. Pick up your tub of oxygen-based stain remover — something powerful enough to lift wine, grease, and dye without ruining delicate fabrics.
To start, scrape and blot the stained area to ‘desert’ the stain (make it flat and dry, like a desert!). Depending on how much you need to pre treat, read the package instructions and determine the amount of boiling water you need (and yes, boiling water will be crucial here). Add the right amount of product to a basin or bucket filled with boiling water, and soak the stained items. You will be able to see the stains change or go away right in front of your eyes (it’s another Christmas miracle!). Oxygen cleaners continue working while you finish the rest of the cleanup. After an hour or two, toss into the laundry and launder as usual. Repeat if the stains have not come out yet.
4. Restore the Floors
After a party, the floors tell the whole story: sticky patches, footprints, drink drips, crumbs, glitter… maybe even candle wax. Start with a quick sweep or vacuum to clear loose debris. Then mop using a dilutable cleaner that’s safe for your floor. A great multipurpose choice is ATTITUDE Nature+ Floor Cleaner — a Canadian-made, hypoallergenic, mineral-based cleaner safe for hardwood, tile, laminate, and more. You can either dilute this in a bucket to use with a spin mop or in a spray bottle and used with a flat-head mop.
It’s gentle, plant-derived, and incredibly effective for party messes, especially anything sugary or sticky. Plus, it leaves a fresh, clean scent without overwhelming the room. A clean floor instantly transforms the entire house. It’s the “big reveal” moment that makes everything feel like you never hosted a thing.
5. Do the Final Reset
This is the part where your home stops looking “cleaned” and starts looking “restored.”
- Fluff the pillows.
- Straighten the throws.
- Reset your décor (candles, trays, coasters).
- Replace the trash liner.
- Put on warm lighting.
- Light a candle or turn on a diffuser to finish the energy shift.
It’s amazing how quickly a space feels grounded again once the surfaces are clean and the ambience is right.
The Takeaway
A messy house after hosting isn’t a failure — it’s the sign of a wonderful night with people you love!
Now you’ve got the strategy to handle the mess: the right tools, and a little professional know-how, you can reclaim your space quickly and calmly… and maybe even enjoy the process (or at least not dread it).
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Pledge Multisurface Antibacterial Cleaner Spray – $7.27
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