Planning an event or party by itself is already stressful. If it’s for yourself, you will know your own expectations. But one for your kid? That’s a whole other challenge on its own.
And the worries don’t just end there.
Your child’s birthday party is all fun until it gets to the afterparty. Unfortunately, it’s not really a ‘party’. Even when the party guests leave – the mess doesn’t. And who ends up dealing with all these? It’s you – the party organizer.
Now now, don’t panic. You can leave it up to us to show you a couple of handy guidelines to clean up all the post-party mess in no time.
Avoid troublesome serving ware
Who said all the cleaning comes after the party? Throw in some fuss-free serving ware and you’re one step closer to making the clean up easier.
If you’re going to have a lot of guests coming over – get disposable and biodegradable tableware! Skip the plastics and opt for paper. There are tons of stylish paper straws & plates to take your pick from these days. You don’t have to go through the hassle of washing and drying the dishes. So, that’s another chore crossed out.
Spread out your trash bags
One trash bag is not enough for the whole party. And if you have a couple, don’t leave them to collect dust in your storeroom! Get them out and place in different areas for
maximum efficiency.
Remember, you have to strategise carefully and have the right amount of bags with you to make sure people don’t leave their rubbish everywhere. And use two layers of trash bags. Yes, get that in your head, do that and prevent the rubbish from breaking out when it gets too heavy.
Seek advice from a professional party decorator or party planner
Party decorations are an integral part of every celebration. While choosing to DIY the décor is a tempting option, it could leave you with some unanticipated headaches.
The possibilities are endless – and not in a good way at all.
You may end up forking out more than you need to fix the wall paint after your family member decided to tape your birthday buntings earlier without thinking straight. Or your helium balloons flew loose and got entangled into the ceiling fan. Whoosh, there goes all your children’s precious treasures – and your ceiling fan too.
With all these issues popping up, it’s best that you seek help from a professional party planner. Especially when considering other parts of the party like venue type and budget, calling a party planner or decorator to step in can prove to be a prudent choice.
Keep a few handy cleaning tools close by
Some messes will leave a stain or mark if not cleaned immediately – so it’s better to have some cleaning tools nearby than to dash over a far distance for a simple cloth.
From wet wipes, a hand vacuum to a spritz bottle – all these will come in handy once you spot a mess.
It may sound like a drag but these conveniently placed tools will prove to be a life-saver when the real cleaning begins – not to mention – save you some extra time.
Focus on serving mess-free food
It’s all about minimizing your problems at hand – there are plenty of ways to make your life easier when it’s time to battle the mess.
Mess-free food, like finger food, usually does the trick. We’re talking sweet and salty popcorn, juicy nuggets and wings to refreshing chilled juice boxes. These are your real best friends when it’s time to clean-up.
But if you want to throw in food like spaghetti and fried rice – go ahead. Just make sure to leave as many trash bags as possible nearby to the crowd so they don’t leave their rubbish lying all over the place. Consider decking all your tables with a disposable table cloth that you can simply wrap up and throw right after the party too.
Plan smartly and let your guests do the rest
Be discreet about where you place certain things. An empty tray placed near to where people are eating will naturally persuade them to put their dirty dishes atop of it.
If you ever dreamt about being a trickster in the most practical way possible – now’s the time. Little tricks like putting coasters in place for drinks and making room for plates will avoid the tiny messes from happening – and make them take action on their own.
In the long run, you’re actually helping yourself so kudos to you!
Immediately start cleaning when the party ends
Procrastination is your enemy. Let it loose for one second and you’re going to end up with a much stinkier mess to clean up.
So once the last guest leaves – prepare to move out. Yes, we mean it. No long breaks or a refreshing, hot shower – you have to get up now and start cleaning.
Otherwise, you will delay even further and leave your house in turmoil. And trust us, all that mess is not going to look pretty at all.
Conclusion:
Although the outcome is predestined and you – as the party owner – will have to do the cleanup. You still can make things easier for yourself when you remember these avoidable mistakes by heart.
So, don’t forget them and tidying will be effortless.
To be on the safe side, you should always look up for one of the birthday party packages offered by party planners. They don’t necessarily have cleaning involved but everything else will pretty much be in the bag – so planning is going to be easy as 1-2-3.
