When the party ends but the mess lingers….Isn’t it funny how parties feel amazing, right until Sunday morning when you realize you have to spend the entire day cleaning? Like, parties always start fancy. You and your friends are dressing up and trying to deny the scenario where everyone will be covered in wine or mayo after midnight. Then, you sip cocktails gently, as if the Tequila bottles do not exist and you are not desperate to open them. You talk about the weather, the latest designer clothes, and upcoming vacations, but everyone knows you will find yourself diagnosing your ex as nothing but narcissistic and manipulative.
Nevertheless, degenerated or not, parties are nice. The aftermath, however, involves a considerable mess, including trash, food (radioactive), spilled drinks, dirty dishes, and various scattered items. This chaotic scene usually causes nothing but anxiety and a storm of nerves, requiring immediate action. This article aims to provide you with post-party cleanup tips, preparing you for the moment when you wake up and face post-party chaos.
Contents
Gather Your Weapons – The Cleaning Supplies
Here is a list of things every host needs for their after-party cleaning tasks:
- Garbage bags: For post-party cleanup, consider using large, heavy-duty garbage bags with drawstring closures. These bags will make it easier to handle a variety of waste, including food scraps, recyclables, and general trash.
- Cleaning detergents: Typically, the most widely used aromatic chemicals that give cleaning products that “freshly-washed” aroma include Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Eucalyptol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Camphor, or Menthol.
- Vacuum cleaner: A good vacuum cleaner generally incorporates strong suction power, such as Air Watts (AW), Pascals (Pa), and Water Lift (Sealed Suction), effective filtration, and various cleaning attachments, such as a crevice tool, upholstery tool, dusting brush, and wand. For easy maneuverability around furniture and obstacles, the swivel steering design seems like the best option.
- Mop and bucket: The most common mop materials include microfiber, cotton, and rayon. Microfiber is popular for its ability to attract and trap dust and dirt, cotton for general cleaning and spills, and rayon for applying finishes and disinfectants.
- Cloths: Microfiber cloths are highly recommended for post-party cleaning due to their effectiveness in dust, dirt, and spills. Sponges are also a viable alternative, especially for tougher stains.
- Gloves: Nitrile gloves are a great choice due to their durability and resistance to a wide range of harsh cleaning chemicals and solvents.
Take Out The Garbage Like You’re Afraid It Talks
Parties typically generate a tremendous amount of waste, including disposable tableware, decorations, food waste, and packaging. Imagine waking up to a pounding headache, dry mouth, and twisted stomach. As you slowly sit up, you encounter empty bottles littered at the table and floor, some tipped over, others still half-full. Their contents shimmer like poison. Just that sight alone can make you gag, remembering how the night had ended. Although the horror is quiet and creeping, you have to do something about it. Put the gloves on and act like a soldier. You’ve probably been through so much worse. The garbage, the bottles, the mess, they’re ugly but not fatal.
Unconventional places to check for garbage after a party include the bathtub, inside the couch cushions, in the washing machine, under beds, and inside shoes near the door. It all depends on how crazy things got.
Survive The Dish Disaster Like You’re Earning Redemption Through Elbow Grease
Washing dishes after a party can feel like a daunting task if not breaking the task down into smaller and using helpful strategies. Well, it is overwhelming anyway, as there is nothing to romanticize in elbow grease. But still, you have to do it. Assuming you are not privileged enough to have a dishwater, then you have to take the traditional way. Fill the sink with hot, soapy water and wash the dishes yourself.
As it is very common for people to feel nauseous when washing the dishes, especially if hungover, you should consider the following tips. To minimize exposure to strong food smells, ensure proper airflow in the kitchen by opening windows or using a fan to dissipate strong food odors. Also, wear gloves to minimize direct contact with dish soap and food particles.
Scrub The Couch Like You’re Trying To Forget Who You Became After Midnight
The couch witnessed both clumsy spills and unnecessary confessions, so it definitely needs to be freshened up. Consider the following steps:
- Vacuum the couch to remove any loose dirt or crumbs.
- You can have various options for spot cleaning, but the highly effective ones include baking soda paste, vinegar solution, or dish soap solution. For odor removal, sprinkle baking soda over the entire couch and let it sit for a few hours. Then vacuum.
- After cleaning, use a damp cloth to wipe any cleaning solution residue and let it air dry completely.
Mop The Floor Like You’re Cleansing The Sins Of Last Night
Oh, the sins of last night, the impulsive midnight monologue that started somewhere between your third drink and that moment you suddenly thought the whole room needed to hear your thoughts on love, the “dress ripping” moment when you decided to show everyone how easily you do the splits…They all weigh the next day. Leaving aside all the nonsense discussed with the confidence of Freud, that was your favorite dress. You used to wear it every single time when it felt like it was time to show the world how much of a diva you are. Now it’s hanging in your closet, wounded and silent. You betrayed it.
Now, the only thing you can do is to mop the floor. Barefoot, hungover, hair tied up with a rubber band you found on the doorknob. The floor is sticky and slick with the ghosts of spilled drinks and bad decisions. Glitter is everywhere, and you do not even remember glitter being part of the night.
Using a less dramatic tone, we recommend a combination of warm water and either mild dish soap, white vinegar, or a specialized floor cleaner. Also, you may want to clean the toilet too. Good luck!