Dread the thought of cleaning up after a holiday dinner? If you’re lucky enough to be hosting, try to do some planning to keep the mess down. Prep as much as you can in advance and freeze some side dishes, so you’ll have less work that day. And whatever you do prepare before your guests arrive, try cleaning your pots and pans as you go along so you’re not overwhelmed as the clock ticks. There are some things that are inevitable, and we’ve compiled a few tips to help get the job done right for your biggest dinner party messes.
Leftovers
The truth about holiday dinners is that everyone counts on eating leftovers
for days. The trick is having
space in your fridge and being able to see what’s left. We like Ziploc bags as a storage
solution when we’re limited on space, and they have a great guide on their
website for how long your leftovers will last in the fridge or freezer. We also love stackable glass containers
for visibility and safe heating.
Counters
To take care of splattered countertops, you’ll want to be armed with microfiber cloths to make removing stains and spills easy with no chemicals required. They even remove smudges from stainless steel with ease. When choosing cleaning supplies, we like the Mrs. Meyers holiday scent, Iowa Pine, to leave your kitchen smelling like the holidays.
Floors
Many people don’t realize that cleaning wood floors with too much water is very damaging. The best way to clean any floor after all the drips, spills and crumbs is to sweep up the loose bits, and use a microfiber mop that has been slightly dampened with a little vinegar and water mix.
Tablecloths
Thanksgiving dinner is one of the few occasions where we pull out the nice linens, and in order to keep them looking beautiful year-after-year, it helps to know how to take care of the stains that will inevitably happen.
To remove red wine, mix ½ liquid dish detergent and ½ peroxide, place a towel under the table cloth and use the mix to clean the surface with a dabbing motion, then launder. Or, try a product such as Wine Away, which is designed to instantly remove the stain.
To remove candle wax, rub it with an ice cube and scrape with a butter knife or spoon. The remaining wax can be ironed off by placing paper bags under and over the tablecloth until the wax transfers to the bags. Or, prevent wax drips and burns altogether by purchasing flameless LED candles.
Napkins & Towels
When everything has been cleaned and dinner is done, you’ll be left with a pile of linens and kitchen towels. The best thing you can do is leave everything soaking in a pre-treater, even if they don’t make it into the dryer until the next day.
Stinky Sink?
Save the peels from citrus you’ve used for dinner preparation, and grind in your disposal to deodorize naturally, or pour some baking soda down the drain to get rid of smells. To remove tough stains in your sink, try a mild scrub such as Bar Keepers Friend, a must for every kitchen.
Why We Love Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent solution for everything from effectively cleaning a greasy oven door or microwave to ridding your kitchen sink of dangerous bacteria, but the smell can be a bit of a turn-off. That’s why we love Eco-Me kits to give us just the right proportion of vinegar and other household ingredients to mix your own great-smelling cleaning supplies. And, if you’re headed to someone else’s home for the holidays, these kits make great hostess gifts.
