Welcoming family and friends into your home is always a great experience, but we’ve got a few tips to make your hospitality stand out from the crowd. Just a few extra touches will make your guests feel right at home. Having overnight visitors? We’ve got you covered there as well.

Clean home, happy guests

No matter how big, fancy, or well-decorated your house is, a clean home beats a messy home when it comes to the comfort of your guests. They’ll enjoy sitting comfortably on couches free of pet hair, surrounded by a clean, fresh smell. Your sparkling clean bathrooms and kitchen will make them feel welcome. If you want your home to be at its absolute best, a professional cleaning company like Buckets & Bows Maid Service can help you shine! We’ll take all the stress out of getting your house in shape for company coming.

Kitchen/dining checklist

Looking for a way to make entertaining easier for yourself? Have a meal plan worked out before your guests arrive. Planning ahead will allow you to get all your grocery shopping done and allow for more time to be spent with your guests instead of running last minute errands. Be sure you have decaf and caffeinated coffee, milk, and water on hand. Do a head count and make sure you have enough chairs for everyone to sit at the table to eat, along with enough plates, cups, and silverware to go around.

Tidy bedrooms

For your overnight guests, clean sheets are a must, along with plenty of pillows, extra blankets, and comforters. Wash the sheets before your guests arrive so they are freshly laundered. Make sure all the lights are working in the guest bedrooms, replacing any light bulbs as necessary, and maybe even add a night light. I like to provide a nightstand by the bed that has a lamp and an outlet handy for guests to charge their phones. Be sure blinds close properly so they can have privacy and sleep in if so desired. Providing a fan is a thoughtful idea for anyone who needs a bit of white noise to help them sleep or to control the temperature. Leave guest towels folded neatly on the bed so they know that these are for their use.

Sparkling clean bathrooms

If your budget allows, splurge on some new towels for the guest bathroom so it’s not filled with the old, rejected towels the rest of your household refuses to use. Thick new towels will make your guests feel downright pampered. Be sure the bathroom is stocked with basic toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion. It’s also great to have extra toilet paper on hand, along with a plunger, just in case. Hopefully you’ve hired a professional cleaning service to help you with the scrubbing needed to make the bathrooms sparkle. Clear out any of your personal items so guests don’t have to navigate around your toiletries while in the bathroom.

Snacks and beverages

A thoughtful host will have plenty of food and drinks on hand for their guests. A superstar host will even ask for preferred food and beverages ahead of time so they can stock the refrigerator with exactly what their guests enjoy. An added touch is to put bottled water and energy bars in the bedrooms for your overnight guests so they’re covered in case of any midnight cravings.

All the important info

One of the first questions I get when hosting overnight visitors is “what’s the Wi-Fi password?” Think about everything someone might need to know in order to navigate your home easily, and keep a handy printout with that information on it. My overview document has WiFi information, the house address, instructions on how to work the remotes and thermostat, and details on setting and turning off the house alarm. If your home has any quirks—like that you need to let the shower run for 5 minutes before the water gets hot—jot them down here so no one is surprised.

Declutter the living room

Move things back to where they belong so your guests aren’t having to shift things around to make a spot for themselves on the sofa. Grab a laundry basket and load it up with any lingering kids’ toys, jackets, stray towels, or garbage. Place any books, newspapers, or magazines you think they might enjoy on your coffee table for easy access.

Should you let them help?

The jury is split on whether or not it’s ok to let guests help out with some of the dirty work of running the household while they’re there, but I say that if they volunteer to help, accept! While you might feel awkward having them help with cooking or doing the dishes, they probably feel a bit strange being waited on hand and foot. So if you get a sense that it will help them feel more at home to help out, welcome the extra pair of hands.

 

That’s it! We hope these tips help to make you feel confident that your home is as welcoming as possible for any guests who might be arriving. And whether you’ve got overnight guests or you’re simply hosting an afternoon party, a professional cleaning company like Buckets & Bows Maid Service is a great way to get your home cleaned so you can focus on the rest of your to-do list. Remember that your guests are coming to see YOU, so be sure you enjoy the moment.