Thanksgiving is the time when some people are looking forward to a feast of eating and drinking with family and friends. However, this time of togetherness and gratitude can sometimes be quite challenging for the host and hostesses of this beloved season.
The challenges of preparing your home to welcome guests can be draining but there’s no need to fret. Plan and apply this checklist of “before and after” Thanksgiving dinner hacks.
BEFORE THANKSGIVING
WASH SILVERWARE, DISHES, TABLECLOTHS
Take out those Thanksgiving items and make an inventory. Wash and clean silverware, chinaware, tablecloths, and napkins. Don’t forget to wash those roasting pans, stockpots, and large cookware items especially if they were not in use for a long time.
EMPTY THE FRIDGE AND DISHWASHER
Remove from the fridge the old, expired food and containers that are sitting there for centuries. Your refrigerator needs a lot of space to deal with a lot of food. Clean the dishwasher and it must be ready for a great deal of work.
CLEAN THE STOVE AND OVEN
The stove and the oven are your best ally this Thanksgiving and the entire kitchen should be clean and ready for all the cooking and roasting.
CLEAN THE BATHROOM AND POWDER ROOM
Clean and organize your bath and powder rooms before the guests arrive. Scrub the floor, wipe down the mirrors, clean and sanitize the toilet bowl and the sink. Put on fresh hand towels, toilet paper, tissues, hand soap, and don’t forget to deodorize the bathroom.
VACUUM AND MOP DINING AND RECEIVING AREAS
Dust off any common area surfaces, then vacuum and mop the floors of the dining and receiving areas. Don’t forget the windows, they should be sparkling clean and have no trace of those Halloween cobwebs.
AFTER THANKSGIVING
TAKE-HOME FOOD
Some people would love to take home some of your delicious food especially the turkey home. Prepare tin foils, zip lock, and kitchen rolls in a “guest take home station”. That way, wrapping up food will be smooth and not messy.
FRIDGE SPACE
There should be some Thanksgiving leftovers and that’s when your fridge comes useful. Transfer leftover foods in a stackable container that is easy to see which is which when you want to eat it.
SLVERWARE AND CHINAWARE
Load the silverware, glasses, and chinaware into the dishwasher. Wash the dishes that the dishwasher can’t accommodate. Once fully cleaned, wipe and store them back to the China cabinet and drawers.
CLEAN THE KITCHEN AND COUNTERTOPS
Wipe down the stove, oven, sanitize countertops, scrub the sink, and backsplash.
VACUUM AND MOP DINING AND RECEIVING AREAS
Sweep the floors of the dining, kitchen, and living areas. Mop and then vacuum after.
BATHROOM AND POWDER ROOM
Mop the floor, scrub the toilet, sink, replace the towels, and disinfect the bathroom.
Thanksgiving is great and fun, but cleaning is not. If you don’t have enough time to do all the cleaning, your Go-2-Girls are here to help you have a spotless home for the holiday. We are just a phone call away. Call us now for a free quote!
