We've all received the "sorry, but I'm inviting myself over tonight" call. Your roommate from college rings you: "Hey, we're in town right now - you said we could stay at your place anytime...?"
Oops, you think. Did I really say that? Suddenly, your relaxing weekend becomes a flurry of activity.
It's not just the self-invites. Unexpected guests assume many forms:
- You forget that you're having company for dinner
- An unanticipated life event (good or bad) brings family to town
- Wait, did my children just invite all their friends over?
Two words: don't panic. Just follow these seven "make the hosting experience amazing" hacks:
1. Order take-out!
This is not time to play it fancy! In fact, call that friend back right now, ask them what they want from [insert your favorite take out location here], and ask if they can pick it up on the way.
2. Clear any flat, used surfaces (counter, table, floor)
Maybe your guests are someone you really need to impress. It's time to follow the advice that you took as a kid: shove everything under the bed or in the closet! It's amazing how orderly your place can look just by not having piles of stuff out in the open:
- Put any dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher
- Take piles of paper onto shelves or back rooms
- Shoes go in your closet, clothes go on the bed or in a hamper
- Toys back in the toy bin
You can develop a long-term organization plan later. Now is about taking all the shortcuts possible!
3. Get out guest bedsheets and towels
If your guests are staying with you (even on a couch), it's a nice touch to put out the sheets and towels ahead of time. It's a 30-second way to show that you're thinking about them first. (Maybe two minutes if you have to make the bed).
4. Three Super-basic Bathroom Cleaning Steps
There's something about a dirty bathroom that's...memorable. We can all remember the time we had to use a gross public restroom. Don't let your bathroom be that memory!
- Wipe off (with a rag or paper towel) the sink area
- Flush the toilet
- Vacuum any obvious hairs off the floor
5. Vacuum the main walkways
While you have the vacuum out for the bathroom, go ahead and give it a quick run around the entryway and any other areas guests will be walking.
6. Pull out a deck of cards (and entertainment options for the kids)
Cards are an answer to the awkward lull after dinner. Grab some drinks (and I use that in the broadest way, whether it's tea or tequila), clear the dishes, and play an old family favorite card game.
Try to make a mental note for the age of any children as well. Could they watch a movie? Play their own board game? Have an early bedtime?
7. Caring for your guests is being a good host
Stress can mess with you. Maybe you never feel ready for guests. Maybe you feel like your house is a disaster zone. Maybe you're embarrassed to have people over.
There's good news: you caring for your friends enough to have them over already shows you're a good host.
Check out these words from Danny Meyer, someone who's life as a restaurant manager literally revolves around hospitaility:
"Hospitality is present when something happens for you. It is absent when something happens to you. Those two simple prepositions - for and to - express it all." ~ Danny Meyer
Are you interested in more ways to do things for guests? Have a little more time to prep than you expected? Check out our full house-cleaning checklist that our cleaners use for their services!
