A New Year’s Eve party is all about things blingy, bright and sparkling. When you are hosting such a gathering, guests gorging on the delicious food you prepared, sipping on signature drinks and generally sharing a laugh or two means you can be sure that the party is a raging success. But what awaits the good host after such a wonderful evening is a massive clean-up. And while this might feel like an unenchanting element to start the new year, there are some tips involved in the planning process itself that might make the job fairly easier. These are simple organisational hacks that turn the after-party clean-up into a smooth flow, wrapped up in minutes.
Drop Zones For Used Plates And Glassware
While this one is a no-brainer, adhering to it during the party can feel like an effort. However, as a diligent host, make sure that all the used plates and the cocktail and mocktail glassware finds its way to designated drop zones. This will save you the time required to collect used dishes past the midnight hour. Place small, stylish and elegant two-tiered trays in key corners – one can be near the bar, the other near the snack counter so guests can tidy up as they go along.
Use Eco-Friendly Prep And Toss Liners
To avoid the hassle of scrubbing sticky trays and drink tubs, layer them with readily-available eco-friendly prep and toss liners. All you have to do when guests leave is just lift and toss the liners, without needing to rub off any sticky food and drink residue. The trays can be wiped with a damp cloth and stored away immediately, making the clean-up process smoother.
Finger Foods And One Tray Mains
A useful planning tip that cuts down on the serving dishes and spoons, ultimately reducing the cleaning time is serving finger foods like mini sliders or grazing boards. These are sumptuous offerings but can be served efficiently on single platters. One-pan casseroles or pastry bites and even bowls of chips and dips can be placed at certain lounging locations in the party space to limit the servingware used. Fewer dishes to wash after the party promises a quicker and more efficient clean-up.
Create A Quick-Clean Station
As you organise everything for the party, also keep all the clean-up tools handy in an unassuming spot in the dry balcony or a concealed cupboard. The small clean-up kit can include a microfibre cloth, a disinfecting spray, a broom or a vacuum, some soap, extra bin bags and paper towels. When all clean-up essentials are in one place, you can spot-clean quickly within seconds, reducing the time it takes to kickstart the cleaning.
Decor That Can Be Composted Or Reused
With the kitchen and the food taken care of, the next thing to plan for is the party space itself. If you decorate it with fabric table runners, foldable fabric banners, bright throws and colourful cushions, you can just fold everything once the party is over and keep it away in its designated place. Too much artificial confetti or streamers that break or become entangled can make cleaning up more complicated. Keep it simple and prop fairy lights, LED candles, aesthetic lamps and centrepieces in the party space. Cut down on the exhausting hours that go into picking sparkles and confetti out of the carpet by going for fresh flowers or pine decor instead that can be composed after use.