Party-proof your home for the holidays
During the holiday season, your home can suffer more than its usual wear and tear, thanks to parties, guests, and being busy with other obligations. This can lead to waking up on New Year’s day with not just a home hangover to handle.
Use these simple tips on how to party-proof your home for the holidays to avoid stress and protect your property from costly damage.
Secure your valuables
Temporarily storing your valuables somewhere safe is a quick way to set your mind at ease, whether you are hosting holiday parties or travelling. Consider investing in a small safe to store your passports, jewellery, watches, credit cards, and so forth. This is invaluable protection any time of year. If you have fragile or vulnerable items like breakable heirlooms, photographs, artworks, or even furniture move them out of reach, or into storage, before parties.
Protect the surfaces
From mud tracked on the carpet to red wine on the sofa, holiday gatherings can wreak havoc on your home’s surfaces. Invest in a sturdy doormat for the front door, perhaps even a boot brush if you live in the country. Some people ask guests to leave their shoes at the door, if you prefer to not, you can always throw down extra area rugs in high-traffic areas such as hallways and the living room. Before throwing open your doors, treat sofas and soft furnishings with a fabric protector like Scotchgard that will help resist stains and spills.
Opt for unbreakable
Smashed glasses and shattered plates are more than an inconvenience, they can be dangerous. If you’re hosting a party invest in good-quality plastic glasses and use paper plates for food. At a push, you can use disposable plastic cups, but they are an environmental nightmare, and if you buy a new batch for each gathering the cost quickly adds up.
Polite notices
Information goes a long way toward’s preventing accidental damage. Every home has its quirks, whether it’s the kitchen tap that runs too hot or the loo that only flushes when you push the handle exactly the right way. Polite, handwritten notices can alert your guests to anything they should know, and will spare everyone’s blushes.
Get help
Having extra hands is a great way to keep your home running smoothly, and nip any small problems in the bud. If you and your close friends are both planning house parties, you could take turns acting as each other’s backup. Alternatively, hire someone to help you out for the evening. Brief your party assistant in advance, so they know how your security system works, where the spare hand towels are kept, what to do if someone is sick, and so forth. During the party, they can help keep things tidy, mop up any spills, grab extra snacks, restock the loo roll, or do whatever else needs doing.
