Once the party is over, the last thing you want to do is sort out the colossal mess left behind! By doing some small, simple prep work before and during the party, the post party clean-up operation will be a doddle! So make sure you read this guide before your next party.

Before the party, help minimise the clean-up work needed by using some pre-party hacks:

• Designate party areas for your guests and mark some areas as "off limits" if you want to keep some areas free from party mess.
• To protect surfaces, put a number of coasters, place mats or table cloths onto the surfaces for guests to use.
• Choose sturdy serving wear that is less breakable or stemless wine glasses to limit those spills.
• If it's a nice day or you have a covered outside area, just bring the party outside! That way you don’t have to worry so much about those spills.
• Limit messy food and decorations or anything else that will be difficult to clean up afterwards.
• Remove anything you are worried about getting damaged from the party space before-hand.
• Get all of the cleaning products and trash bags ready for action.
• Consider getting a local laundry service to collect, wash and iron linens afterwards if you are throwing a big dinner party.
• Gather some trusted friends and family and share some of the easy clean-up duties to be carried out during the party. That way, you can enjoy the party too! Some people may actually enjoy lending a helping hand or being able to escape the mayhem for 5 minutes!

Carrying out small tasks during the party will make for a more pleasant environment for your guests to enjoy themselves (without the mess) and it needn’t take away any of the party fun for you. Get your helpers on board to assist you with these tasks:

• Tidy things away when needed such as clearing away (glasses, food, trash).
• Load / unload the dishwasher (or hand wash the dishes to keep on top of things).
• Wipe up all spillages straight away.
• Dispose of the trash - don’t forget to recycle containers / bottles and compost leftover food!
• Any broken glass should be cleaned up as soon as possible. A good tip is to press bread against the surfaces and any small shards will stick to this. Hoover the room and clean surfaces thoroughly if there has been any broken glass.

Post party clean-up tasks to do straight away:

• Arm yourself and your helpers with trash bags and a separate recycling bag / box to throw away trash or collect recyclables.  Put the trash outside into your designated bin as soon as possible to prevent odours or leaks.
• Collect the dishes, glasses and bottles and move them to the kitchen.
• Make sure to also check the outside areas to remove trash and collect dishes, glasses and anything else that belongs inside.
• Scrape away food from the dishes and dispose in the compost bin.
• Clean out recyclable containers and recycle as much as you can in your designated bin (this will take a bit longer but you will gain some green points).
• Load the dishwasher and turn it on. Or hand wash, clean and put away the dishes as soon as possible before they start to smell. Lipstick stains can be easily removed from glasses by adding some white vinegar to a bowl of warm soapy water to gently hand wash them.

Leave the finer details until the following day (or if you have hired a venue, you may have to do this before you leave):

• Throw open windows to air out all of the rooms and disperse any remaining (unwanted) smells.
• Take any remaining dishes to the kitchen and load up the dishwasher. Put the dishwasher on to wash when it is full.
• Take a cloth and cleaning spray to spritz and wipe over all of the surfaces. Don’t forget to check hidden surfaces like window ledges and walls to make sure they are clean and nothing has been spilt on them. Disinfect surfaces and handles. Spot clean any smudges or handprints on glass or mirrors with glass cleaner. Take a trash bag around with you so you can throw away any remaining food or other trash you spot as you go along.
• Any ring marks on surfaces left behind from glasses can be removed by with a small amount of non-gel toothpaste on a cloth to gently wipe over the mark. You can then wipe it over again with a damp cloth before polishing (ensure you test a small hidden area before hand).
• Vacuum all carpets, sweep the floors, pull easy to move furniture aside to clean underneath. Mop the floors and spot clean any spillages on the carpets (be sure to follow the care instructions). If the carpets are stained and you cannot remove the stain by spot cleaning, consider using a professional carpet cleaning company.
• For any scuffs on hard floors, take a dry cloth and buff them out.
• Put all of the furniture back in its place afterwards.
• Any borrowed or hired items can be put to one side so you can arrange to return them to their rightful owners as soon as possible.
• Party items or decorations that can be used again need to be put in its designated box or place ready for the next time.
• Spot clean any spillages on soft furnishings. If soft furnishings have marks that cannot be spot cleaned, check the wash instructions carefully to see if they can be washed by you or if they need to be professionally cleaned.
• Take a look around the room and check all of the ornaments, mirrors, photo frames and other items to see if they are damaged or dirty. Clean them where necessary and put them back in place.
• Finally, if needed, spritz a little air freshener or you can put some lemon peel into a pan of water and simmer for a few minutes to freshen up the air.
• Close the windows when you are done. And relax!