31 Days of Party Planning {Day 24: The Clean Up}

Hi.  Today I thought I’d chat about what happens after the party.   The Party Clean Up.  Once all is said and done, I’m sure you’re thinking “Ah now to kick off my shoes, grab some left over cake and relax”..  Uh… No.  Now you have to do the after party clean up.   Ugh I know!  Your exhausted but if you don’t do it now, you will have some yucky, crusty, sticky mess.  Which is not fun.  Besides, wouldn’t you like to spend the rest of the day, watching a good movie and eating cake (or even better taking a nap)?  Yeah you do!
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/For those of you that had your party catered or hired a crew that’s going to take care of the cleaning for you then awesome!  You still may need to take care of some left over decorations or a dirty dish but things should be pretty light when it comes to the clean up.  And for the rest of us that have clean up duty after the party, I’m here for you!
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/Here are some great party cleaning tips I’ve learned along the way that can help smooth the cleaning transition.  
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/1.  Have on hand a bucket partially full of soapy water in your sink where you can place any utensils, mugs, etc to be thoroughly washed later.
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/2 Make sure you take care of all the supplies that are not disposable and return them to their rightful place for your next event.
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/3. Any left over decor and items that can be easily be used again should be placed in a storage bin and properly label so you know where to easily find them for future parties.  A good idea to try is to keep all your paper goods organized in one place.  All your tablecloths, cake stands, serving utensils, and so on, so the next time you have a party you’ll be so much more prepared.
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/4.  Send left overs home with your guests.  That way you don’t have to worry about storing extra food in an already full kitchen.
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/5.  Have your waste baskets easily accessible.  I don’t know how many parties I’ve had where guests ask “Where’s your trash can?”  Now I have an assigned area for my trash so guests can easily dispose of their trash.  Which makes an easier clean up for me 😉  WIN!
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/6.  Treat yourself.  When the dishes are done, the floor is swept, and the house is clean and quiet, it’s time to kick your feet up and give yourself a treat!  Maybe watch that movie you put off with a  huge slice of cake!  Hmmm… how about that nap 😉
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/Thanks for reading my blog series.  This is Day 24 of my 31 Days of Party Planning.  You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here.  I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it to your next event!
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