It must be human nature because most of us never seem to realize how filthy our showers have become until we suddenly find out we’re having company. God bless well-meaning friends and family, they don’t always give the most notice, do they? Having guests come to stay overnight in your home takes intimacy to a whole new level. Suddenly it’s not just you they’re coming to see but your kitchen floors, bathroom countertops, the inside of your fridge and yes, those glass shower doors that may perhaps have seen better days. Hospitality industry insiders say that having guests in your home is all about the little things. Want to borrow some ideas from great hotels and cheery bed & breakfasts? Provide sumptuous linens, luxurious pillows and plush towels – the best you can afford. Add a bud vase with a handful of fresh-cut flowers. Ensure the guest bedroom is spotlessly…
Party season is here, it’s official. And chances are pretty good that you will be, at some point, hosting at least one holiday gathering at your home. Whether the affair is big or small, meant for friends, family or co-workers, hosting an event in your home can be a lot of work. It comes with many responsibilities, not the least of which is creating a welcoming, comfortable environment for your guests and knowing how to show your home in its best possible light. Before you get lost in meal planning and decorating, think about the kind of event you’re planning to host. Will it be a formal, sit-down dinner, where your guests will at most see your kitchen, dining room, powder room and possibly your living room? Will it be a loud and casual multi-generational family event, where the youngest kids will play hide-and-seek in the bedrooms, the teens lounge…
What’s the dirtiest room in your house? The one you just know is never quite clean enough? The one you secretly hope visitors will not go into? Truth is, we all have one. (Some of us have several.) It could be a case of mountainous clutter, unfinished repair work or simply a space that’s in limbo – a dumping ground you haven’t quite figured out a function for yet. People who like to entertain, even if they do so infrequently, know that one of the biggest benefits of having guests in your home is that it forces you to tidy up. You’d be mortified if anyone saw the basement in its current state or if a guest wandered into that ghastly third bedroom, so to avoid any embarrassment you tackle those rooms first and you do the best you can, stat. Problem solved. But what if that still isn’t enough…
At some point, most of us will face a special set of circumstances we have no way of anticipating. Maybe you’ve fallen ill, been put on bed rest, are receiving medical treatment or are recovering from a stay in hospital. Maybe you’re pregnant and are simply not feeling well enough to do all the cleaning you normally do around the house. Keeping a home in top form requires time, energy and organization. It also requires the homeowner to be able to handle certain physical demands. And yet the tasks you just can’t get to right now still need to be done. You may have a busy family who depends on you to keep everything moving: laundry done and put away, linens and towels too, dishes clean and in the cupboard, floors vacuumed, toys picked up and all of your household surfaces properly sanitized. These are just the essentials, the tip…