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Step 1
Fill the dishwasher with all of your meal preparation utensils, wash off the countertop and wipe out your sink before the guests arrive. Start the dishwasher and let it run while you're having dinner. This cuts down on the after dinner cleanup and gives you a clean place to start washing up when dinner is over and you're feeling overwhelmed.
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Step 2
Put away all decorative pieces, the salt and pepper shakers and any unused napkins or utensils after the dinner party meal. Simply taking away these pieces makes your cleanup job seem smaller and less intimidating.
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Step 3
Rinse all the dishes as they come off the table and neatly stack them on the counter. That way, you can leave some of the dishes for tomorrow or the next dishwasher load without feeling like you're going to have to scrub for hours when you start to clean them or that you're taking up all the counter space with dirty dishes.
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Step 4
Utilize your friends. Don't turn away anyone who offers to help after the dinner party. Rather, put them to work stacking leftover food in containers, rinsing off the dishes, hand-washing your fragile or non-dishwasher safe bowls or loading the dishwasher.
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Step 5
Work on accomplishing small tasks at a time. Instead of focusing on the big picture, which can be overwhelming, create a "to do" list and cross off each step as you get it accomplished.
Comments
esmy said
on 9/7/2008 Its just great you're right! If there is no dishwasher, here is another idea, fill in two large empty yogurth's pots, one with soap and water, the other only with water. Introduce your forks, knives and spoons on a regualr basis in the pot with soap, in between the meals, and then put them in the other water pot.You can then rince easily under tapwater. You get them out of the way once and for all, or can use them immediately once more.
You can use this system, if you want to leave the washing for an overnight to the next morning. As for the dishes, you can first rince them, and then let them soak into a basin with soap and water. Good luck! Esmy
esmy said
on 9/7/2008 I just think its great! You're completely right, but do remember that some of the people do not hold a dishwasher at home, so I do suggest that they first wash the forks, spoons and knives, this way they get easily out of the way.You can fill in two large empty yogurth's pots one with soap and the other without. Introduce the forks, knives and spoons into the pot containing the soap and then you can rince in the other pot containing water, and this could be done on a regular basis in between the meals. You can also do this in the evening if you do not wish to clean the dishes the same day. You can also rince all the dishes and fill in the sink with soap and introduce them, then you can wash your dishes at any time. Good luck! Esmy
KaCe said
on 8/31/2008 I agree with Fike, soak the dishes and the utensils — sometimes the knives and forks are the hardest things to clean when food has time to dry on them. Right after your guest leave take care of any spilled wine on linens. I like to make a separate garbage for a party's trash that way it doesn't fill my compactor to over flowing and get scraps out of the house. (With guests helping clear you cannot as easily control what is put in the trash and some foods are very odiferous.) Good tip.
DiscountTickets said
on 8/30/2008 Yeah, I really don't like to clean up when company is having fun with the rest of the party you invited, and you're the only one cleaning.
banquetmanager said
on 8/30/2008 You're kidding me...
Someone wrote an article on this? We all know how to clean-up after a party. Try cleaning-up after a party for 800 people like I do (I'm a banquet manager).
Visit: http://soyouwanttobeabanquetmanager.blogspot.com