We’ve stepped into party season once again, which calls for gatherings of friends and family, toasting mulled wine and indulgent dinner parties. If you’re braving the position of host this year, with a little extra planning, fears about post-party mess don’t need to put a dampener on your festivities.
From the age-old question of how to avoid pointy heels from scratching your floor to fears about those dreaded mulled wine spillages… and everything in between, party decoration and interiors experts have honed in on how to ward off party-throwers’ panic, revealing their top hacks for a stress and mess-free festive party.
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Step away from shoe marks
Carolina Hansson, Head of Design at Luxury Flooring and Furnishings suggests:
“Having lots of guests in your home can sometimes wreak havoc on your flooring, and whilst your first thought might be to ask people to take off their shoes at the door, it’s not always feasible, safe or sanitary to have barefooted people wandering around your house, not to mention the complication that comes if you have an outdoor area too.”
“If guests are going to be wearing their shoes around the house, and perhaps throwing some dance moves throughout the night, you might find your hardwood flooring gets a few black heel marks from rubber soles.
“If TikTok taught us anything it’s that there’s a cleaning hack for everything – get a couple of microfibre cloths and use a blend of baking soda and water to buff away any marks that are left behind after your guests have gone.
“You need to be particularly careful of heels such as stilettos, as these can cause real damage to wooden floors. We recommend planning ahead by laying down some washable rugs in high-footfall areas”
Hold down heavy furnishings
“As for furniture, if you’re placing chairs to accommodate your guests, think about investing in some felt furniture pads which can be stuck inconspicuously on the ends of movable furniture such as chair legs. This will lessen the impact that hard furniture can have on wooden floors and will prevent scratches from spoiling your beautiful flooring. For extra protection, placing a large rug in the main gathering area might also save a few scratches as well as shorten your clean-up time.”
Soak up spills with oil-based soap
Carolina Hansson, Head of Design at Luxury Flooring and Furnishings suggests:
“Festive parties go hand-in-hand with mulled and red wine, which are notorious for staining wooden surfaces, with 8.9k people having searched for ‘red wine stain’ in the past month¹. However, with the right preparation, you’ll be able to act quickly and prevent permanent damage. It’s great to have some oil soap at hand, so if a spill occurs, you can simply blot up the liquid with a damp cloth, then scrub with a fresh cloth and hot water and oil soap solution. Alternatively, clean with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water, and remember to pat everything down with a dry cloth afterwards.”
Place doormats by entryways
The homeware experts at Matalan say: “If you’re hosting parties this festive season, you’ll likely have thought about the dreaded mess that can come from people bringing mud from the wet and wintery outdoors into your home on their shoes.
“If you’re hosting a smaller gathering, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask people to remove their shoes before entering, and you could even provide them with a selection of comfy slippers to wear instead. However, this is more difficult with larger numbers of guests, but some strategically placed doormats can easily help solve this problem.
“The most important thing is to make sure that there is a doormat by every entry point that will be used during the party. Putting a mat in clear view when people enter your home will automatically encourage them to use it and wipe their feet.
“A simple washable doormat works well in most homes and offers ease of cleaning, whilst a more quirky mat offering seasons greetings could be a great choice if you prefer to dress your home for Christmas. Alternatively, for bigger hallways, a runner will allow you to protect more of your floor and allows guests to wipe more dirt off their shoes.”
Protect with placemats
Andrea Waters, Head of Brands at Portmeirion says:
“Placemats and coasters are your best friend when it comes to party-proofing your tables and surfaces. Not only are they easy to wipe down (saving you post-dinner clean up time), but they also help prevent any accidental damages to your furniture.
“Opt for placemats that are backed with hard-wearing cork to prevent any slipping. This will ensure that wherever they are placed they won’t mark or scuff your surface. It’s also important to check for a fully sealed top, resilient not only against stains but also heat – essential when you’ve got multiple items coming out of the oven at once!”
Napkins on hand
Jess Martin, party decoration expert at Ginger Ray comments: “As well as sprucing up your festive tablescape, having some Christmas napkins at hand for your guests can be a subtle measure against mess, as guests can catch crumbs and mop up minor spills which will make your clean-up job post-party a lot easier.”
Store away large fragile decorations and artwork
Jess also suggests: “Think about putting large and fragile decorations like artwork away in a safe place where they’re not at risk of being knocked and damaged in a busy room. It’s the perfect opportunity to hang a festive garland or wreath, and even consider placing some festive balloons to boost the wow factor and make the room look all the more party-ready even after taking artwork down!”
