Christmas is coming and with the season often come overnight guests.
Some simple home preparations can make your life much easier and your guests’ stay more pleasurable.
Most important, work ahead.Last minute scrambling will leave you frustrated and exhausted at an already busy time of year.
If you have a room that you use for company make certain that all bed linen is freshly laundered or perhaps spring for new set of sheets that you can use solely for company.
An extra blanket draped over the end of the bed may come in handy for some guests.
Open up some space in the closet and clean out a drawer for the use of guests. It will make them feel more at home and means there won’t be half opened suitcases on the floor, tripping people up and giving the room and your home a cluttered look.
Give the room a thorough vacuum and dusting, including window blinds and the tops of the fan blades if you have a room fan. You may never use the fan but you don’t want your guests and the freshly cleaned room covered in a layer of dust when they flip the switch on.
Clear any clutter off end tables, although a lamp and clock will be useful for company. Do make certain that any clocks are quiet, you may no longer notice the tick tick tick of grandma’s antique timepiece but you don’t want it keeping your guests up all night.
If you lack either the space or the extra room with a bed, the most cost-effective solution is likely purchasing a blow up mattress, air bed or self inflating mattress.
When looking, Mike Black, owner of Capital Iron, advises “the quality of the bed is important” and reminds customers that the beds fold up for convenient compact storage after use.
It may seem like a great idea to provide a king-size mattress, but if it won’t fit in your den or takes up your entire front room it will create more chaos than comfort.
“Size is the biggest issue for customers, ask yourself what will fit,” says Rachel Horton, sales associate at Capital Iron
Horton also says that “pumps are a big part of any bed purchase discussion.”
Some mattresses come only with a hand or foot pump which can be slow and labour intensive. Even worse, some mattresses come with no pump, not something you want to discover just before your guests arrive. If the pump is rechargeable, make sure you’ve charged it ahead of time.
Finally, whether or not you have a bathroom that will be strictly for guest use, make certain that they are provided with clean towels. If you are sharing the facilities the towels can be placed on the bed or on a chair if the room has one. Make certain they have a space to hang their wet towels.
Planning and arranging these details ahead will leave you and your guests free to concentrate on the turkey and holiday cheer.