Get Your Guest Room Ready for Holiday Company

Traditionally, guest rooms often get the most use during the holiday season from Thanksgiving through the New Year. Family and friends come to stay and celebrate the festive occasions, giving you the chance to show off your hospitality. This year will likely look a little different due to travel restrictions and pandemic safety best practices, but you may still find yourself playing host to houseguests. Whether you use these tips this season or file them away in anticipation of a time when we can safely gather again, the cleaning experts at Merry Maids® offer advice on preparing your guest room for company, from cleaning the space to adding amenities to make your guests feel right at home.

Perform a Thorough Cleaning before Guests Arrive

When was the last time you hosted someone in your guest room? Some guest rooms pull double-duty as a home office, craft room, or other multipurpose room. This is especially true these days with the rise in remote work and distance learning. If you have guests coming to stay, stow away or relocate personal items or projects as much as possible. This will help your visitors feel more comfortable and less like they’re intruding on your space. Make sure there is space for a suitcase or luggage. It’s also a nice gesture to clear some room in the closet and leave some empty hangers for your guests to use.

While you may have tidied up and changed the linens after the last guest left, it’s a good idea to do so just before the next guest arrives, as well. Making up the bed with freshly laundered sheets, blankets, and bedspread or duvet reduces exposure to any potential allergens like dust or pet dander. When possible, using a fragrance-free laundry detergent is a thoughtful gesture for guests who have sensitive skin or noses.

Open up the window to allow in some fresh air if weather permits, and give the room a thorough dusting with a microfiber duster or cloth, working from higher surfaces to lower ones. Vacuum the carpet and rugs, or sweep and mop hardwood floors. Running low on time or energy? Merry Maids® offers house cleaning services that ensure your guest room is ready for company—we can even change the bed linens.

Thoughtful Touches for a Cozy Guest Room

Even if your houseguests are family, staying in someone else’s home can be disorienting. Help your visitors feel as comfortable as possible by thinking ahead and providing these cozy amenities:

• Extra blankets and pillows - Everyone’s body temperature and pillow preferences vary, so give your guests plenty of options.

• A bedside table - Even a small surface allows guests to keep a glass of water, a book, their phone, or their eyeglasses nearby while they sleep.

• A reading light or lamp - A lamp next to or near the bed offers the convenience of not having to stumble back to bed in the dark once they’ve turned out the overhead light.

• An alarm clock and/or charging dock - Most people use their cellphone as an alarm clock these days, but an old fashioned bedside alarm or a combo clock/charging dock covers the bases.

• Wi-fi password - Leave a notecard on the bedside table with the name of your wi-fi network and the password for easy connection.

• Water and snacks - Stock a few bottles of water or a glass and pitcher in the room so your guests can hydrate without hassle. Some easily transportable snacks, like granola bars, crackers, or bananas, are also a nice touch.

• Coffee - If there’s room, set up a single-serve coffee maker or electric tea kettle and some mugs to give your guests a jump start on their daily caffeination.

Special Considerations for Social Distancing & Enhanced Hygiene

If you choose to host family or friends overnight during the pandemic, it’s important to be fully informed on the latest advice and findings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).While the CDC still recommends avoiding travel and gatherings of people not currently in your household as the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19, it has put together some helpful guidelines for staying safe while celebrating the holidays.

Ideally, you and your guests will have self-isolated for 14 days prior, and your guests will not have traveled by plane or other mass transit to reach you. As much as possible, spend time together outdoors or in well-ventilated areas and wear masks when in common rooms of the home and anywhere food is being prepared. Designate the bathroom nearest the guest room for your visitors and encourage everyone to limit contact with shared areas of your home and to wash their hands frequently. Several times throughout the visit, disinfect high-touch areas such as doorknobs, light switches, and handrails.

After your company has left, thoroughly disinfect the guest room and guest bathroom, as well as

any shared surfaces. For added peace of mind, we offer enhanced disinfection services featuring innovative and effective 3M® disinfecting products. Reach out to us today for an estimate or to schedule service.