Tips For Hosting Overnight Houseguests

Disclosure:  These Tips For Hosting Overnight Houseguests are sponsored by SC Johnson. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #ExtendTheClean

Summer is a popular time to travel and go on family vacations! If you are expecting friends or family for a short weekend getaway or a longer summer vacation, then you have to check out my tips for hosting overnight houseguests.

We love to travel as well as host friends and family for short or extended visits. Since traveling can be expensive we often stay with friends and family or allow them to stay in our home when they come for a visit. Not only does this help save money, but often we want to maximize our visit with our friends and family and so having them stay with us is the most convenient way to do this.

With that said, hosting overnight houseguests can be hard and stressful. Cleaning your home for guests is a lot of work and sometimes guests aren’t always courteous of your space. After being on both ends, the host and the guest, and just in time for summer travel season, I decided to share some of my best tips for hosting overnight houseguests that have made being a host a much easier task!

Tips For Hosting Overnight Houseguests:

1. Set out extra toiletries – I like to set out basic toiletries and towels in my bathroom so guests have easy access to these things and don’t have to go snooping in your cabinets. Things I like to have out and ready for my guests are towels and washcloths, toilet paper, soap, cotton balls, band aides/first aid kit, tissues, extra toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, etc. You can buy inexpensive versions of these things to have for guests or save sample sized bottles from hotel stays and put them in a cute basket or jar for your guests to use!

2. Set up the guestroom – If you have a separate bedroom for guests, that is great! Hopefully this room isn’t a “catchall” room and you don’t have to do much cleaning. In addition to general cleaning (vacuuming, dusting, general tidying up), make sure to set out extra blankets and pillows for your guests. Adding a nightlight or lamp to this room, setting out some magazines or books for your guests to read or displaying some fresh flowers is always a nice touch.If you don’t have a designated guestroom, let your guests know this beforehand. Maybe they’ll be staying in your child’s room (on their bed), or on a blowup mattress in your office, or on the couch; either way, inform your guests before they arrive so they know what to expect.

No matter where they are staying: clean this area, as described above, paying attention to remove or store away any extra items (like toys, paperwork, etc.) to make the temporary guest room feel more comfortable. Also, get whatever “bed” they will be using ready before they arrive by making the bed with clean sheets, setting out extra pillows and blankets, pumping up the air mattress, etc.

3. Stock up on snacks and other food – After traveling most people are often super hungry. Unless I know my guest’s dietary restrictions and tastes in food and feel up to cooking, I won’t plan any meals before my guests arrive. I will, however, stock up on snacks, “grab and go” breakfast items and drinks. Stuff like bottled water, nuts, granola bars, coffee (including creamer, sugar, etc.), tea, sandwich stuff and fresh fruit. After my guests arrive, we can then discuss our/their plans for the visit and decided if we need to go grocery shopping to prepare meals at home or if they have plans to eat out.

4. Clean the bathroom – While I try to make my entire home clean and welcoming for my guests, I pay extra attention to the bedroom and bathroom my guests will be staying in. For the bathroom, in addition to setting out extra toiletries, towels, toilet paper, etc., I give it a good cleaning from top to bottom. Cleaning the bathroom is my least favorite chore ever and there are a million other things I would rather do than clean it (like visit with my friends and family, read a good book, spend some time outdoors). But I have figured out a few cleaning and time-saving tricks to get my bathroom cleaned, especially right before guests arrive.

First, do your deep clean of the bathroom a week or two before your guests arrive. If you can, make this bathroom “off-limits” to everyone in your home during this time so that you don’t have to clean it again. If you can’t make the guest bathroom off-limits to your family, then luckily you have done the major cleaning ahead of time and just need to do a quick 15-20 minute wipe down/tidy up the day your guests arrive.

Another cleaning tip I have is to use cleaning products that are effective and will keep your bathroom clean for days after you clean it. My mom always swore by Scrubbing Bubbles® brand cleaning products and so that is what I have come to use in my own bathroom (like mother, like daughter!). Scrubbing Bubbles® Bubbly Bleach Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner is easy to use with its extended reach neck and leaves my toilet clean and fresh. To help make my cleaning efforts last longer (you know, if I clean ahead of time), I use Scrubbing Bubbles® Fresh Gel Toilet Cleaning Stamps. These unique cleaning stamps are easy to use and keep your toilet cleaner for longer (up to 12 days). Not only do these cleaning products help me get my house clean for overnight guests, I am able to pick them up while I do my weekly shopping trip to Walmart.

5. Communicate – One of the biggest challenges of hosting overnight guests is communication. Make sure you communicate up front how long they plan to stay, are they going to rely on you for transportation, how many people will be with them, if you plan to let them have a key to your house, etc. Don’t be afraid to let them know if something won’t work (like if they need to make their own transportation arrangements)

Do you like to host overnight guests? What are your cleaning hacks or tips for hosting overnight houseguests? Please share in the comments below!