We’re less than two weeks away from the annual football extravaganza, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl isn’t just an important American sports tradition; it’s also the perfect excuse to have friends over for a day of cheering, eating, and reconnecting. And, you’ve decided that this year, you’re going to play host.
There are several things to think about to prepare the home for this annual tribal ritual. There are the general tasks, such as cleaning the house, decorating with team pride, and buying the necessary drinks and bites. But there are also a lot of things you’ve probably never considered.
Although I’m sure you have plenty of faith in your friends not to make a mess, accidents do happen. It’s better to prepare for the worst and hope it doesn’t happen than to deal with an emergency the day of the big game.
Below we outline some easy ways to protect your home from celebratory guests. This will also help with the cleanup when the game is done. And we all know, regardless of how much fun you have, the post-party pick-up game is the worst part of it.
Protect your furniture
If your furniture, couch or chairs, are not suitable for spills and stickiness, you may want to consider these pre-party cover tricks. Buy slipcovers or large throw blankets that you can easily clean if something were to fall on the fabric. Don’t feel anxiety about your upholstery; simply cover it up until the party is done.
Unblock vents and registers
While you are covering your furniture, make sure you aren’t blocking any of your HVAC air vents with furniture, drapery, rugs, or anything else. Blocking air vents, unintentional or not, can create airflow problems, spawn mold growth, worsen duct leaks, and cause expensive HVAC damage. Before the party, go around your home and make sure all of your vents and registers are clean and clear. Click here for tips on cleaning your HVAC registers and grills.
Protect your carpets
Applying Scotchgard to your carpet and rugs before your guests arrive is one way to help prepare for the worst. If your guest spills, you wont need to overreact. Just get some water and a rag. The Scotchgard should fight away the stain so you can get back to the party. We recommend using Scotchgard rug and carpet protector in your snack and high-traffic areas.
Protect your guests’ property
Designated coat and shoe areas provide organization and comfort for your guests. They’ll know that all there things will be kept safe in a place they can easily find.
Coats – a common thing that hosts may not think about. If you have a sizable group, we recommend separating men and women’s bags and coats. If you don’t have a closet or two you can empty for the party, find clean bed you can lay them out on.
Shoes – if your home is a no-shoe zone then place a basket by the door. You can also just line them up against the wall in the entryway. Usually if there is already one or two pairs there, people will get the hint.
For indoor air quality reasons, we always recommend taking shoes off before entering the home living space. Shoes can track in hundreds of thousands of contaminants and compromise your indoor air quality (see: Scientists Discover Why You Should Take Off Your Shoes Before Entering Your Home). Additionally, having a shoe area near your door will reduce clutter and clean-up. Take inspiration from the Japanese—leave your shoes by the door and slip into comfortable house slippers.
Protect your privacy
If you only want your guests to party in one area of your house, make sure that you have a designated party area. You don’t have to physically barrier off other rooms in your home. Setting up decorations and seating and snacks in designated areas will be enough to keep your visitors in rooms set up for their visit.
If there are specific rooms you would like to keep off limits, such as the master bedroom or bathroom, simply put up a sign that says “Do Not Enter.”
Make the home smell nice
With all of the eating, drinking, and celebrating, you might want some extra help in the odor department. Click here for some natural ways to make your home smell great.
Avoid chemical cleaners and aerosols which can actually make your indoor air quality a lot worse. They release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are bad for your health and the environment. Click here for a list of natural cleaning products.
Protect your Kitchen | Garbage Disposal Dos and Don’ts
Now that you’ve learned how to throw the proper party, here’s something practical for your home. When people are over and the kitchen gets messy, there is bound to be some fort of clog. Ensure that your garbage disposal is cared for on this day when it sure to be overused.
Learn how to prevent expensive garbage disposal repairs and drain clogs by knowing how to take care of your garbage disposal.
DO:
Run the cold water before you turn on the disposal
Continue running the cold water when grinding food. This hardens any excess fats and oils so they can pass through the drain line.
Keep the water running for around 15 seconds after turning the disposal off. This helps clear the disposal and drain line. You can add a little dish soap to the running water.
Occasionally grind some ice and small citrus wedges to help clean, sharpen, and deodorize your disposal.
Consider having your drain line and disposal inspected every year as part of your recommended annual plumbing inspection. Ask you plumber for tips on maintaining your garbage disposal.
DON’T:
Never pour fats, oils, or grease (FOG) down any of your drains, including your garbage disposal. Not only can this clog your pipes and lead to raw sewage overflows, but FOG also causes expensive and environmental problems for city sewer systems. Instead, collect FOG in a container and toss it away with the trash. You can also check if there are any recycling centers in the area that collect cooking oils.
Don’t use hot water when running your garbage disposal. Hot water liquefies excess oil, raising the risk of a clog.
Don’t fill the garbage disposal. Always grind mall amounts of food at a time. If you have a lot of scraps, feed them slowly into the grinder while cold water is running.
Don’t use caustic chemical drain cleaners. If you do need a drain cleaner, we recommend going with Bio-Clean or calling your local plumber.
Never grind any of the following items:
Any inorganic material (glass, plastic, paper, etc.)
Fats, oils, and grease (FOG)
Stringy and starchy vegetables (celery, corn husks, potatoes)
Expanding foods (rice, pasta, etc.)
Hard stuff (large bones, pits, and seeds)
Excess amounts of anything (feed items in slowly)
Coffee grounds (it will eventually cause a clog)
This year, they’ll be no worrying about the kitchen or the carpets. With these preparation tips, there’s no doubt you’ll throw a winning Super Bowl party.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday!
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