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Your Post-Thanksgiving Game Plan

Once you’ve recovered from the big day, take these steps to make welcoming the next round of holiday guests easier

Becky HarrisNov 23, 2018

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.

Ah, Thanksgiving is over. Once the dishes are dry, the last overtime has ended and the guests are gone, what comes next? OK, I know, collapse in an exhausted heap. That’s good — go ahead and do that. Then it’s time to take on a few tasks that will make having the next big gathering at your house just a little easier.

Plain English

Give the kitchen a thorough scrubbing. This is the toughest part. Once you’re done, reward yourself with another rest.

Tackle Big Messes Better With a Sparkling Clean Dishwasher

rigby & mac

Clean the linens. Launder your tablecloths, napkins and other linens. During this busy time of the year, you deserve to drop them off at the dry cleaner if you wish — no guilt involved.

Kitchens by Meyer Inc.

Organize and inventory the serveware. Keep a notepad and donation bin handy. As you’re putting away your platters, bowls, pitchers, vases and other pieces, take stock: Was anything missing? Make a note to get it.

While putting things away, pay special attention to everything — are pieces lurking on the bottom of the cabinet that you never use? If you didn’t use those items at your big Thanksgiving dinner, chances are you never will, so consider donating them.

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Organized Living

Stash rarely used items smartly. If you have Thanksgiving-specific equipment and decorations you use only at this time of year, find somewhere besides the kitchen to keep them together and organized. Valuable kitchen real estate is better put to use for everyday items.

Clean out the pantry, cupboards and refrigerator. Once the guests and leftovers are gone, take this opportunity to clean out the refrigerator and pantry. If you find canned or boxed food that hasn’t expired and you know you won’t use, place it in the donation bin — it’s a great time of year to give.

How to Clean Your Fridge, Inside and Out

ACM Design

Restock. At the same time, take inventory with future holiday meals in mind. Use this chance to get your herbs, spices and staples organized for the rest of your holiday cooking, and make a list of things you need to replenish.

Browse spice organizers on Houzz

Surrey Lane

Refill salt and pepper shakers. It seems like a small thing, but if you have to do it when all your burners are fired up for your next feast, it’s going to be one more detail stressing you out.

Feldman Architecture, Inc.

Prep for your next overnight guests. Clean up the guest room, wash the bedding and towels, and think about ways to make welcoming another round of overnight visitors easier. I like Alison Hodgson’s ideas for creating a guest room in a box.

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Mahoney Architects & Interiors

Put up your feet. Congratulations! It wasn’t easy, but you’ve cut down the prep time for your next hosting gig. Your hard work means you’ll be organized and ready.

Tell us: Do you have any post-hosting rituals that make your life easier? Please share them in the Comments.

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Comments (31)

See 28 more comments

Dana Veach

We clean, finalize menus for the next go-round, have neighbors (who are in equal need of down time) in for a bit of pie, coffee, and conversation, do a bit of decorating, and make sure generators and tools are up and running and that we're fully stocked on firewood, candles, batteries, and other emergency supplies...We live in the deep woods where storms and electrical outages are common. It doesn't do to be caught unprepared in winter weather...especially with guests coming! We also do a bit of "early baking" where we can. I loved the final suggestion, Becky...I'm currently nursing a broken ankle and foot, so the "feet up" suggestion is most welcome!

November 25, 2018

Marie Burns

These are great tips. I'm going to start doing them as soon as I finish building the ceiling over my shower. I feel like Michelangelo, except he had helpers.

Seriously, after tearing out sheetrock, screwing in strapping, muscling up & screwing in a proper underlayment, nailing up a cedar-board ceiling & screwing in a ceiling-hung shower track -- cleaning the kitchen & organizing service pieces sounds like fun!

November 25, 2018

beverlynn

The guests all left yesterday. I cooked quiche and a baked veggie omelette for breakfast on Saturday and we heated the leftovers for yesterday's breakfast. I knew I was done cooking so I started with the cleanup. Luckily, NephewSon#2's girlfriend has her own cleaning business and she voluntarily, jumped right in and helped clean the kitchen, it is spotless!! When I get home today, I have to start the task of washing table linens from Thanksgiving dinner and all of the bed linens and towels for Round 2 in December!

November 26, 2018