The holidays bring many joys, and often the festivities include visits from beloved friends and relatives. Make them feel at home with these simple steps for preparation and bedroom decor.
Preparing a Guest Room
In the weeks before your guest arrives, give the room a thorough cleaning. Vacuum, dust, and check for cobwebs. Portable furniture should be moved, and make sure you check under the bed! If the room is used infrequently, inspect the window treatment to make sure it is both free of dust and in good working order, so your guest can’t accidentally break shades or blinds while attempting to close them. If your schedule permits, do the top-to-bottom clean the week before the visit, otherwise you can clean well in advance and do a light dusting the day before.
How to Air Out an Unused Room
The day before, give the room a thorough airing, especially if the room is used infrequently. Shut the heat registers and the door, and open the windows wide enough to get the air moving in the room. Turn on the ceiling fan if you have one, or bring in a table top or stand fan, and place it opposite the windows. After a couple of hours, he room will be freezing but fresh!
You may be tempted to skip this step and use a room deodorizer instead, but keep in mind that more and more people have allergies, so choose one that is hypoallergenic with a mild aroma, as few things are more unpleasant than sleeping in a room with an unappealing smell. You may love the scent of geraniums, but your guest may not.
How to Prepare Your Office/Guest Room
If your guest room is also your office, spend some time clearing your desk and putting work away. Turn off the ringer on the phone, and if you’re okay with your guests checking their email on your office computer, let them know; otherwise, close the lid on the laptop or disconnect the keyboard on your desktop.
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Contents of a Comfortable Guest Room
- Chair – an armless chair can double as a luggage rack, a clothes holder or a place to sit to put on shoes.
- Luggage rack – provide somewhere for your guest’s suitcase, especially if you prefer it not be placed on a desk or antique wood dresser. This can be an actual folding luggage rack, or a small table, ottoman, or piano or vanity bench.
- Choice of pillows – provide two for each guest in a variety of types such as down, foam and fiberfill. Nothing ensures a good night’s sleep like resting your head on the same kind of pillow that’s on the bed at home!
- Cotton sheet set including top sheet – resist the temptation to buy new polyester blend sheets for the occasion – they’re scratchy when they’re brand new and too warm for some people. Include a top sheet even if your comforter is in a duvet cover. Provide an extra blanket for those guests who get cold easily.
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- Night Stand – Your guests will appreciate a place to put their glasses, tissues, morning medications, and even denture holders in case they object to walking around a strange house without their teeth in, or are unable to make it safely to the bathroom without their glasses.
- Reading lamp – Many people read before sleep, and a good host makes her guests welcome by providing the needs for comforting bedtime routines. Make sure the lamp is the proper height for reading in bed. If not, you can stack a short lamp on a pile of artfully arranged books to make it taller. Check the bulb beforehand.
- Small Drying Rack – If you have a houseful of guests, some of which are sharing a bathroom, your visitors will appreciate a towel rack placed in their sleeping room. This means that their own towels will be clean and dry whenever they wish to use them.
- Closet Space – if possible, provide your guest with hangers and a bit of space in the room’s closet, especially if their visit includes a dress-up occasion.
- Electrical Outlet – in case your guests plan to use a small appliance in the bedroom, make sure that there’s a free outlet somewhere in view. Install an extension cord if the only outlet is behind the bed of a chest of drawers.
A good host makes guests welcome by anticipating their needs, and your happy and comfortable guests will make your holidays even more fun!
