I know people complain about clean-up being the worst part of throwing a party, but quite frankly, I’ve always found the mess in my kids’ bedrooms to be far more obnoxious than any party I’ve ever thrown or attended.
But then again, I’m a clean-as-you-go kinda gal which makes it so much quicker to wrap it all up when the last of the guests heads for home.
Make it as easy as possible for your guests to help you clean up!
• Take the party outside. I have a nice long outdoor party season where I live, so that helps a ton.
• When people bring dishes to pass, save the foil wrap, tins and bags. It makes it easy to pack things up again and send leftovers home with people.
• Use disposable dishware and utensils, and then toss them in the recycling bin when the party ends. There are some really nice eco-friendly party supplies nowadays.
• Line two separate garbage containers with Glad black trash bags, and then label one as recyclables and one as trash. Make them VISIBLE to guests. If they see them, they’ll use them, and when they get filled up, replace them with empty bags.
To show how well their bags do the job, check out this video where Glad’s Black Bag Trash Crasher team crashes a party, gets out of hand, but ultimately saves the day. It’s pretty entertaining.
I wouldn’t mind party crashers if they helped me clean up!
Brought to you by Glad® Black bag. Tough messes are a cinch with Glad® Black Bag.
What’s the worst party clean-up you’ve ever had to deal with?
Compensation was provided by Glad® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions Glad®.
My friends 21st birthday – — everyone TRASHED the place!
Then, we had to go and clean up the next morning – TOTALLY HUNG OVER 🙁
These are great clean up tips! After a few years of hosting home birthday parties for my children, I always prefer to take it somewhere else, like a trampoline place or Chuck E Cheese. The extra price you pay is worth the hassle you save!
We always hate the cleanup before the party. Making sure our house looks presentable. I’ve been working really hard the past few weeks at getting the house to a manageable position so we don’t have to do the super clean before the party. I do like the day after the party because my house is sparkly clean 🙂
Ugh, wine spills on the carpet. Never fun to try and get out. That’s why I like summer entertaining better, spills outside are better handled by me, LOL!
We love Glad trash bags, and use them in our home. I have found lots of other brands break and it just makes a huge mess, so we stick to Glad!
I agree, the kids rooms are far more disastrous than after-party clean-up. I like the idea of making a recycles bin and a trash bin. I’ll use that one next time.
I love the idea of taking the party outside. My house is small so a party outside is best for me if the weather is good!
There was just one time when we had a bunch of children over and had cranberry or a red kind of juice spilled on the carpet. I think that was the worst clean up because red anything is so hard to get out of carpeting.
Hey, I went to a party recently and I took Glad trash bags. When the party was over, they were grateful to me. 🙂
I love the idea of having clear and obvious places for trash and recycling. We always seem to have to hunt the recycling bins down.
Ha — if I could just get my KIDS to clean up, party crashers would be a breeze.
I’ve been fortunate to not have to deal with too many bad messes. I love the suggestion to have two bins (one for recyclables) and to save the plastic/foil covers for later!
We started using fancy disposable pates for Thanksgiving finally, it made cleanup so much easier!
My parents went out of town when my sister and I were 17 & 19. We through a huge party that had us cleaning for days. There was so much trash that we hid it in the garage and each week would throw a bag or two in the garbage so that my parents didn’t know.
I would have to say a party back in college. Yuck!
Anything that makes post party clean-up easier is great in my book. The mess after the fun is always a drag.
I can’t think of anything too bad as far as party cleanup goes. One or two family members usually pitch in to help clean up after a birthday party or holiday dinner around here.
Glad is my go-to brand! 🙂
I’d love party crashers to help clean up after parties! I think the worst party cleanup was probably after a shower or wedding that I have helped with over the years, not because the guests made a huge mess, but because they’re such big parties!
Love this article — good tips. I have lots of pool parties in the summer. I have 1 bin for trash and 1 for cans/bottles set up right outside and everyone uses them.
These are all fantastic tips! I actually stayed overnight at a party once at a friend’s house after one of their infamous parties and there were alcohol bottles EVERYWHERE! I swear, they seemed to multiply as soon as you’d take a few away to junk. It was crazy!
The Glad’s Black Bag Trash Crasher can come crash my party anytime if they end up picking up like that lol
Those trash containers look like they’re great for parties, although I always hate using disposables and having to throw away so much into landfills.
I live in an apt so I don’t have parties. My sister has the big house so she does the parties, and it’s nice b/c after eating everyone pitches in to help. My cousin and sister wash glass dishes that were used so that way everyone can take left over food home. I love GLAD garbage bags that hug my garbage bin in my kitchen. There’s nothing worse than dumping a plate, and the bag goes with it. Just like in the commercial. Lol!
Nicee tips! I always like to tape the bag in it makes it less likely to slip and it stays a whole lot neater.
those are some really great tips.fortunately i dont have parties so i have no cleanup.
Good tips! We used disposables at my wedding even — it was a bbq theme!
I think it’s a great idea to keep the trash separate from the recyclables. I will be doing the same thing at my next party.
At work we had a Noon Year Eve’s Party for the preschoolers. We had a lot of fun and threw confetti. Lots of confetti. It was all over and took hours to get it all up. That was the end of that!
Great tips! Fortunately I haven’t had to deal with any bad party clean-ups.
These are great tips! Cleaning up can be such a pain! I actually think adult parties are worse to clean up than kids ones!
This is probably one of the smartest inventions. Pretty and perfect for parties and you toss or wash afterwards.
These are some great tips. I love parties but HATE the work and clean up 🙂
I love easy cleanups! Glad is so awesome!
clean-up is the worst part of the party! I really, really dislike it! Thanks for the tips, love the video too!
I only buy Glad products myself!
These are great tips! We always make sure there’s a few trash cans around.
I think I am one of those people who hates the clean up part. Glad can do a great job of it I’m sure
I’m going to have a party for my husband in a few weeks, thanks for the info! Disposable is the way to go! LOL!
Lol gracious host to the end with you party crashed comment!
Thanks for the tips
Great tips! I usually try to do all disposable when we have people over.
Cute video. One mistake I always make is to throw away disposable containers that guests bring their dishes or food in. I need to remember to keep those so that clean-up and return is easier.
Glad makes some of the best products. We actually use their trashbags AND their plastic bowls 🙂
Wow, those are great tips! The clean up is the reason I don’t like to throw parties any longer.
This is why I don’t throw parties. I spend enough time cleaning already, I just don’t have it in me to clean up after a large group. I do however help out the hostess clean up at any parties I go to.
I like your quote “I wouldn’t mind party crashes if they helped me clean up!” Too cute, and me neither!
Great tips..love a good party but hate the cleanup, this sure will come in handy at the next get together…. …
Love the video! Thanks for sharing, but love glad bags even more. When I use to give parties I bought everything disposable. Recyclable was clearly marked so guests could help out too and Garbage! Now it’s not that I’m lazy, but I don’t have a dishwasher. I have a walk in kitchen so there’s no room for one. Thanks for all these neat tips, but I haven’t had a party in so long due to illness, but I plan on having one next year at the end of June it will be our 15th wedding anniversary. Woo Hoo I already got my present thought. It’s an engagement ring that I always wanted. So happy. Have a great weekend. HUGS It was so nice to meet you by the way at Blog Her 13′.
It never fails – I always throw away the aluminum foil or snack bags without thinking… and then am left at the end of the party trying to find a new way to store the leftovers. Next time I need to remember to set those aside at the beginning! We always have separate trash and recycling bags, too. Great tip!
I always have my son’s birthday parties outside at our house. Cleanup is such a breeze. The holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving can be a bear though. We always host it at our house and everyone brings food. For several years I would be to use real dishes and silverware. I’ve learned since that ease is much nicer than “pretty”. The cool thing though is that they make such nice disposable plates now. Ones that are fit for holiday dinners!!!
I wouldn’t mind crashers either if they clean.
These are really smart tips. I always dread the clean up portion of parties, plus when they end late you’re exhausted so a fast clean up is great!
I also use a bag dedicated to recyclable items and a bag for trash that way it’s easier on me after the party.
Great tips! I am having a Disney Side party tonight and going to take advantage of a couple of these!
I am all for easier clean up. We are big fans of GLAD bags in our home. I love using disposable plates and utensils.
Great tips. I don’t have many parties these days but I do use Glad bags at home and they are awesome.
I was in charge of the social recruitment events in my sorority for awhile- the parties/get togethers were all very classy, but serving food to over 100 women at once leaves a big mess to clean up!
YES! I really need to start incorporating some of these tips. I hate being stuck with all the clean up at every get-together at my house.
Great tips. WE are big users of paper plates especially in the summer.
Great tips! That’s my least favorite part of having a party bit these tips totally help!
Using plastic/paper table cloths is the best! Just wrap it up and toss it! I do that as often as I can@
We use disposable plates and cups a lot when family comes in from out of town. Saves a ton of time and allows us to spend more time with family and less time cleaning up after meals.
I am a huge fan of disposable plates, but need to start doing disposable utensils too… Adding that to the list! I also prefer to send leftovers home with the guests; I don’t need more temptations around the house!
We throw big summer bbq’s that get pretty messy.
These are good clean up ideas that will make it better fro the host and hostess to enjoy the party as much as theguests.
The worst had to be when we had a party and then a tornado came through. Everybody had to rush in and the garbage was everywhere after the storm.
I’m having a party this weekend and I have the Glad bags ready!
Thanks for the reminder we need trash bags. We are a clean as you go family here as well. Our trash bags are full and emptied at least twice a day.
The person who thought hey let’s make a bucket load of cash selling things you have to use to throw things your done with away lol The marketers were great at getting us to throw our money litterly away at their products.
I am embarrassed to admit it was from a girls’ night in at my house. My husband came home and was floored at what a mess we had made!! LOL A bunch of rowdy chicks. We could have used these party crashers!!
Party crashers like that are most welcome at my parties!
These are some great clean up tips for parties. I’ll have to remember them for my next gathering.
Love your ideas! I try to make my parties work free, so I can enjoy them, planning ahead.
I always try to have our parties outside to make for an easier cleanup. I never thought to do the two different cans for the garbage and recycling, I always make my son sort it – he is going to love this idea.
We just used a few of these black bags for our daughters birthday party.
love this brand, it is so durable and doesn’t tear like the knock offs!
Here’s a hint for you, too. Before you line each can, put a few empty bags inside the can under the one you’re using. That way, if it gets full, anyone can easily remove the full bag, reach into the bottom and grab the next liner so it is ready to go!
Great ideas. I love parties but have come to accept that it still ends up being my mess to clean up, even when they try to help!
We throw parties/gatherings fairly often – we’re throwing a party this Sunday. We definitely have to pull our trash can out into plain sight (it’s usually behind a door) and make it clear that recycling does NOT go in the trash. And food shouldn’t be dumped in the sink. Because that’s gross.
We have always done that for our annual picnics. It is great that we can save time for cleanup as well as being ecologically conscious.
I love outdoor entertaining. This tips will make clean up a lot easier.
Great ideas! I’d only add do the cleaning right away. Nothing worse than waking up in the morning to a mess!
I hate parties so much!! I think it is because I do not like cleaning other people’s messes!
I haven’t thrown a party in ages. I prefer to use disposable dishware and utensils too for easier cleaning. Thanks for sharing great tips!
The worst party I ever had to deal with was a Christmas Eve party where the guests stayed too late and drank too much, ugh! Nothing worse than that!
We love Glad trash bags. My biggest mess has to be the huge barbecues we have in the summer. So many plates and glssses afterwards
The worst party clean up was after a party I had in college. Someone managed to throw up everywhere but the bathroom. It was awful. Have used Glad ever since!
We used to have huge summer parties every year and cleanup is the worst! Thankfully, we decided to stop having such large parties!
We love Glad trash bags and they are the best for any situation and can hold a ton of stuff and be stretched!
We used to hold an outdoor fall festival. Almost a hundred people would come to it sometimes. The clean up was horrible! Thanks for sharing these tips… I always use disposable silverware if I think I can get away with it.
We almost always just use paper plates for our parties and bbq’s. Also, having finger foods help too sometimes, as people will just use a napkin instead.
I’m planning my son’s 10th birthday party and we’re holding at our community center so clean up is front and center on my mind as we’ll have to be quick and thorough. Glad bags are on my list for sure!
I think the worst was the annual fall festivals we had on my inlaws farm. You can not believe how far people could scatter trash!
My problem was always getting the place cleaned up “before” a party. Needless to say… I just don’t do parties anymore. However, Glad Trash bags are a staple around here. We’re trashy people!
I hated cleaning up before and after a party.
I have the same problem! trying to get everything ready to go ahead of time and just thinking about the mess afterwards…ugh
What great tips! I hate hosting a party because of the clean up! Using the Glade Bags is fantastic!
my 16th bday party. I love the having the party outside idea, then the house doesnt get messy an the carpet doesnt get stained.
We host dinner parties at our house weekly. I don’t know what I would do without my Glad Bags!
Love it. We do most of this anyway just because we HATE picking up after others. Dealing with 3 kids is enough. Also love the disposables idea. We do that when we’re having lazy weeks. lol
No matter how many times I label my cans I always end up with recyclables in the trash. At our last get together I found recyclables in my yard bin. Sometimes you just can’t win.
Good idea about labeling trash and recycle… though we’d need our recycle bags to be clear, around here. They’re picky and want to make sure we’re not hiding anything.
My worst was a chili cookoff contest we held – there was red chili sauce on everything I owned and then the raccoons got into the garbage and spread it out all over the neighborhood 🙁
That is a super good idea to double line the cans! I am going to do this at my house – thank you GLAD!
Great tips! That is totally the most annoying things about hosting a party. That, and my boys’ toys getting lost or broken.
I think the worst one was when my first born had his first bday party. He took his little cake and smashed it ALL over himself and all of it fell onto the floor and got into my carpets too! UGH. That was bad, lol!
Great Tips I Need To Start Recycling More Often!1
I always search for trash cans at parties and can’t find them. We tend to shove the trash in the corner.. but we need to be able to FIND it!!
Party’s are totally fun until the clean-up! I am a big recycler so I love this idea.
I like the idea of having two separate cans for trash and recycle! It helps with sorting SO much! 🙂 The worst cleanup? Silly String! AAACCKK!
These are some great ideas for easy party clean up. I love hosting outdoor parties.
Great tips! Kallie Jane just turned 2 this weekend and our house was a mess after the party!
We buy recyclable party dishes too! It saves time in clean up because it all just goes directly into the recycling bin and there’s no washing dishes!
I likethe ide of taking the party outside.
Party cleanup can be a chore! Great idea to have a container for recyclables
those are good tips – i love the idea of double lining the trashcans. we have a birthday party for my son at home on Saturday so I will use that then!
I’m quite the OC type of person – i’d definitely would just prefer to celebrate outside where I won’t need to clean up lol.
Anything to make clean-up easier! Great ideas!
They have some pretty disposable items now. Oh let’s see. My 21st birthday we threw a party. Lots of drunks with a lot of mess. NEVER AGAIN!
That is a cool video. They could crash my party at clean up time, I’d be the first one standing in line cheering (pun intended 😉 ).
You’re lucky to have the outside party area. I think when other kids moms have the birthday parties at the public park (across the street from the school) that they have made an absolutely brilliant decision. 🙂
I love all your tips! I agree, whenever possible- bring the party outdoors!
Thats’ quite the performance, I need to hire them to clean up my next party! lol
When you have a bunch of people over it’s the best time to use throw away stuff. I like the Glad trash bag brand.
I would love to have those people crash my party! And your party clean up tips are awesome!
great tips! Party clean up is such a chore and most of it gets left to the next morning here, that’s a real pain!
Chris & I Had a halloween party one year and there were some people that had a bit too much to drink (myself included) and the house was a complete mess. We were cleaning up for DAYS.
These are great tips. Clean-up is always such a pain in the neck – but reminds you how much fun the party was!
I love the tip about putting more than one trash bag into the can so you can just lift it out and have another there ready to go.
We’ve had way too many after-party clean-ups that have been bad. It’s always the adult parties that are the worst!
Great tips! It’s always fun to have a party–but clean up can be tedious after entertaining. Love these helpful ideas!
Does Thanksgiving Dinner count? 🙂 Because what made that a tough clean-up is that I used all real dishes (and rightly so! lol These are great tips for easy party clean-up. I always use disposable plates and flatware. Outside parties are easy (your house stays clean). Well marked barrels with trash bags is a great tip for the host/hostess too.
That definitely makes it easier. We won’t talk about my worst party clean up. It was bad and it ended badly LOL Oh those teen years….
My son’s first birthday party was probably the worst, since there were lots of kids under the age of 3 with big messes. But it was worth it. 🙂
My brother is a chef. He is used to having people to clean up after him. He cooked for me once when I was hosting my huband’s office party. I SWEAR there was stuff on the ceiling. HE was the biggest mess I had to clean up after….
nice….def cool to have the recycle bins ready…and def the disposable utensils have come a long way and look nice….
Amen to the trash! That’s always a huge problem for us. Our little kitchen can fills up too fast.