How to Clean Up After a Holiday Party the Next Morning

Step by step

1. 1

   Toss the food that sat out

   Go table by table and clear anything perishable that never made it to the fridge. Food that was put away within 2 hours can stay, and most of it keeps 3 to 4 days.

   What it looks like: empty platters stacked by the sink, and a full trash bag.

2. 2

   Put the grease in a can, not the drain

   Pour or scrape the pan grease into an empty can, and wipe the last of it out of the pan with a paper towel. Let it cool until it’s solid, then put the lid on and set it in the trash. Clemson Extension says hot water and soap don’t stop grease from building up in pipes.

   What it looks like: a can of hardened white grease with the lid on.

3. 3

   Scrape plates, then load the dishwasher

   Scrape food scraps into the trash before plates go in the dishwasher or sink. Run the dishwasher full, and wash the rest by hand while it runs.

4. 4

   Soak the roasting pan

   For a stainless roasting pan with baked-on bits, cover the burnt spots with baking soda and water, bring it to a boil, and loosen the bits with a wooden spoon. For an aluminum pan, soak it overnight in warm, soapy water instead. Our pan pages have the full methods.

   What it looks like: the brown crust lifts in flakes when you push it with the spoon.

1. 5

   Blot wine on the rug

   Blot up as much as you can with a white cloth. Pour a little club soda on the spot, sponge it up, then sponge with cool water and blot.

   What it looks like: the spot gets paler with each blot, and the cloth turns pink.

2. 6

   Use the detergent and vinegar rinse if it’s still there

   Mix 1 teaspoon of a mild liquid detergent, one without bleach, in 1 cup of lukewarm water, and blot it on. Then blot on a mix of 1/3 cup white vinegar and 2/3 cup water. Blot on the detergent mix once more, sponge with clean water, and blot dry.

3. 7

   Check the linens before they go in the wash

   Shake out the tablecloth and napkins, and look for gravy, wine and wax. Each one has its own page: gravy, red wine and cranberry, and candle wax. Then wash, and check again before the dryer, because drying can set a stain.

4. 8

   Wipe the tables and counters

   Wipe tables and counters with warm, soapy water and a clean cloth. On a wood table, use only the foam from dish soap whipped in hot water. Then wipe with a well-wrung cloth and dry it right away.

When it will not work, and what to do instead

Some messes need a second pass. Here’s what to do.

• The grease already went down the drain. Don’t pour more after it. If the sink starts to drain slowly, our kitchen drain page has the brush and enzyme method.
• The roasting pan still has a brown crust. Old buildup can take 2 rounds. Our sheet pan page has a washing soda paste for stainless that sits 30 minutes.
• The rug still shows pink. Do Step 6 one more time, and blot instead of rubbing.
• Candle wax dripped on the table. Hold a bag of ice on it until it’s hard, then ease it off gently with the edge of a plastic card. Our candle wax page has the rest.
• There’s a sticky ring from a tape-on decoration. Our sticky residue page covers how to lift it from most surfaces.

Why it works

Here is what is going on. Food goes first because food that sat out can make someone sick, even when it looks fine. Then grease, before anyone runs hot water and rinses it down the sink without thinking.

Grease is liquid when it’s hot and solid when it cools, and pipes are cool. Clemson Extension explains that grease poured down the drain hardens in sewer and septic lines. Clemson also says hot water and soap don’t get rid of it.

Stains come before the wash for the same reason they always do. Heat from the dryer sets what’s left.