Getting ready for their visit, I have some set things I like to do to make sure our guests feel welcomed and comfortable. I thought I would share a list of the things that help ready the guest room for our company.
1. CLEAN ROOM.
I know this is NOT a very profound statement. However, it is ideal to make sure the room is dusted and vacuumed and that the bathroom they will use is very clean. We all know how we feel when we stay at a hotel and find a hair in the bathroom upon arrival. Yuck. Make sure there is extra toilet paper close by as well. I am not saying you have to clean the baseboards and windowsills but how tidy the room is will be a reflection on you and your family.
Be sensitive to fragrances when cleaning the room. See my post discussing Synthetic Fragrances to find learn a bit about how they can hurt people. I did not think to bring this up until my husband mentioned I should. We stayed at a hotel recently where they sprayed Febreze every day when they cleaned our room. We both got headaches. Synthetic fragrances are in cleaners, plug-in air fresheners, candles, room sprays, etc. You can make a super easy, inexpensive, and natural room spray yourself which I shared on Room Spray Alternative. I also have a recipe that fits the same description for dusting spray on Homemade Dusting Spray and Furniture Polish.
2. FRESH SHEETS.
Our guest bed stays made up when we do not have company but the sheets are not on it. That way when I am preparing for guests to arrive, I can be sure the sheets I put on are fresh. If it’s been a while since we have had someone stay, and they have sat in the closet for several months, then I will often throw the clean sheets in the dryer and fluff them for a bit to freshen them. Sometimes I even throw in my dryer balls with a drop of nice smelling essential oil to help.
My husband and I love fresh sheets. In fact I have told him that one of these days (probably when the kids are out of the house), I want to change the sheets every other day instead of once a week like I do now. I feel like I sleep better on fresh sheets. How about you? I think it’s nice for guests to have as well.
3. FRESH PILLOWS.
I could have very well included this with sheets but I think it deserves its own point. When we travel, I almost always bring my own pillow. I know when we stay at hotels they clean the pillows, but how well? I do not want to lay my face on a pillow someone else has slobbered on. (Am I getting too gross today? Just the truth.)
Over time I have bought a pillow cover for every bed pillow in the house including the pillows for guests. Because I use them, I feel confident that they are clean. No stained pillows lurking beneath those pillow shams! I have on occasion fluffed the pillow in the dryer. Extra pillows are optional but nice if you have them! I make sure there is a soft and firm pillow for guests so they have their choice. I only do this because I sleep on my stomach usually and like a soft pillow whereas my husband sleeps on his side or back and likes a firmer one. (Experience IS the best teacher!)
4. EXTRA BLANKETS.
Some of us tend to get hot at night and some of us could wear sweats and keep three blankets on us and still be cold. When we go on vacation we will set the thermostat at the house on what we keep it at home, but it seems it does not feel the same. We are either hotter than usual or cooler than usual. Make sure you have an extra blanket and point it out to your guest so they know it is there to use.
If you live in a cold area or it is winter time, then several extra blankets or an electric blanket would be helpful. And likewise, if it is summer or you live in a warm climate such as sunny Florida, you may want to offer a ceiling fan or an electric fan to keep guests comfortable.
5. CLOCK.
Many people nowadays use their mobile phones as an alarm clock, but if they do not, then offer an inexpensive clock with an alarm they can use.
6. NIGHT LIGHT AND/OR LAMP.
Keep a lamp or night light by the bed so they can get safely in and out of bed when it is dark. You know the feeling when you are staying somewhere new. They may have luggage laying in the floor or just not know the setup of the room so to keep toes and shins free of stubs and bruises, it’s nice to have a lamp to help with navigating.
In the bathroom I keep a nightlight that has an on/off switch so they can decide if they want it on.
7. SNACKS.
This is an area that I went a bit overboard on last weekend. I thought it would be nice to get the girls some snacks to have in their room. I started out thinking peanut butter crackers, cereal bars, and bottled water – all things I already had in the pantry that I could spare. However, I thought it may be nice to get some fruit…and peanuts…and chocolate of some sort (they were girls, after all!)…and chips.
Like I said, I got a little crazy. (Surprised?) Just having some bottled waters and fruit or some snacks (like crackers or cereal bars) is nice to offer. You may have family staying at your house and this is not necessary because they feel completely at home, but if you have first-time guests like we were, it is polite to offer something like this as most will not feel comfortable rummaging through your pantry or refrigerator to find a snack if they get hungry at eleven o’clock at night or wake up at six in the morning and need to stave some hunger pangs.
The chalk pen below is the one I used to write the "Welcome" on the little chalk label on the basket. It was my first time using one, and I was okay with how it came out. (I am far from being one of those chalk artists though!)
You could go the extra mile and include a small coffee pot or electric tea pot with cups if you know your guests are coffee or tea drinkers. We kept our old four-cup coffee pot when we bought a new one several years ago, so I have that as an option if needed.
8. EXTRA TOILETRIES.
There have been several times we have visited family, and I have left my shampoo at home. Sometimes guests forget things like that or a toothbrush or toothpaste. Have a drawer or basket or someplace where you can keep some extra toiletries to offer guests if they do forget. I keep normal sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner in the shower but also have some of those small bottles from hotel stays I keep in a drawer along with some extra toothbrushes and those small tubes of toothpaste the dentist gives when we get our teeth cleaned. Buy sample sizes or keep the ones when you travel to use for guests.
Things to include but not limited to are toothpaste, toothbrushes (you can get them for less than a dollar at Walmart), dental floss, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, cotton balls, cotton swabs, disposable razor, lint roller, small first aid kit, etc.
9. FLUFFY TOWELS.
Do you enjoy a nice, fluffy, thirsty towel like I do? When our towels get used over and over, day in and day out, they get a little thin and worn. Maybe even stained from cutting yourself shaving. (raised hand) Keep a few newer, fluffier towels for your guests if you can. Lay out clean (unstained) wash cloths to use as well. Make sure they are available and visible so they know where they are when they go to take a shower!
10. CLOSET SPACE AND/OR DRESSER FOR CLOTHES.
You may not have closet space to offer but you could put a hook over the door for them to use. If you do not have dresser space then just have a small stool or place where they can keep their suitcase easily accessible. If you do have these to offer then keep extra hangers in the closet and make sure those dresser drawers are clean!
11. IRONING BOARD.
When I go places, I do not pack things that need to be ironed. Okay, who am I kidding? I do not even buy clothes that need ironing (or I will wear them wrinkled or my husband irons them for me). However, our guests have very often needed an ironing board. In our last house the guest room and bathroom were right beside the laundry room so it was easy to use.
Now the ironing board stays in Wade’s closet (told ya he did the ironing!). It would be a bit awkward having a college girl ironing her clothes in my husband’s closet, so about a year ago we purchased an extra ironing board and eventually an extra iron to keep in our guest room closet. It is not necessary to have an extra of these but just have an ironing board with iron available for them to use.
12. TISSUES.
This is something so simple, but yet I always
13. TRASH CAN.
Is a reason needed for this one? Just make sure you have emptied before they arrive.
14. WI-FI INFORMATION.
There are lots of cute and neat ways to display it on Pinterest. If you run out of time to do something like that, just writing it on a sticky note and putting it the room will suffice.
So fresh flowers are not necessary, I realize. And if we were having only men stay, then I would probably not do it. For the four ladies who stayed with us last weekend, I bought a bunch of fresh flowers at the local grocery store and divided it into two vases so there were flowers in the bathroom and flowers in the bedroom. Fresh flowers always make me smile and can make a room feel cheery. Would it not make you feel welcomed to walk into a guest room to see the hostess had bought fresh flowers for you?
Plus, when your guests leave – if they are only staying a couple of nights – you get to move the flowers into a room where you can enjoy them a few more days. ;)
This list is not exhaustive nor are they all a necessity. We have been fortunate to have an extra room for guests in our last two houses. However, in our first house we did not and that meant we either had guests stay in our bedroom or on the fold-out sofa in the living room (which meant we slept on the fold-out sofa bed). We made do with what we had and did our best to make our guests feel welcomed and allow as much privacy as possible.
I also do not expect you to go out and buy all the things on this list. As I have noted on several things, we have slowly acquired these things over the years. In the past I have taken a clock or lamp or trash can out of another bedroom to be used in the guest room for the extent of their stay.
Other ideas: brochures on area attractions, paper and pen, magazines or books to read, chair to relax if there is room in the bedroom, hairdryer, robe, extra house key (and house alarm code, if applicable) if they will be coming and going, and you may want to leave a bottle of DIY Poo-Pourri Spray in the bathroom!
When we have guests I feel like I need a checklist of everything I need to tell them. For example, last weekend I forgot to show them where the extra blankets were. I was lying in bed going to sleep and started thinking about this and consequently, began to worry a bit. Now, I have this list on paper to help me remember what to do. I can also use as needed to remember the things I need to tell my guests when they arrive (such as where the extra blankets are, the extra toiletries, where they can put their clothes, etc).
No matter the size of your house or what you are able to offer your guests, you can always make sure they feel welcomed and comfortable. For my family, we know the Lord has blessed us with an extra guest room so that we can show hospitality for family, friends, and when the church calls to see if we can keep visiting missionaries or Bible college students. (By the way, college students are my favorite! They are so fun!)
When the ladies stayed with us last weekend, my daughter also had invited a friend to spend the night. So my poor husband and son had seven females in the house Friday night. We girls were up to almost midnight playing the piano and singing and laughing. It was fun and made great memories.
The fact that my daughter has a desire to be part of a group like this makes me want to be especially warm and hospitable to girls like this, because I realize one day it could be my daughter staying at someone’s house. My wish is that the homes or churches she stays at will desire to make her feel at home.
What about you? Do guests ever stay at your home? Is there something I completely missed that you think is a must or at least a good idea? Please share with me below by leaving a comment or find me on Facebook and let me know!
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