New Post-Covid Holiday Hosting Tips
After nearly two years of social distancing and being away from family, it’s finally time to gather together again for the holidays. But there are a few new tips for hosting that you should know before the first guest arrives. In today’s blog, we’re sharing the new post-covid holiday hosting tips to keep you and your guests happy and healthy.
Clean and Sanitize Your Home
The first step for a safe and healthy gathering is to make sure your hosting quarters are clean and sanitized. Use disinfectant cleaners to clean and disinfect your home, paying attention to high traffic areas like the kitchen and guest bathroom. Make sure things that guests will touch like doorknobs are also sanitized.
Designate and Prep Your Guest Bathroom
If you have multiple bathrooms in your home, designate one to be used by all guests. Make sure to deep clean and disinfect this room and keep disposable hand towels, disinfecting hand soap, and hand sanitizer on-hand and in plain sight.
Create a Health Station
It’s a good idea to keep things like hand sanitizer placed in public areas around the house, especially near the main entrance. Set up a table with hand sanitizer and disposable face masks near the main entry and encourage guests to sanitize and mask up if they aren’t vaccinated.
Use Disposable Servingware
This is not the year to break out the good china. Instead, stock up on disposable plates, bowls, cups, napkins, and plasticware. We know it’s not as attractive as your Christmas dishes but it is more sanitary. Plus, you’ll have far fewer dishes to wash after the meal!
Prepare Your Guest’s Plates
Instead of serving entrees at the table or buffet-style, plate each individual guest’s meal. This will eliminate the touching of serving utensils and dishes by multiple guests. We know it’s a bit more work for you, but it’s worth it to keep your loved ones safe. Designate another family member to help you serve the plates. Don’t forget to wash and sanitize your hands before serving.
Give Guests Their Space
Place dining chairs a few feet apart from each other and spread out other seating areas so guests can have plenty of space. Since it will probably be too cold to host your guests outside, it’s important to give everyone plenty of room inside.
Get Tested
For peace of mind, get yourself and everyone in your home tested for covid-19 before the holiday arrives. Most clinics offer rapid result tests so you can wait until the day before if necessary.
