Simplicity Preparing for Houseguests

Posted on October 29, 2008 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Simplification

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Wednesdays are simplicity days at SimpleProductivity blog.

Most living spaces, with the exception of the tiniest, have some area that can be set aside for guests: the ubiquitous guest room. Few of us actually set aside space for guests and use it for no other purpose: that would be a waste of otherwise functional space.

In our condominium, we put our office aside as guest space after our daughter was born. That quickly changed when we found a friend’s socks hanging from the printer. In our house, we have a separate room with a bed set up. This room, though, also serves as my crafting room, where my sewing machine and yarn stash live.

It is very easy for us to get ready for guests; here are my top 5 tips:

1. Don’t use your guest space as a dumping ground. If you have a spare room, don’t use it as an overgrown junk drawer. Many people stash things that they will get to later: mending, things to be donated, outgrown clothing, seasonal decorations. The less you keep to do “later” the less you will have to do to prepare for a guest.
2. Keep bedding close. Whatever you use for bedding, keep it close. If you have a permanent bed set up, keep clean sheets on it. If you are using an inflatable bed, keep the pump and bed together with the bedding.
3. Keep clean sheets on the bed. If you are using a permanent space with a bed as a guest room, change the sheets after a visit to ensure that there are always clean sheets on the bed for the next visitor.
4. Use furniture to contain the supplies of other purposes. My sewing items live in one drawer of the dresser, and my yarn stash is in boxes in the closet. It is close at hand during non-guest times, but easy to clean up and store during visits.
5. Have all supplies in one place. For guests, we keep the little hotel soaps, etc. on hand. They are in a basket in the guest room. Add clean towels, and everything is set.

With just a little planning, facilities for guests are easy to set up.

Photo by rick

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