Tried-and-True Party Hosting Hacks

If you’re having lots of guests over, you may run out of room in the refrigerator for all your drinks. Instead, put them in a tub or cooler that can be filled with ice. Don’t have one handy? You can create a makeshift tub using any large bowl or bucket.

As you pack your cooler or party tub, use a little science to keep your drinks colder: Put your bottles and cans in the cooler first and then cover them with ice. Why? Cold air travels downward, meaning the ice will be more effective when placed on top.

You can buy bags of ice at a local convenience store to use in your coolers. But you can spice up the ice that you put into your guests’ drinks by making flavored ice cubes from juice or soda. You can even add pieces of fruit or herb sprigs to the cubes for extra flair. Another option: Buy reusable ice cubes to avoid watering down your guests’ drinks.

Forget to put your bottled beverages in the fridge and guests are arriving in 20 minutes? One handy trick for quickly chilling liquids in glass bottles involves wrapping a damp paper towel around each bottle and placing them in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Once your guests are served, it may take them a while to actually drink an entire beverage. Insulated sleeves for glasses, cans and bottles (sometimes called “koozies” or “cozies”) can help maintain the temperature of drinks for longer.

Serving coffee, tea or hot chocolate? Unless you are keeping the coffeemaker on or have a large electric urn, make sure to put those beverages in an insulated container, such as a thermos.

Making hot chocolate in your slow cooker is a great option. You can whip up one big batch and keep it warm throughout the party. You’ll want to add your hot chocolate ingredients to the cooker at least a couple of hours before your guests arrive. Set it to high while the hot chocolate “cooks.” When it’s ready, stir the hot chocolate, and set the slow cooker to low to keep it warm but prevent overcooking.

Put the serving bowls in the refrigerator for a few hours before the party. This will keep your food colder for longer.

Serving shrimp cocktail, fruit salad or other dishes that need to stay cold? As with beverages, use large tubs that will allow you to set the food bowls or serving platters over ice. You can turn a kiddie swimming pool into a makeshift ice tub, especially if you’re hosting an outdoor party.

Melting ice can cause a mess, especially if someone accidentally splashes the water onto the food. You can create your own ice packs using sponges wrapped in plastic freezer bags. Not only are they reusable, but they’re easier to clean up, too.

You may need to prepare some of your dishes an hour or two before your guests arrive. But you can keep them warm by covering them with aluminum foil and storing them in the oven at the lowest temperature setting, which is typically 200 degrees.

Slow cookers and electric buffet warmers can be your best friends at a party, especially if you’re serving dishes that must stay warm, like fondue or macaroni and cheese. Make sure to set these to the right temperature setting, though, or you could end up with burnt mush.

Don’t want to bother with the oven? Using an air fryer is an easy and efficient method to get crispy food—fast.

The adhesive rollers used to pull lint off your clothes can also be used to clean dust from lampshades and pet hair from upholstered furniture before guests arrive.

Trash can pile up quickly at a bash. One way to avoid having to constantly replace trash bags is to line each trash can with multiple bags before the party begins. That way, when you remove a full bag, a clean bag will be ready to go below it.

If you cooked, you probably have lots of dirty dishes—including some pots and pans with burnt or crusted food. To cut down on your time spent scrubbing,first pour one cup of water and one cup vinegar into the pot and heat the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add one tablespoon of baking soda. Once the fizzling from the baking soda stops, empty the pan. You should be able to easily clean off any remaining bits using a sponge, baking soda, soap and water.

Have coffee stains on your fine china? Dampen a cloth with water and dip it in baking soda. Then, gently scrub the stain to clean it away.

Make a paste using baking soda and water and use it to thoroughly cover any carpet stains. Once the paste has dried, use a dry brush to remove it and then vacuum away any remaining debris. For red wine stains on carpet, soda water can also be useful.

During your post-party cleaning, you may discover hard-to-remove lipstick or food stains on your cloth napkins or tablecloth. Apply a few drops of mineral spirits to the stain and use an old toothbrush to work it. Then rinse the stain with rubbing alcohol and repeat, if necessary, until the stain is out. You can also use store-bought spot removers meant for upholstery, carpets and dry-cleaned clothing. Whatever solution you use, be sure to test it on an inconspicuous area of the fabric first.

Broke a glass? First, use rubber gloves to pick up and throw away any big pieces of glass. Then, vacuum the area where the glass broke, making sure to get under any furniture. Finally, press a piece of bread against the floor to pick up any tiny fragments the vacuum may have missed.

Here’s one trick to get the melted wax from the bottom of your glass or metal candle holder: Put the candle holder in the freezer for a few hours. The wax will shrink and should then pop right out.