The fun seasonal tradition of the Holiday Office Party is a welcome break from the regular work routine and a perfect time to build and strengthen office camaraderie and teamwork. But a good party also involves planning, organization and cleaning.

Among other tasks, hosting an office party involves extensive cleaning—both before and after the event. You and your co-workers can either decide to share this responsibility, or you can hire professional commercial cleaners to do the work for you. If you decide to do the job yourselves, use this checklist from the experts at ServiceMaster Clean as a helpful guide.

Before the party

• Use floor mats to protect carpeting from stains.
• Use disposable tablecloths to protect surfaces and be able to quickly and efficiently pick up left-over food and messes after the party.
• Place enough large trash cans in common areas to encourage guests to dispose of garbage throughout the party.
• Make sure soap, paper towels, toilet paper and other washroom supplies are stocked for extra use during the party.
• Have lots of paper towels available throughout the party space for quick and easy cleanups of spilled food or drink.

After the party

Trash disposal. After the party, have a small team to go through the room with heavy-duty large trash bags and dispose of items such as paper plates, cups, party hats and any other disposable party items.

Take down holiday decorations. Store any of the decorations you'd like to keep for next year in designated storage containers. Dispose of all other decorations your company doesn't want to keep.

Clean and disinfect all surfaces. Give particular attention to high-touch locations such as door handles, light switches, banisters etc. Use disinfectant and sanitizing wipes to clean tables, chairs, shelves and all other surfaces around the office.

Spot clean stains and spills. If you notice spills or dropped food debris during the party, try to clean them right away. The faster you act, the more likely you can get rid of the them before they set-in and possibly stain surfaces permanently.

Mop hard floor and tile areas. Hard-floor surfaces such as wood, marble and tile can quickly become dirty during a party, especially in high-traffic areas. Mop and rinse your hard-surface floors to make them sparkle again.

Vacuum carpets. Pick up the smaller dirt and debris, and then give your carpets a thorough vacuuming to make them look fresh and clean and ready for the New Year.

Clean and disinfect the bathroom. If your office is responsible for maintaining the bathrooms, be sure to thoroughly clean and sanitize these areas. Clean and disinfect toilets, doors, sinks, faucets and all high-touch areas. Re-stock and refill toilet paper, paper towel rolls and soap dispensers so they are ready for use when employees return after the holiday break.

If your office party is going to be a large affair, consider bringing in professional office cleaners to help get the work done quickly and efficiently. The commercial cleaning professionals at ServiceMaster Clean have the expertise, specialized products and equipment to clean and disinfect your office both before and after the celebration, and to make it sparkle for the New Year.

The end of the year is also a perfect time to schedule detail office cleaning and commercial deep carpet cleaning. This way, the cleaning can be done over the holidays when offices are less busy. And everyone can return to a fresh, clean office and be motivated to have a great year ahead.

Contact ServiceMaster Clean today to learn more about our commercial janitorial services and how we can help with your office cleaning requirements... and help make your office party and your New Year the best one ever!