3 Reasons It’s Easier to Clean Up an Alcohol-Free Party
Before any party at my house, I tend to go all out, scrubbing every surface, fluffing the couch cushions, and making my home look as museum-like as possible. By the time the morning comes, though, the living room and kitchen look like a war zone — without fail. And that smell! Did a bar move into the basement!? I basically have to re-clean as if I’m throwing yet another party.
Each time, I can’t help but think how much nicer it would be to come down the stairs in the morning if we had thrown a non-alcoholic party.
1. There won’t be as many cups and bottles all over the place.
You love your friends dearly, but man, are they bad at putting empties in the recycling. And who put all these plastic cups on the bookshelf? When serving booze, beer, and wine, there are a lot of moving pieces: empty cups, half-finished bottles of beer, abandoned cocktail stirrers, bottle caps, wine corks, the list goes on. And all of those things can end up scattered all around your house, creating a not-so-fun treasure hunt for you in the morning.
Serve a few mocktails and you cut down on the amount of trash significantly; you’ll just have some pitchers and some cups. And your sober friends will actually have the wherewithal to put their cups in the garbage when they’re done with them. You know, instead of leaving them in the bathroom.
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2. Spills and stains are less likely to happen.
Spills are bound to happen at any party (and ideally you’re prepared with stain remover and paper towels), but they’re less likely to happen when everyone is sober. Ditto for broken wine glasses.
3. You won’t feel terrible in the morning.
Sometimes, when you’ve had a little too much to drink the night before, the last thing you want to do in the morning is clean up after your friends. Or move at all. If you had been enjoying yourself at an alcohol-free party, you would wake up feeling fine. You may be a little tired, sure, but your head won’t be throbbing and you won’t be fighting the urge to hide in your bed for the rest of the day.
Have you thrown a booze-free party recently? What’s the best thing about it?