Declutter Diaries: The Guest Room

By Y.M. Lowy

Welcome back to Declutter Diaries! With Pesach approaching and guests expected, now is the perfect time to refresh your guest room. This space often gets overlooked but preparing it for the Pesach season is a great way to ensure a warm welcome for everyone you'll be hosting!

Organize This:

If your guest room also serves as a storage space, make sure to remove any visible clutter that doesn’t belong. You can store seasonal clothing, extra linens, and miscellaneous items in an inconspicuous bin, in the closet, out of sight.

Keep nightstands, dressers, and any available surfaces mostly clear. A small lamp, a water bottle, or a decorative jewelry dish can help make the room feel welcome.

It's a good idea to provide extra towels, a phone charger, tissues, and perhaps a small basket with travel-sized toiletries. If you constantly have guests from overseas it would be smart to include an adaptor for their electronics. 

If your guests need space to unpack, ensure that at least part of the closet or dresser is empty.

One-Item Purge Challenge:

Go through the random toiletries and old décor in your guest room. If it hasn’t been touched in ages or isn’t useful for guests, it might be time to clear it out. 

Myth Buster:  

Myth: A guest room has to look perfect all the time.  

Truth: It’s fine for the room to be practical and serve multiple purposes! Just make sure that your guests feel warm and welcome when they arrive.

Did You Know?

Hotel staff often come across some amusing and strange items left behind. For instance, a live alligator was discovered in a Michigan motel room! Some guests have even left behind valuable items like a $6 million watch or a Hermès Birkin bag. Then there are the quirky finds, such as a full-size vacuum cleaner, a pet parrot, a chinchilla, and even a suitcase filled with cooked spaghetti. 

How Do You Do It?

If you’re a guest, is there something special you’d love for hosts to prepare in the room? Or maybe you discovered a cool item to share in your guest room? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

Photo: Shutterstock