Graduation Season: Phi Beta Clean

There are more than just allergies saturating the air. A simple survey of any social media platform reveals the time of year we’ve found ourselves in, yet again: graduation season. Students nationwide are earning high school diplomas, college and graduate level degrees; these busy bees have many reasons to celebrate, and may even have a hundred thousand reasons to report immediately to work (if you know what we mean).

For now, if you have (or are) a graduate, embrace the season of hope and heard-earned accomplishment by throwing some sort of a graduation soiree. While graduates in highly congested urban areas (known colloquially as “Manhattan”) may have to settle for indoor celebrations, suburban residents are probably considering (weather permitted) outdoor extravaganzas. Here are some Maid Sailors-approved tips on how to throw a graduation party with high honors.

Green Grass is Kryptonite to Shoes.

If you’re an attendee, remember to dress properly for the occasion. In addition to wearing presentable, professional attire (leave the graphic tee at home), be sure to choose a sensible pair of shoes for the occasion. White shoes, sneakers and expensive loafers may be risky if most of the action is occurring outdoors with soil and grass. Avoid white shoes altogether unless you’re comfortable with the cleaning responsibilities that will undoubtedly ensue; check the weather forecast before you don leather (no rain, no pain).

If you’re hosting the party, makes sure to prep your backyard beforehand. Mow your lawn, pluck any weeds and check the weather report to determine whether or not the celebration can wait for a sunnier day. Make sure to invest in a few doormats if you expect attendees to run in and out of your kitchen. Lastly, if you really want to go the extra mile (or two), invest in a “portable deck” – these can be used to cover especially grassy areas and add a luxurious aura to your backyard (if only for a few hours).

Guess What? Bugs Will Be At Your Party Too.

The best move you can make to manage overall cleanliness and minimize any garbage within your home is to keep food, drinks and cake outdoors (duh). But, keep in mind, this strategy will come at a cost: bugs. Mosquitos, flies and other insects that seem to lead meaningless existences (we hope there aren’t any entomologists reading this) will definitely be attending. To effectively repel pests and minimize misery, focus on using lamps and plug-in repellants and avoid scented sprays. CLD Brands Mosquito Sticks are a safe, non-toxic way to repel mosquitos and flies – the fumes from these incense sticks are unobtrusive and highly effective. If you’re looking for something with more punch that actually kills bugs, try the “Stinger”. This cordless, light lamp-like bug terminator seems very effective (according to Amazon reviews) and may even become the life of the party. It’ll require some charging before use and may be a little challenging to clean-up depending on how many bugs you’ve managed to wipe out. Lastly, for a more casual, spray-based approach, try this. Avoid spraying this on plastic surfaces and use sparingly (it is very effective and generally recommended for those traveling to areas with rainforests).

The Supplies You Need for the Party You Want.

You’re probably aware of the basic, disposable supplies you’ll need for an occasion of this caliber. Certain brand names should be scrolling across your mind in “New York Stock Exchange” ticker tape fashion: Dixie, Solo, Bounty and Kirkland (btw, is there anything these guys don’t make?).

Which brings to the more salient point – there’s going to be a significant amount of recyclable trash. Paper plates, plastic cups, aluminum cans of Diet Coke, glass bottles of Corona; later in the night, there may even be empty 1.75L glass bottles of Absolut Vodka (we can only hope, right?). Keep your recycling organized while avoiding the risk of “bag breakage” with these amazing works of scientific art. Glad’s “ForceFlex Extra Strong” black bags hold up to 50 gallons of trash and are made specifically for outdoor use; they have “diamond texture stretches” specifically engineered to avoid tears, rips and drips. The bags even have three-layer drawstrings so you can forget about getting “creative” with tying them shut after capacity hits. Surprisingly, all of this engineering comes at a cheap price – a 50-count costs less than $15 on Amazon (our second favorite website).

Concluding Remarks.

Graduation is a beautiful time – both seasonally and metaphorically. This occasion is the culmination of years and years of hard work, determination and procrastination. Acknowledge your graduate’s meaningful accomplishment in a clean-smart way by following our suggestions. For those throwing indoor parties, feel free to call Maid Sailors for the clean-up; we have PhD’s in cleaning.