Super Bowl Cleaning Game Plan: Before And After The Party

The Super Bowl is one of those days where your house suddenly turns into a mini sports bar. People are in and out of the kitchen, glued to the TV room, spilling into the patio at halftime, and making constant bathroom runs thanks to all the beer and soda.

Most guests will only see (and judge) a few key areas:

• The path from the garage to the TV room

• The TV room itself

• The kitchen and snack zone

• The nearby bathroom(s)

• The patio or outdoor hangout space

If those feel clean, stocked, and comfortable, the party feels well put together. If they’re sticky, cluttered, or grimy, it shows.

And once the game is over and the “boys” head home, whether you ever want to host a Super Bowl party again comes down to what your house looks like when the dust (and chips) settle.

Here’s how to think about cleaning before and after the game so you can enjoy the night and still feel good about your house the next morning.

Pre-game: cleaning before guests arrive

Think about your pre-game cleaning like setting the stage for the night. You don’t need a whole-house deep clean. You need the “game-day zone” to look and feel ready.

1. The path from the garage

A lot of people let guests in through the garage on game day. That means your “first impression” is not the front porch—it’s the garage entry.

• Clear a walkway: Move tools, shoes, boxes, or random clutter out of the direct path to the house.

• Quick sweep: Get rid of visible dirt, leaves, and spiderwebs near the door.

• Wipe the door handle and light switch: They’ll get a lot of use.

You’re not turning your garage into a showroom; you’re just making sure it doesn’t feel like the back end of a warehouse.

2. The TV room

This is the heart of the party. People are staring at one thing: the screen.

At a minimum, do this before anyone arrives:

• Dust the TV, TV stand, and any shelves nearby so there’s nothing catching light or distracting from the picture.

• Clean the screen properly with a microfiber cloth (no paper towels, no harsh glass cleaner on the panel). Guests will absolutely notice if there are fingerprints, streaks, or dust that interfere with the game.

• Clear surfaces: Coffee table, side tables, and ottomans should be mostly open for plates and drinks.

• Deal with cables and tripping hazards around the TV and floor.

And finally: make sure you’ve got enough actual seating so people aren’t tripping over each other or turning your floor into a sea of shoes and jackets.

3. The kitchen

The kitchen is the supply hub: food, drinks, ice, plates, napkins.

Before kickoff:

• Clear and wipe counters so there’s obvious space for snacks and trays.

• Empty the trash and put in a fresh liner so you’re not trying to change bags mid–third quarter.

• Run and empty the dishwasher so it’s ready to take dirty dishes.

• Wipe the fridge handles and clear a shelf for drinks and leftovers.

Your goal isn’t perfection—it’s function. You want people to instinctively know where to grab food and where to toss trash.

4. The bathroom nearest the TV room

This is the most important room of the night besides the TV room.

Before guests arrive:

• Clean the toilet (bowl, rim, and base).

• Wipe the sink, faucet, and mirror.

• Make sure the trash can is empty with a liner in it.

• Restock toilet paper where it’s visible.

• Put out clean hand towels or paper towels.

With 10–20 people rotating through that bathroom, it needs to start the night in pristine shape so it can take a beating and still be acceptable by the fourth quarter.

5. The patio or outdoor space

If people will step outside at halftime or between plays:

• Do a quick sweep of the patio or deck.

• Wipe down the main table(s) and any obvious dust or pollen on chairs.

• If you’ve got outdoor lighting, make sure bulbs are working.

Again, you’re not staging a catalog photoshoot—just making sure it doesn’t feel neglected.

During the game: light “maintenance”

You don’t want to be the host running around cleaning the whole time, but a couple of simple habits keep the mess from getting out of control:

• Have extra trash bags, paper towels, and napkins accessible so you can toss or wipe small spills quickly.

• If someone drops a big plate of wings or a drink, blot or wipe the worst of it immediately so it doesn’t get ground into the carpet or dried into the floor.

• Do one quick trash run at halftime if cans and plates are piling up.

Think of it as “damage control,” not full-on cleaning. You’re just making your life easier for later.

Post-game: getting the house back to normal

This is where your future self either thanks you or curses you. The day after a Super Bowl party can either feel like a quick reset or like a disaster zone.

It helps to think in two stages: a same-night reset and a next-day reset.

1. Same-night reset (even if you’re tired)

Before you go to bed, do these three things:

• Gather all trash from the TV room, kitchen, and patio. New bags in, old bags out of the house.

• Do a quick pass in the TV room for bottles, cans, and plates so nothing is sitting out overnight.

• Put leftover food in the fridge or toss it. Leaving half-eaten dips and wings out until morning won’t end well.

Those ten or fifteen minutes matter. Waking up to “party leftovers” everywhere feels much worse than walking into a house that just needs a normal clean.

2. The next-day reset: TV room

This is where all those moments of celebration land: chips on the floor, beer splashes, and stuff between the cushions.

Next morning:

• Pick up any missed bottles, cups, or cans.

• Check between and under couch cushions for crumbs, bottle caps, and other surprises.

• Vacuum or sweep the whole area, including under the coffee table and front edges of sofas.

• Spot clean any visible spills on the carpet, rug, or hard floors.

• Give the TV area a quick dust again if confetti, crumbs, or fingerprints made their way back to the screen.

3. Kitchen

After a party, kitchen mess tends to be mostly dishes and sticky surfaces.

• Load and run the dishwasher with everything you can fit.

• Hand-wash any larger pans, serving dishes, or delicate items.

• Wipe counters, the stovetop, and table surfaces where drinks and sauces landed.

• Spot mop or wipe any sticky areas on the floor—especially around the fridge and island.

4. Bathrooms

This is the area people most dread checking after a big game, but it doesn’t have to be terrible if you tackle it early.

• Empty the bathroom trash and replace the liner.

• Check around the toilet and base and wipe or mop as needed.

• Clean the toilet seat and rim again.

• Wipe the sink and faucet handles.

• Swap out the hand towel for a fresh one if it was used heavily.

If you can open a window or run a fan for a bit, do it—helps clear out any lingering odors.

5. Patio and floors

Outside, you may find cups, cans, napkins, or dropped food.

• Pick up all trash and take it out of the yard.

• Sweep the patio again. If someone spilled beer or mixed drinks, a fast hose rinse can help prevent stickiness and ants.

• Inside, once trash and dishes are handled, give the main walkways a thorough vacuum or mop. A lot of crumbs and dirt get tracked further into the house than you’d think.

If you really want to host again next year

The difference between “That was fun, let’s do it again” and “Never again” is how destroyed your house feels afterward.

A simple approach:

• Focus your pre-game effort on the zones guests actually use.

• Do one small same-night cleanup so nothing festers.

• Give yourself an hour the next day to reset the TV room, kitchen, bathroom, and floors.

If you want to make it even easier, you can always hand off the post-game deep clean to a professional cleaning service so you just handle the basics and let someone else deal with the couch crumbs and bathroom detailing.

Clean before, clean after, and you get the best of both worlds: a house that can handle a Super Bowl party—and a host who’s willing to do it again next season.