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November 14, 2016 by: Marla

How to Clean & Set Up the Perfect Thanksgiving Table Ahead of Time

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This shop, How to Clean & Set Up the Perfect Thanksgiving Table Ahead of Time, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and photographs are mine alone. #ScrubSeason #CollectiveBias

Who’s got their Thanksgiving Game Plan prepped and ready to go? You know I do. I’d love to tell you that I have it written down in some incredible, sticker-filled planner, but I don’t…yet. For a big cooking holiday like Thanksgiving, you’ve absolutely got to have a plan – whether you write it down or not, you need to know what you’re cooking way ahead of time, and be sure that all of your servingware is clean – otherwise it just becomes impossible to stay on top of All.The.Cooking and All.The.Cleaning.

perfect thanksgiving table #ad #scrubseason #collectivebias

So today I’m super excited to share with you how I set up my perfect Thanksgiving table ahead of time (and then how I easily clean it all up later). That’s right. Come Thursday morning I will be sitting on the couch (read: chasing Harper up the stairs), eating cranberry-orange muffins, and watching the parade, because everything will be clean, set-up, and ready for dinnertime.

How to Set Up the Perfect Thanksgiving Table Ahead of Time

Step 1: Decide your menu. In this post I share how to pick the ultimate Thanksgiving menu, no matter what your guests’ eating preferences are.

Step 2: Rummage through your upper cabinets to figure out if you actually have enough serving platters and/or plates to fit said food.

Step 3: Head to Walmart and pick up the new Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloth so you can gently clean the dust off of your Grandma’s China (that has been handed down to you) without scratching it. And be sure to use this coupon to save $1 on any 2 Scotch-Brite Products while you’re there (Scrub Sponges, Lint Rollers and Scrubbing Dish Cloths).

perfect thanksgiving table #ad #scrubseason #collectivebias

You can buy them in a convenient 2-pack at Walmart for only $4.97 in Navy, Tan, or Coral. The colors Gray and Mint are also available online!

Step 4: Pat yourself on the back for not waiting until the last minute only to realize you don’t have a CLEAN serving platter for the turkey, because you know that china has been collecting dust for the last 364 days.

perfect thanksgiving table #ad #scrubseason #collectivebias

Step 5: Set Up The Table. The night before Thanksgiving we usually do something easy that doesn’t require a lot of dishes or cooking since Thursday will be a big day for both. After making sure that all of my platters are clean (see Step 3), I set them out on the table and label them with a little sticky note. This way, I know I have enough serving platters to fit all of the food, and I know what goes where so at 3 AM I don’t have to wake Eric saying “what am I going to put the Brussels sprouts on?!” 

perfect thanksgiving table #scrubseason #ad #collectivebias

Right before dinner I’ll set out the silverware and glasses. We found that the soft side of the Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloth was perfect for gently cleaning our delicate glasses.

perfect thanksgiving table #ad #scrubseason #collectivebias

Now, some things I will serve right in their baking dish, like mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole. And then of course there are the pies. Oh, the pies. And then there’s the cleaning up of the pie pan. Oh, the cleaning.

Let me help make this easy on you. Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths are not only good for gently removing dust and dirt from stowed-away china with the soft side, but the scrubbing dots also provide you with non-scratch scrubbing power (with the wiping and drying functions of a dish cloth) to clean up even the most stubborn, stuck-on food.

Our favorite part? The Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloth is washable, reusable, and sturdy, which puts it at the top of our list for being a money-saver and eco-friendly.

perfect thanksgiving table #scrubseason #ad #collectivebias

Be sure to check out more fun recipes and easy cleaning tutorials here!

What are some of your tips for prepping for the holidays ahead of time? Any secrets for the perfect Thanksgiving table?

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

Don't wait until the last minute! Find out how to clean and set-up the PERFECT Thanksgiving table ahead of time. No stressing the last minute! Get it all done beforehand! #ad #scrubseason

 

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Comments

  1. KIm says

    November 14, 2016 at 9:28 AM

    Oh I need to check out these dish cloths. And I love the idea of prepping the table before it’s set. So helpful!

    • Marla says

      November 14, 2016 at 8:02 PM

      Thank you, Kim! Hope you like them!

  2. Natalie says

    November 14, 2016 at 10:50 AM

    I will be hosting my first thanksgiving this year-complete with Grandma’s China!!-and was actually starting to get nervous about taking on such a task! I will absolutely be using all of your cleaning and time saving tips to help me before and after the meal!

    • Marla says

      November 14, 2016 at 8:01 PM

      Yay! So glad to help out. I can say from experience that these dish cloths are perfect for cleaning china!

  3. HonestAndTruly says

    November 14, 2016 at 11:29 AM

    I am such a fan of using sticky notes on dishes. That means others can help me plate dishes and get the dinner on the table faster! Great ideas #client

    • Marla says

      November 14, 2016 at 7:58 PM

      Yes! That is a great idea. Takes the guesswork out of having guests help out!

  4. Melissa says

    November 14, 2016 at 12:44 PM

    Great ideas! Those scrubbing dish cloths look very handy.

    • Marla says

      November 14, 2016 at 7:55 PM

      Thanks, Melissa! They definitely come in handy for cleaning different messes.

  5. Ted says

    November 14, 2016 at 7:50 PM

    These cloths are amazing. Where have they been all my life?!?!

    • Marla says

      November 14, 2016 at 7:54 PM

      Glad you are also a fan!

  6. Dave says

    November 14, 2016 at 8:51 PM

    Absolute genius! Gone are the days of “winging it” with hours to spare. I never think to do any of it ahead of time, but this guide makes it simple and easy. Thank you!

    • Marla says

      November 15, 2016 at 8:42 PM

      Thanks, Dave! Glad to be able to offer up some tips to help!

  7. Amy says

    November 14, 2016 at 10:24 PM

    Look how organized you are, girl! You are rocking the Thanksgiving menu! The dish towels are so nice to have and love the color variety. I’ve been needing a nice cloth to clean my glasses because no detergent has left them spotless. Definitely going to check out Scotch Brite!

    • Marla says

      November 15, 2016 at 8:43 PM

      Thanks so much, Amy! The colors are awesome, it was actually difficult to choose! Hope you like them as much as we do 🙂

  8. Jen says

    November 15, 2016 at 8:17 AM

    Great ideas! This is not my are of expertise, so love the advice!

    • Marla says

      November 15, 2016 at 8:43 PM

      Thanks, Jen! Glad to help!

  9. Jen Enoch says

    November 15, 2016 at 9:53 AM

    Oh my gosh!!! what a smart idea to label the table! Great tip, thanks for this post!

    • Marla says

      November 15, 2016 at 8:44 PM

      Yay! Glad you like the idea! 🙂

  10. Belle says

    November 15, 2016 at 10:13 AM

    What a great idea!

    One Awesome Momma

  11. Suzanne @ my kind of sweet says

    November 16, 2016 at 11:00 AM

    This is such a great idea and totally reminds me that I need to get my act together for next week!

    • Marla says

      November 16, 2016 at 1:11 PM

      Thanks, Suzanne! You’ve still got plenty of time! 🙂

  12. Angela says

    November 16, 2016 at 11:30 PM

    I never thought of labeling plate ahead of time! That is such a good idea! My mom picked up one of these scrubbing dish clothes and she LOVES them!

    • Marla says

      November 17, 2016 at 2:39 PM

      Thanks, Angela! That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙂

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