As a host, it’s important to make your guests feel welcome and comfortable in your home. However, sometimes situations may arise where you need to politely ask your guests to leave. In case it’s getting too late, and you have work to attend to the next day, or if your neighbors are beginning to raise concerns about the noise level, it might be necessary to ask your guests to leave. Also, if someone’s getting out of control, it’s probably best to give them the boot before they do something ridiculous.
Do you know what can be tricky when you’re hosting? Figuring out how to gracefully nudge people toward the exit. It’s one of those challenging skills that can test your hosting abilities. There are some polite and not-so-polite ways to show and ask guests to leave your house.
A polite way to show and ask guests to leave is by using gentle language and expressing appreciation for their visit. An example would be saying something like “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have to wake up early in the morning and I need to get some rest. Can we continue our conversation another time?”
On the other hand, a not-so-polite way to show and ask guests to leave is by being more assertive in your language. For instance, you might say something along the lines of “I’m sorry, but it’s time for you to leave now as you’ve overstayed your welcome.”
Here are some clever ways to encourage guests to wrap up their visit.
Slowly start cleaning up your place.
Without saying a word, start washing dishes and clearing out the trash scattered around the room. As you clean up and tidy the space, it sends the message to your guests that the event is coming to an end.
bondarillia/ Getty Images
"So, how are you getting home?"
If you want to drop a hint to your guests that it’s time for them to start thinking about heading home, try casually asking them about their transportation plans. It’s a way of showing that you’re considerate of their needs and subtly letting them know that the evening is winding down.
MangoStar_Studio/ Getty Images
Stop serving snacks and booze.
An empty snack bowl and dry glasses can work wonders in persuading people to call it a night. As the gathering starts winding down, you can slyly stop serving alcohol and snacks. By doing this, you’re giving a subtle signal that the party is slowly coming to an end.
Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury/ Getty Images
Put on your pajamas.
When you’re ready to drop some hints that it’s time for your guests to leave, why not go all out and put on your favorite pajamas? It makes it clear to guests that you’re ready to call it a night.
evgenyatamanenko/ Getty Images
Start turning off the lights.
A sneaky move to nudge your guests towards the door is to start casually turning off the lights. Dimming the room gradually changes the ambiance of a party sending a not-so-subtle message that it’s time to wrap things up.
Nickbeer/ Getty Images
Gather for a group photo.
As a clever way to wrap up your party and gently encourage guests to leave, why not suggest taking a group photo together? It’s a way to end the party on a high note and a great closing activity too.
jacoblund/ Getty Images
