This time of the year can be pretty crazy at most homes. You’ll have an unending list of things to do, people to see and places to be. To top it off, it’s always the season for unexpected visitors and last minute entertaining.
With guests coming over and a lot of Christmas planning going on, there’s a lot on your plate. You’d most likely put prepping your home clean for the holidays at the bottom of that priority list when it shouldn’t be. Your decorations won’t look as festive as they are if nestled in cobwebs, right? It’s Christmas, not Halloween!
Here are six tips to get your home clean and ready and for the holidays!
Tip #1. Learn to love lists
Aside from the usual guest, gift and food list, make a cleaning and organizing list of the chores you need to do for Christmas. It can help you do everything in an orderly way without a single item being forgotten. You can also include a schedule for each task to do, either daily or weekly and to focus on one chore at a time.
Tip #2. Declutter litter
There’s this thing about decluttering that does more than achieving a tidy home. Getting rid of a pile of useless stuff clears your head to give you a fresh start. During this time of the year, a clear mind is essential with all the preparations going on.
In decluttering, it’s important to ask yourself these questions to assess whether you keep it or not:
- Do you need it?
- Do you use it?
- Do you love it?
If it didn’t pass the test, out, it goes. Be ruthless. Don’t keep things “just in case.”
Tip #3. Keep on top of your bathroom
Visitors will be coming over, and the bathrooms need to be as neat and hygienic as possible all through the festive period. Not only will your washroom be used frequently, but maintaining a clean bathroom is vital to prevent the spreading of germs.
Be sure to deep clean everything, from mirrors to toilets to the sink. Do a three-minute speed cleaning each evening, and you’ll be ready for anything the holidays have against you.
Tip #4. Do the living room
The living room or the family room is mainly where you and your guests bond over the holidays. It’s essential to have your carpets cleaned before kids sit down on them while opening gifts from Santa. Thus vacuuming is needed during the holidays. If you have rugs, flip them over and clean to remove as much dirt as possible.
Additionally, the living room should have a welcoming vibe for visitors to feel at home. Plan your lighting for the room, perhaps with candlelight, colored light bulbs or Christmas lights to highlight focal points in the area. Set up a festive mood by using calming scents, cinnamon, gingerbread, vanilla, rosemary, jasmine, lavender, or peppermint, to scent your home, You can use essential oils and diffusers, incense, candles, or things like cinnamon scented pine cones to add pleasant aromas to any room.
Tip #5. Glisten that kitchen
During this time of the year, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s more than just about cooking holiday meals; it’s also about hygienically and safely storing food. Throw out expired food from the cupboards and fridge, and wipe down all countertops.
With friends visiting, you’ll want everything to be as pitch perfect as it can be. Now is the right time to take out your festive tablecloths and table runners to iron, and pull out that holiday dinner set to wash it. Shine up that silverware and serving dishes. Check to see if you have enough glassware and silverware to use, if not go shopping for more, but make sure to have it sparkling before your guests arrive!
Tip #6. Love yourself
Christmas is a time for everyone to take a break, have some fun and take a timeout. And that includes Y-O-U! You do not need to do everything by yourself, delegate tasks and chores to family members and let them do it. So what if it isn’t done your way, as long as it gets done, be glad. It can actually be a fun bonding moment to clean your house for Christmas.
Love yourself; these things shouldn’t be undertaken by one person alone. Assign tasks appropriate to the capabilities of each member. For example, young kids can’t do the cooking, right? So have them sweep the floor or declutter messy rooms. If your family’s help is not enough to cover everything in time, contact a professional cleaning service to give you a hand!
Christmas is the time for relaxing, enjoying, bonding, and cleaning – all in one! So cut your stress in preparing your home for a clean holiday celebration by following these tips! Happy cleaning and Merry Christmas!
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