Maintain a Clean Home Over the Holidays with these Tips!
With the holiday season just around the corner, you’re most likely thinking about gifts, decorations, and upcoming celebrations. If you’re hosting friends and family, or simply want to be prepared for any guests who may visit, it’s a good idea to have a cleaning plan in place. Let’s explore 10 tips that will help keep your home fresh and tidy over the busy festive season.
It’s always best to be prepared as early as possible. Starting to clean the house in November, or early December will assure you that any potential issues are dealt with in advance, and that maintenance of a tidy space will be far easier. Consider doing a heavy-duty vacuum for carpeted surfaces, and thoroughly wipe down all windows, countertops, and appliances. You may also wish to enlist the assistance of a professional cleaning service, such as Maid 4 Cleaning, to help you ensure that your home is holiday-ready.
2. Remove Clutter and Create Space
One of the most challenging aspects of cleaning is to work around furniture and accumulated clutter. Consider if there is any furniture or items that can be kept in storage over the winter season. Removing items that are unnecessary for the Holidays can help your home stay clean and make additional space for guests and party favors. It can be difficult to let go of old toys, clothes, and furniture, particularly if they are tied into treasured memories. However, de-cluttering allows you to enjoy the space in your home and creates an environment that is far more straightforward to clean and maintain.
3. Prepare a Cleaning Caddy
Keep everything in one convenient place by creating a cleaning caddy. Plastic caddies are cheap and readily available; find one that is large enough to store your essential cleaning products, sponges, cloths, brushes, and gloves. When you’re ready to tackle a room (or complete your pre-holiday deep clean), simply grab the caddy and go. You can even put together a couple of caddies, so that family members can work together. Which is the perfect segue into our next tip…
4. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!
The whole family benefits from a clean and tidy home, so enlist their help to clean it! Children can earn their allowance or privileges by completing cleaning tasks. A fun idea is to prepare a task jar; simply make a list of chores that need to be completed, write them onto scraps of paper and fold, then add them to a jar or other container. Give everyone a chance to select an activity at random, put on some music, and enjoy working together to keep the home tidy. This approach also teaches kids a great lesson in responsibility. Don’t forget to supervise children if they’re near any hazardous substances or tools that can cause injury.
5. Focus on the Areas with Most Usage
Make a plan to establish which areas of your home will be used the most during the holidays. For the majority of people, this will be the kitchen, dining room, living room, and bathrooms. Try to keep these areas well-maintained, and in the final days before you are due to host, focus on making them as clean and prepared as possible. During the holidays, take a small amount of time every day to tidy up these well-used areas. Your prep work and daily maintenance will ensure that your home is always ready for guests and festivities!
6. Deep-Clean the Bathroom
Make sure to dedicate time and energy to your bathrooms. As discussed above, they are one of the most highly-used areas of the home, and it is crucial to keep them clean and tidy, particularly during the holidays. Consider using steam cleaners to lift away limescale, stains, and bacteria. Clean all surfaces thoroughly and maintain before and during the holiday season. Keep the bathroom counters clutter-free to make it much easier and faster wiping them down when it comes to crunch time.
7. Don’t Forget Light Fixtures and Ceilings
It’s easy to forget the little nooks and crannies that we don’t see every day. Use a small vacuum cleaner attachment to hoover room corners and ceilings, and perform regular visual checks to make sure there are no cobwebs. Similarly, take time to clean light fixtures; often it is easier to remove them for cleaning and drying. During the holiday season, make sure to check all fittings for dust, and maintain them as necessary.
8. Make a Great First Impression
9. Have Recycling and Garbage Bags Ready
In the season of gift giving and entertaining guests, it is easy for wrapping paper, packaging, bottles, and trash to accumulate. Make sure that you have plenty of garbage bags ready, and if you have a recycling facility in your area, that caddies, bins, or bags are available. Encourage your children to take ownership of simple tasks such as recycling collection; it makes your job easier and gives them a valuable life lesson.
10. Go Cordless
If you have the means to do so, consider investing in a cordless vacuum cleaner. These devices are lighter and easier to maneuver over traditional ones and make cleaning tasks a lot more efficient and straightforward. They’re also easier to navigate in small and hard-to-reach spaces and can be stored and removed with greater ease for quick blitzes.
Get Started with Holiday Cleaning Now!
If you need help cleaning your home over the holidays, the team at Maid 4 Cleaning Inc. is more than happy to help! We understand it is a busy time of year, and that your time is occupied with buying gifts, making food, and spending time with friends and family. Call us today and we will ensure your home is cleaned thoroughly before your guests arrive. We hope these tips are helpful in your home; have a wonderful and magical festive season!
