The festive season brings gatherings, twinkling lights, the warm smell of holiday treats and much more. However, you also need to do a lot of cleaning. Whether it comes to hosting guests, cooking for them or doing some last-minute shopping, you need to make sure that your home looks absolutely spotless all the way.
With a little planning, you can ensure a stress-free cleaning schedule for yourself. It can help you to enjoy a sparkling home and make your Christmas festivities go just as planned. Here is a schedule that you need to follow to ensure the best results for your house.
Start early and break it down
Do not postpone things for the last week. Rather than going for a frantic deep clean you should begin early and spread your cleaning work over the next few weeks. Try to have a simple countdown calendar in place and assign one or two tasks or rooms every week.
Try to focus on the bathroom and guest room in the first week and tackle the kitchen and dining area in the next. When you break everything into small, manageable chunks, your cleaning can be more stress-free than you think.
Declutter before you deep clean
Before you begin with scrubbing, you should spend one whole day in decluttering your home. Go through shelves, drawers and closets. Set aside all those items that you do not need anymore, such as expired pantry goods, old decorative items, worn out clothes and unused gadgets. Donate, recycle or toss them away. When there is less clutter, you have fewer surfaces to clean and dust.
Make a room-by-room checklist
When you have a clear checklist, you can be more focused in your cleaning. It can help you to prevent missing out on important tasks. Here is a room-by-room checklist that can help you out.
- Living room: Dust shelves, vacuum upholstery, clean windows, organize entertainment units.
- Kitchen: Clean oven, fridge, microwave, wipe cabinets, mop floors.
- Bathroom: Scrub tiles, clean mirrors, replace towels, restock essentials.
- Bedrooms: Change linens, vacuum, dust, and freshen up closets.
A proper checklist can help you to track your progress with cleaning. As you tick off each item, you can get a real sense of accomplishment.
Involve the whole family
Who said that you have to clean it all alone? You can get everyone in your family involved into the process. Let every family member handle a specific cleaning task, so that the responsibility is shared and it all feels less burdensome. You can play festive music and turn it into a fun activity, to reduce the stress. When everyone joins in, the cleaning activity can feel much lighter. You can also have your home cleaned up properly, in much less time.
Schedule a final “Guest-Ready” blitz
Plan a short but thorough “guest-ready” blitz in the final 3–4 days before guests arrive. Focus on high-traffic and visible areas, such as entryway, living room, dining area, and bathrooms. With such a final touch, you can make your home look absolutely ready to invite guests during Christmas.
When you follow all these important tips and maintain your cleaning pace as per schedule, it will be easier for you to make your home sparkle with spotless perfection.