Cleaning Before the Holidays
Start with Decluttering
When you are planning for the holidays the first thing you need to do is a big decluttering. Taking the time to remove clutter from your home can be one of the biggest ways to remove messes and leave your home feeling cleaner and easier to live in. Even better, it can help to avoid a larger mess. When a home is cluttered, it automatically looks messier. Here are some tips for decluttering for the holidays:
- Start with clothing - Clothing is one of the most cluttered items in most homes. Take some time to move summer clothing to storage containers. It can also be helpful to go through clothing and donate anything that doesn’t fit, won’t get worn, or that you don’t have space to keep. Taking the time to donate excess clothing can free up space in your home and help you do less laundry.
- Declutter toys and books - The holiday season is famous for gifting. Your children will potentially end up with more toys and books. This is a great time to donate anything they will no longer play with. It’s also a great time to go through books and donate to your local library anything you won’t read again. This will make room for any gifts that come into the home while cutting down on messes that will need to be cleaned later.
- Don’t forget about the kitchen - Over the course of the year, it’s very common to end up with an overabundance of many dishes, lids, and mismatched pieces. When you are cleaning before the holidays, it can be helpful to empty cabinets and only put back what you will actually use. Donate the rest. Before putting back these items, use a kid-safe all-purpose cleaner sprayed on a microfiber cloth to wipe down all of the shelves in your cabinets.
*Pro Tip - As you declutter, use a microfiber cloth sprayed with all-purpose cleaner to wipe down surfaces before putting things back where they belong.
Spend More Time in the Kitchen!
When cleaning up for the holidays, it can all feel important and sometimes overwhelming. Investing your time in the areas that will have the biggest impact on the overall cleanliness of the house can be important. This is why you definitely need to spend a good deal of time in the kitchen. Not only are you going to spend more time there during the holiday season, but a clean kitchen can also make the whole home feel cleaner. Here are a few tips for cleaning your kitchen for the holidays:
- Deep clean the oven - Your oven will need a deep cleaning before you take on all of the holiday baking and meal prepping that is to come. Start with a kitchen degreaser to clean the inside of your oven and clean your stovetop. It can also help to use this degreaser to wipe down the sides and front of your oven where food items may have dripped.
- Deep clean the refrigerator - Another area that will need your attention is your refrigerator. Take the time to remove everything from the refrigerator and freezer. Throw away or donate any food that won’t be consumed. Wipe down all surfaces inside and outside of your refrigerator with an all-purpose cleaner before putting items back. (This is also a great time to clean out and organize the deep freezer for the holiday season.)
- Counters, cabinets, and walls - When you are spending time cleaning your kitchen, make some extra time for cleaning your counters, cabinets, and walls. This is the perfect time to clear counters and wipe them down with an all-purpose cleaner. After you finish that, use the 5-minute CleanWalls bundle to wash the outside of cabinets and your kitchen walls.
*Pro Tip - When cleaning the kitchen, take a few minutes to wash items such as cookie cutters that may have been stored since the last holiday season so that they are ready to be used.
Walls and Floors
When preparing for the holiday season many people will light candles to add a fresh smell to their homes. Did you know that cleaning your walls and floors can do more for the smell of your home than many of these artificial scents could? Spending as little as five minutes cleaning your walls can freshen your home! Investing a bit of time into the carpets can as well! Here are a few tips for cleaning your walls and floors for the holiday season:
- Clean your walls the easy way! - Use the holiday hearth spray with the 5-minute CleanWalls bundle to wash away dust, dirt, and odors from your walls while adding a great smell to your home. This is a simple and quick way to make your home feel and smell cleaner!
- Remove stains from your floors - Stains on carpets can make the house look less clean. Spending a bit of time can have a huge impact on the overall appearance of your home. Use a carpet stain cleaner to quickly remove stains and give your carpet new life!
- Clean the grout on your tiles - Another simple way to make your home look cleaner for the holidays is to clean the grout in your tiles. Use the clean grout bundle to quickly and easily clean grout.
*Pro Tip - When cleaning your floors, make sure to pick cleaning products that are safe for your floors and prevent re-soiling. This is especially important when you are using a carpet steam cleaner. Choosing the right cleaning products can protect your floors for years to come and keep them cleaner longer!