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It’s nearing the end of November, and for many, that means it is time to start thinking about cleaning your home before the holidays begin. Whether you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas Eve party, it may be difficult to get everything done in time without help from some organizational tips. In this blog post, we will share 25 different ways to clean and organize your home so you can spend more time with your family during these special times.
Photo by Lynda Hinton on Unsplash
In this article, we will talk about these 25 tips for getting your Holiday Home into shape:
- Minimize your belongings and declutter
- Do your laundry
- Remove cobb webs
- Wash your table cloths
- Clean your windows
- Clean out the fridge
- Buy new groceries and meal plan ahead
- Clean all of the guest rooms
- Clean all of the guest bathrooms
- Clean the walls (remove scuff marks)
- Make room for your visitor’s coats
- Make room for your visitor’s shoes
- Clean your carpets
- Vacuum the hardwood floors
- Empty the kitchen cabinets
- Empty the dishwasher
- Only use plates and cutlery that can be cleaned in the dishwasher
- Burn lovely candles for the smell in your home
How to Clean Your Home Before the Holidays:
1. Minimize your belongings and declutter
Let’s start with perhaps the most fun job in this whole list: declutter your home! You can do this by organizing your belongings so you only have the things that are most important to you. No idea how to start? You can watch an episode of Marie Kondo’s cleaning series on Netflix if you would like, or put on a declutter episode on Youtube.
It’s very important that you remove the decluttered belongings as soon as possible: one idea is to donate or sell your belongings, and then you can use the money for something special.
You’ll be surprised how much better you feel when you only have the bare necessities in your home!
Minimize clutter by donating or selling unwanted items: this will make it easier to clean before guests arrive.
2. Do your laundry
Next, it’s time to tackle the laundry. This is one of those jobs that always seem to pile up, but if you do a little each day, it won’t be so bad. You can start by separating your lights and darks, then washing them accordingly.
If there are any stains on your clothes, make sure you treat them before putting them in the wash. Finally, make sure to fold and put away your clothes as soon as they are dry!
Laundry is always a daunting task, but it can be made easier by doing a little at a time: separating lights and darks, pre-treating stains, and folding clothes as soon as they are dry.
3. Remove cobb webs
Another thing that can be easily forgotten, but should not be neglected: removing cobb webs. These spiders love to make their homes in dark and dusty corners, so it’s important to take a few minutes to remove them.
The best way to remove cobb webs is with a vacuum cleaner or broom: just make sure you get all of the webs and corners!
Spiders love to make their homes in dark, dusty corners: take a few minutes each day to remove the cobwebs.
4. Wash your table cloths:
Table cloths can be a huge pain to clean, but if you take them off the tables and wash them in the washing machine, it’ll be much easier. Make sure to use cold water and a mild detergent so they don’t get ruined.
Table cloths can be washed in the washing machine use cold water and mild detergent for delicate table cloths.
5. Clean your windows:
Another easily neglected chore: the windows. Make sure to clean these with a slightly damp cloth and vinegar, then wipe them dry. This will make your home look much more presentable before all of your guests arrive!
Cleaning the windows is an important job that shouldn’t be overlooked: use this simple cleaning tip for sparkling results.
Clean out blinds or curtains so they can fold up nicely against the wall when not in use during party time.
6. Clean out the fridge
The next thing you’ll want to do is clean out the fridge. This might seem like an unpleasant job, but it’s very important for your guests’ health!
Make sure all of the old food has been thrown away before cleaning anything in there: then wipe down any dirty walls or shelves with soap and water. After that, make sure to disinfect everything (especially if you’ve made a lot of homemade treats)!
7. Buy new groceries and meal plan ahead
Make sure to buy new groceries before your guests arrive so you won’t have any food waste! Also, make a meal plan for the holidays and write down what ingredients you’ll need.
The fridge should be cleaned out if it’s hosting holiday treats: throw away old foods and disinfect everything.
Meal planning can save money on eating out during busy times like this season.
8. Clean all of the guests rooms
The next thing you’ll want to do is clean all of the guest rooms. Make sure to change out any old towels and washcloths, then vacuum or sweep if needed.
It’s also a good idea to make each bed with fresh sheets!
Clean up clutter so it doesn’t take away from holiday fun time!
9. Clean the guests bathrooms
The bathrooms should be the last thing you clean, since they’re the most used. Make sure to scrub the toilet and sink, then wipe down all of the surfaces.
You can also give the bathroom a quick vacuum if needed!
10. Clean the walls (remove scuff marks)
Another important job is to clean all of the walls. Make sure that there are no scuff marks or smudges, then wipe them down with a slightly damp cloth and vinegar if needed.
Another trick that will help you: use a magic eraser to remove scuff marks and markings on your walls! I have even tried to remove bike markings off the door and it works like a charm!
It’s also very important to dust any furniture before holiday guests arrive!
11. Make room for your visitor’s coats
If you’re expecting guests, make sure to provide a place for them to hang their coats. This can be anything from a coat rack to a bed with hooks on the headboard!
Coat racks are very important in any home and they come in all different shapes and sizes!
Make sure there is a designated spot for guest’s coats before they arrive, this will make it so much easier to store and find the coats!
12. Make room for your visitor’s shoes
Similarly, you’ll also want to provide a place for your guests to put their shoes. This can be anything from a shoe rack to a bench at the front door!
Shoe racks are essential in any home and they come in all different shapes and sizes!
Make sure there is a designated spot for guest’s shoes before they arrive, this will make it so much easier to store and find the shoes!
13. Clean your carpets
The last thing you’ll want to do is clean your carpets. Make sure to vacuum them well, then use a carpet cleaner if needed (or even baking soda!).
Carpet cleaners come in many different forms, so find one that will work best for your needs!
Baking soda is also an excellent way to get rid of pet stains on carpet!
14. Vacuum the hardwood floors before guests arrive
Vacuuming is important no matter what type of flooring you have, but make sure to do it especially if you have all wood! Before your guests come over, sweep away any dust or dirt that might be there.
Also remember: use a broom instead of a regular vacuum for wooden surfaces since vacuums can leave scratches in their wake.
15. Sweep out front porch area
Also, clean cobwebs from corners with hand-held steamer/vacuum attachment nozzle (for crevice cleaning) and sweep out front porch area.
Vacuum attachment nozzles are great for crevice cleaning!
Cobwebs should be removed before guests come over, this will make it look so much nicer and tidier if you don’t have cobwebs in the corners of your windows/doors! I hope these tips help you clean up your home before holiday visitors arrive – happy organizing! 🙂
16. Clean out the cabinets
The final chore that you’ll want to do is clean out the cabinets. Make sure to get rid of any expired food or items that you don’t use anymore.
After everything has been thrown away, give the inside of each cabinet a good wipe down with soap and water.
17. Empty the dishwasher
The dishwasher needs to be emptied before you can put any new dishes in there! Make sure to take out all of the dishes and give them a good wash.
You can also run the dishwasher with vinegar if needed (this will help get rid of any lingering smells).
18. Declutter kitchen counters
Kitchen counters tend to be one of the most cluttered places in the house – make sure to declutter them before your guests arrive! Get rid of any appliances or items that you don’t use on a daily basis.
After everything has been cleared away, give the countertops a quick wipe down with soap and water.
19. Clean the stove top
Another important thing to clean before your guests arrive is the stove top! Make sure it’s completely free of any food or grease.
Wipe down with soap and water, then use an abrasive pad on tough areas for extra cleaning power (this will break up any caked-on dirt).
20. Clean the under-sink area
Also, make sure you give a quick wipe down to the under sink cabinets – this will help get rid of all of the dust that has gathered underneath there over time!
21. Only use plates and cutlery that can be cleaned in the dishwasher
If you have a dishwasher, use it! It’s important to only use plates and cutlery that can be cleaned in the dishwasher – this means not using paper plates or plastic utensils.
Only pick silverware, cutlery, glassware, and plates that you can clean in the dishwasher easily. This will save you a lot of time not having to do the dishes of all of your guests!
22. Clean out your laundry hamper (or baskets)
Finally, make sure to also clean out the laundry room before guests arrive – empty all of the dirty clothes from your hamper (or remove any dirty clothing from baskets). Make sure there is enough space for them to sit down and take off their shoes when they enter that area of the home as well. You don’t want anything accidentally getting thrown away because it was hidden behind other items.
23. Do one last check around / tidy up small messes
Finally, make sure to do one last quick check around the house before your guests arrive. This will help you catch and clean up any small messes that might have been missed (or revealed) during all of this cleaning!
24. Burn lovely candles for the Holiday scent in your home.
A nice candle or oil diffuser is a great way to freshen up your house’s scent! You can also use a diffuser with your favorite essential oils.
If you’re looking for a festive smell, why not try using cranberry or pine essential oils? These will help get everyone in the holiday spirit!
25. Hang up some Christmas decorations
Last but not least, hang up your Christmas decorations! This is the final touch to make your house feel like a home for the holidays.
Put up your tree, hang some stockings by the fireplace, and put out all of your festive decor! Enjoy your warm and cozy home during the winter season!
As you can see, there are plenty of things that need to be done before the holidays arrive – but it’s definitely worth it in order to have a clean and organized home! Follow these tips and you’ll be ready for the Holidays in no time. Merry holidays!
Remember: Don’t worry about perfection since things can always be cleaned later on if needed . The most important thing is just getting everything done so that when people come over they’ll see a nice neat home instead of an unorganized chaotic mess where nobody knows where anything is because nothing has ever been
Take care of these simple cleaning tasks before your guests arrive to make your home look neat and tidy. Chances are, you’ll have more time to enjoy yourself when everything is already taken care of!
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