The holiday season is finally here!
On the one hand, the most festive time of year means plenty of opportunities to spend time with your family and enjoy magical moments together. On the other hand, preparing for the guests and celebrations of this time of year can be a serious headache – even for the most experienced hosts.
Not only do you want to prepare your home to look fantastic for your loved ones, but you also want to make sure that it stays as clean as possible too!
You can always hire a cleaning company like Cleaning Tribe to do the job. But if you’ve already decided to do it yourself this year, here are our top tips for preparing your home for guests this winter and keeping your seasonal stress levels to a minimum.
Step 1: Create a Plan
The holidays are the most wonderful time of year for many people, but they can be incredibly messy too. If you’re going to prepare adequately for your guests, then you need a plan.
Start by walking through your home and looking at everything from a guest’s perspective. If you were staying in this property as a guest over the holiday season, how would you feel about the dusty blinds and grimy baseboards? Make a note of everything that needs to be done so that you’re fully prepared.
Once you have your list, remember that you don’t have to tackle it alone. Bring your family together to go over your plan and assign chores. The faster you can get the work done, the quicker you can start to enjoy the festive period.
Step 2: Do the Big Jobs First
When you’ve got a large task ahead of you, like cleaning your entire home in time for holiday guests, it’s helpful to tackle the bigger jobs first and work your way down to the smaller things. For instance, there’s no point in scrubbing your entryway if you’re going to be traipsing in and out the next day with items that you want to take to a storage container to help you declutter.
Plan your activities in a practical way. Often, it’s best to start with decluttering the house, as this will mean that you have fewer items to work around when you’re dusting and scrubbing. Look for ways to get rid of things that you don’t need in public areas like the living room, kitchen and dining room. Even if you just have to box things up and take them to the basement, that will help to make your house seem more open to your guests.
Step 3: Decide if You Need Help Early
When you’re planning out the big jobs, it’s worth deciding whether you need some extra help. Often, the time just before the holidays can be a great time to deep clean your home and get into all the nooks and crannies that you might miss throughout the rest of the years. Unfortunately, most people simply don’t have time to handle such a gigantic job when they’re also wrapping presents, preparing meals, and arranging celebrations.
If you think you’re going to need the support of a dedicated local maid service, make sure that you book your appointment with plenty of time to spare. The last thing you want is for your guests to be tripping over your cleaning team when they arrive.
Step 4: Deal with the Essentials
If you’ve done your deep-clean yourself or had it done a few weeks ago, then it may be that you just need to address the basics when you’re cleaning your home for the holidays. Remember, pay particular attention to bathrooms and kitchens where hygiene is crucial. While getting in and scrubbing everything in your bathroom and kitchen might seem like a nightmare at first, it can help to prevent the spread of germs during the holidays.
Although the winter season can be magical, it’s also a time when illness spreads more commonly. You don’t want a house full of sick people if you can avoid it. Wash everything you can, get rid of mildew around your faucets and throw your shower curtain in the laundry before people arrive.
Step 5: Add Some Finishing Touches
When everything in your home is thoroughly cleaned, it’s time to make sure that everyone feels welcome within your property. This means adding those extra touches that make your house extra inviting. For instance, it’s the holiday season, so try adding fairy lights to the hallways around your home. This will not only look pretty, but it will help your guests to navigate an unfamiliar space at night.
Fresh plants around the home, soft towels in the bathroom and brand-new duvet covers in every bedroom are some other great ways that you can make your home feel particularly inviting during the holiday season. Don’t forget to look into reed diffusers and scented candles to keep any pesky unwanted smells at bay!
Step 6: Maintain Your Hard Work!
Finally, remember that it can be tough to keep on top of the work you’ve done in cleaning your home for the holidays when there are plenty of people walking around at any given time. Try to keep on top of the most important things like the bathrooms, and the kitchen. At the end of every day, make sure that you wipe over surfaces, get rid of unwanted moisture, and throw away any garbage that might have accumulated.
It’s worth keeping plenty of designated trash areas handy around the house too. For instance, try putting a waste basket in every bedroom to ensure that your guests don’t simply leave wrappers and other items lying around. This should ensure that you have fewer things to tidy when everyone leaves.
Enjoy the Holidays!
The festive season is filled with love, family, and plenty of wonderful experiences. Of course, it can be hard work keeping on top of the mess! With the tips above, you should feel fully prepared for your guests to arrive this year, and you’ll know what you need to do to keep the house looking great too!
