The holiday season is upon us. With that in mind, it’s time to start thinking about the family and friends you will soon be welcoming into your home. But before you pull out the holiday decor, your house may require some cleaning.
Rather than taking on all of your holiday cleaning in one weekend, breaking down your tasks week-by-week can help relieve your stress and ensure that you get everything cleaned and organize properly, with time to spare for decorating and a final spruce. Here is a list of some of the most common housekeeping tasks leading up to the holidays, with a timeline to match.
Three Weeks Until the Holidays
- Stock up on cleaning supplies early. This will help you avoid having to make any last minute trips and long lines during the peak gift-buying season.
- Deep clean your stovetop and oven. Remove grime from your oven door by hand to ensure you get everything off and avoid potential hazards with your holiday feast.
- Clean out your pantry and other food-filled cabinets. Take stock of the items you have and create a list of the ingredients you will need to cook a delicious holiday meal.
- Get your dining accessories, from fine china to tablecloths, ready. Wash any napkins, tablecloths, runners and placemats. Take stock of the dishes and silverware you plan to use to ensure you have enough for all of your guests. If you have special serveware, give it a quick wash, especially if it has been sitting in the back of a cabinet since last year.
Two Weeks Until the Holidays
- Now that your pantry is taken care of, it’s time to tackle your refrigerator. Remove everything from the shelves and give the inside of the fridge a deep clean. Before putting the items back into the fridge, discard anything past the expiration date. Be sure to make a list of the ingredients you will need for your holiday feast.
- Wash the kitchen floors. Of course, you will continue to vacuum and sweep, but a nice, deep clean to your floors will remove all the dirt and grime brought in from outside during the fall months.
- Collect and wash guest towels and linens. Get these loads of laundry out of the way to avoid doing them last minute and have them ready for when your guests arrive. Be sure to dust and vacuum the guest rooms at this time, as well.
One Week Until the Holidays
- Declutter your kitchen counters to make room for all of the food prep and dishes you will be using for your meals. Consider moving smaller appliances out of the kitchen and into a cabinet or closet temporarily.
- Declutter your living spaces, such as your living room, family room, screened in porch and finished basement—wherever you and your guests will spend your time. Relocate piles of mail and toys and take out extra pillows and blankets and place them in a basket by your couch.
- Deep clean your bathrooms. Scrub down your toilet and bathtub, de-grime your shower and clean your sinks and countertops.
- Stock your bathrooms with extra towels, linens, toilet paper and any necessary toiletries.
One Day Until Your Guests Arrive
- Wipe down all of the surfaces throughout your home, including kitchen countertops, bathrooms counters and any furniture in your entryway, living areas and bedrooms.
- Vacuum and sweep your floors, from your kitchen to the living room, plus bathrooms and bedrooms.
- Empty any and all trash cans throughout the home.
By following this cleaning countdown, you can get your home clean, tidy and organized without trying to squeeze it all into one weekend just a few days before you welcome friends and family into your home. Once you get to your last day of your cleaning countdown, be sure to set aside an hour or two to sit back, relax and soak in all of your hard work. After all, you deserve to enjoy your clean holiday home, too!
Source: Real Simple
