It’s that special time of year again, and you’re probably planning your festive celebrations as you read this. While your priorities probably involve party planning and meal preparations, spare a thought for the cleaning required in your home during the Christmas period.
The constant flow of people, food, alcohol and all of the Christmas paraphernalia we’ve grown accustomed to can take a heavy toll on the tidiness and cleanliness of your home — unless you have a plan of action in place, that is.
To help you keep your home spick and span this festive season, we’ve compiled a Christmas cleaning checklist — and we’ve divided into three very clear sections to make your life as easy as possible.
BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Two days before Christmas Eve should be when you start preparing your home for the festive season. So it’s vital that you schedule enough time and enlist enough help to get your home ready. Perform a deep clean of every room, but if you need to prioritise, spend the bulk of your time on rooms your guests will spend time in.
Some of the essential pre-Christmas jobs you will need to attend to include:
- Cleaning carpets
- Beating out upholstery and mats
- Cleaning all of your outstanding laundry
- Stocking up on cleaning supplies
- Removing Christmas decorations from storage
Once you’re happy that your home is as clean and tidy as it can be, you can start preparing the essentials in readiness for your gatherings. Among the items to get ready include:
- Dishes
- Glassware
- Cutlery
- Crockery
- Place settings
- Decorations
Make sure everything is cleaned in advance. It’s also a good idea to ensure you have sufficient supplies for the events and gatherings you’re planning. If you’re worried about washing up, you can use paper or plastic plates and cutlery (making sure they’re recyclable wherever possible). This is also a good time to ensure you have enough clean linen, bins and napkins to cater for your guests.
DURING CHRISTMAS
You obviously want to spend as little time cleaning your home as possible during your Christmas celebrations. If you’ve taken the preparatory steps listed above, you’ll be able to spend as much time as possible enjoying yourself when the fun begins. However, you will still need to perform a few cleaning jobs to keep your home looking clean and tidy.
To keep things simple, put off any big cleaning jobs until everything settles down. Position a small cleaning station in each room, which should include the basic cleaning tools and chemicals you’ll need to keep your home looking respectable. In addition, make sure you have stain removal agents at the ready in order to protect your carpets and upholstery from unexpected spillages.
Use the following daily checklist to keep your home in the cleanest condition possible:
- Clear up spills and spillages as they happen
- Vacuum and sweep floors in communal areas
- Empty bins and replace liners
- Check and replenish bathroom stocks(soap, toilet paper etc.)
- Quickly wipe down baths, showers, toilets and sinks with the appropriate cleaning agents
- Cover and store leftover food immediately
AFTER CHRISTMAS
Once the last of the wine has been enjoyed and Santa is sunning himself on a tropical beach, your thoughts will automatically turn to the clean-up operation. The first thing you need to do is declutter, paying special attention to:
- Christmas decorations
- Leftover food
- Wrapping paper
- Opened presents
- Out-of-place furniture
- Magazines and newspapers
- Cutlery, crockery and glassware
Once you’ve decluttered, you’ll know exactly where you stand in terms of the cleanliness of your home. Wash and store away all of the crockery, glassware and cutlery you’ve used. You may need to place some of it into long-term storage if you used more than usual.
You will probably need to repeat the deep clean you performed before Christmas at this stage. However, take the opportunity to compile a list of cleaning jobs specific to the time of year, including the removal of wine stains and the search for hidden turkey and other festive treats on your carpets and in your furniture.
This is also a good time to wash and store Christmas fancy dress and make plans for any leftover food you might have. Once you’re happy that your home is back to its pre-Christmas state, you can start making plans for your New Year’s Eve party!
