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With nonstop visits from friends and family, the holidays can truly be a hectic time filled with cooking special meals and shopping. However, cleaning for the holidays does not have to be an extra source of stress. There are a few tips and hints to keep your house sparkling clean during the holidays. After all, who does not dream of a home and hearth that is ready for guests twenty four hours a day, seven days a week? Before your social calendar starts, it is a good idea to plan ahead and get a handle on home cleaning. Here is a checklist for every room in the house.
- Bathrooms – each of your bathrooms needs to be cleaned before any guests come over. Clean each bathroom the way you normally do. Add a bowl of potpourri to spice things up and maybe a candle or two for décor. Check to see if your shower curtains need laundering. If these are worn out, think about replacing them with festive printed curtains in each bathroom to help usher in the holiday spirit.
- Dining and Living Room – Remove all general clutter in these rooms to get ready for guests. Make sure there is an area for boots and coats near the entryway. Provide a mop that you can hide in the coat closet for muddy shoes that may come in on snowy nights.
- Glassware – Holidays are a festive season that involves a lot of glasses of wine and champagne. Bring out your glasses to prepare for guests and run these in the dishwasher. Once they are dry and sanitized, give each one an extra wipe with a tissue to get rid of any finger smudges. Store these properly in a tray rim-down to differentiate between the ones that are used and the ones that are unused.
- Rooms – Get your rooms squeaky clean this holiday season by doing an overall vacuum of all the floors. Wipe down every surface and make all the beds. Launder the curtains or dust the blinds. Spray a room deodorizer and sanitizer daily which will also help protect you from bugs and viruses that people may bring into your home.
- Silverware – Now that the holidays are around the corner, it is time to bring out the silverware you will be using for entertaining and serving dishes. Wash these by hand if they are not machine washable. Soak each piece in a large bowl filled with water mixed with mild soap. Rinse each one by hand ensuring that no soap remains.
- Quick Fixes – Help keep windows smudge free with window wipes. These can also be used on surfaces such as vinyl, plastic, stainless steel and chrome. Keep disinfectant wipes near the bathrooms and kitchen for cleaning up quickly. Use these on door knobs and other items you touch commonly. When more traffic comes in your home, use toilet brushes with flushable pads for quick cleanups. Spot dust the tops of tables with electro-static cloth dusters.
As you do the holiday cleaning, remember that the cleaner your home is before the crowd comes to visit, the more likely it will be to get organized when it is all over, too.