The holiday season is just around the corner, and that means only one thing -- you'll be welcoming family and friends into your home. Whether you're someone who loves hosting the festivities or you're just unlucky to have drawn the short stick amongst your relatives, preparing for these holiday gatherings comes with a lot of pressure and is always stressful. Luckily, you can take away all the stress from the holiday preparations by simply following these practical tips, and for sure, a sparkling clean home awaits you and your guests.
Plan Before You Clean
Believe it or not, there's such a thing called cleaning too early. Especially if you have kids, things can get dirty really fast. So, before you bust out those gloves and cleaning supplies, finalize your event date and make sure to do the following first so you can better plan your future cleaning schedule.
- Make a list. First of all, make a list of everything you want organized and cleaned. You're gonna be doing a lot of preparations, so this is your chance to ensure that you're not gonna miss out on the important tasks. A properly outlined event, more often than not, results in both the host and the guests having a good time!
- Stock up on supplies.At this point, you can start gathering extra supplies. You’ll want to consider supplies for the preparations, the actual party, and the party aftermath. On top of our list would be toilet papers and paper towels, garbage bag, cleaning wipes, and other basic toiletries in case an overnight guest forgets anything.
- Prioritize and tackle one room at a time. You don’t need to (and can't) do everything at once. Focus on the areas and rooms that guests will be using the most, like the kitchen, the guest bathroom and of course, the living room. Do this so you don't get overwhelmed.
- Enlist help. Don’t try to take on house cleaning all by yourself if there are able-bodied adults and even kids around to help! Assign tasks that you are comfortable to delegate and are within your helpers' capabilities.
- Keep calm and don’t stress. In hosting any house parties, you don't need to be perfect. Only do what you can. Whatever happens, your family and friends will understand, and if they don’t, just find a new set of family and friends. Kidding!
Start Cleaning
At the earliest, start with your holiday preparation cleaning 4-5 days before arrival of your guests. Starting earlier than this may just be too soon, and you may end up with a home that's not ready to accept guests a day before, or worse, on the day of the house party. To get you started, you may check out our 'spring-cleaning in the fall' tips and room-specific cleaning hacks. Of course, you should focus on the areas in your priority list.
Do Some Finishing Touches and Relax
Prior to guest arrivals, you may do final last-minute cleaning just to make sure everything is in order. You may start by cleaning obvious debris in your backyard, and finishing it off with some quick cleaning tasks. Once done, you can sit back, relax and just wait for your guests to arrive.
In a nutshell, the holiday season is a wonderful reason to celebrate and is meant to be fun! Don't let the duties of entertaining and cleaning keep you from having a great time. Just follow the simple tips above, and you're ready for the most festive and enjoyable time of the year.
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