The holidays are hectic, especially when you start shopping for presents, preparing food, and hosting overnight guests. Everything from cookie crumbs, spilled drinks, piles of dirty dishes, sticky floors, and more are enough to quell your holiday spirit and bring out the Scrooge in you.
But don’t let the stress of holiday cleaning have you saying, “Bah humbug!” The cleaning pros at Molly Maid have some important tips to share, including a list of essential cleaning items and supplies you should keep on hand to help minimize the ‘stress from the mess’ and make sure your holiday stays merry.
Molly Maid’s years of experience in special event cleaning will help you develop a cleaning plan to minimize the preparation stress associated with holiday entertaining. We’ll also provide a cleaning strategy to get your space back in shape after your guests leave.
Keep These Cleaning Items Well-Stocked During Holidays
- Absorbent kitchen cloths (for easy cleanup): Keep plenty of microfiber cloths in your kitchen so you can effectively clean up spills and keep countertops clean. Keep a mop handy for larger spills.
- Dustbuster or handheld brush and dustpan: A small brush and dustpan or vacuum can help you stay on top of small messes on counters and floors.
- Paper towels: An ample supply of paper towels is a must during the holidays, whether you have guests or not. They will help you keep spills contained and make cleanup a little easier.
- Cleaning Vinegar: Cleaning material such as vinegar contains around six percent acid, which makes it 20 percent stronger than distilled white vinegar is. You can use it as a cleaning material to effectively freshen up almost every surface in your home.
- Furniture Cleaner: Don’t let the dust settle, especially on your furniture. Keep some wood oil or all-purpose furniture spray handy to wipe down dusty cabinets, entertainment centers, dressers, coffee tables, and whatever else needs dusting.
- Large Garbage Bags: The holidays are all about food, fun, and festivities, but. And with that comes a lot of extra trash. So whether you have house guests visiting or not, having plenty of large garbage bags handy is always a good idea.
Get Ahead of Your Holiday To-Do List
Getting ready for the holidays should be a family affair rather than a burden laid on one person in the family. To get everyone involved, make a holiday preparation to-do list and share it with the entire family. Make your initial list two weeks to a month before your holiday events begin or guests arrive. Use this list to organize your tasks and check off completed items. The goal is to get your list down to a few items by the time your event and/or guests arrive.
Instead of trying to get all the holiday to-do cleaning items completed in one long, exhausting day, schedule some cleaning days over the course of a few weeks (and make sure everyone pitches in).
What Should Be Done Prior To Starting a Cleaning Task:
- Rally the troops! Get every member of the household involved, including the kids. Even little hands can make a big difference when it comes to getting the house in order. It’s also a great way to teach kids early about the importance of ‘pitching in.’
- Mobilize! Have a team meeting in the kitchen and hand out cleaning items and assignments. Start with the high-traffic, high-visibility areas first and work your way down the list.
- Entrance points Start by cleaning the entryways, foyer, and hall closets. Keeping these areas clean will help make a good first impression with guests and visitors. It also creates some extra rooms for things such as coats, shoes, suitcases, etc.
- Bathroom blitz Regardless of daily usage, bathrooms need to be thoroughly cleaned before guests and visitors arrive. Dedicate a block of time to tackle bathroom cleaning, which is a time-consuming task. Ask the kids to clean their own bathrooms, but make sure you check their work. If you’re feeling especially energetic, use that extra fuel to tidy up hallways and remove dust and clutter from sitting areas.
- Guest rooms: Set aside some time to ensure that the rooms where your guests are staying, bedroom, den, attic, or basement area are thoroughly clean. Don’t forget to provide freshly washed bedding. It’s a nice touch that will help make guests feel welcome in your home (place a mint on their pillow if you really want to impress them).
- Call in the Pros All this cleaning requires a lot of work, and you have numerous other tasks to complete. Get professional help and guaranteed results from Molly Maid.
Plan and Prepare for the Day Guests Arrive
The holidays are all about family, friends, and sharing time together. Now that you have our tips on getting your home ready for holiday guests, here’s some advice on creating a memorable holiday experience on the day your guests arrive.
- Wow them with snacks Before guests arrive, put out some of their favorite snacks (do a little homework on the type of snacks your guests enjoy). If you’re feeling inspired, some freshly baked cookies are hard for anyone to resist. Also, the smell of freshly baked cookies is incredibly welcoming.
- Wardrobe upgrade While no one expects you to be wearing your Sunday best when guests arrive at your home, it is nice to change out of sweats or pajamas and put on a nice outfit to greet your guests.
- Holiday vibes Depending on which holidays you celebrate, some nice holiday music and a few strategically-placed lit candles will help set the mood and create a relaxing holiday feel.
- Final walkthrough Right before guests arrive, do a final sweep of the house to make sure the guest bathrooms have clean towels and toilet paper, the sleeping areas have fresh linens, the living area is clean and organized, and there isn’t clutter or random items strewn about.
Cleaning Tasks After Guests Leave
Once the party’s over so to speak, it’s time to get your house back in order. After-party cleaning may not be at the top of your holiday wish list, but once your guests leave, you’ll be happy to have your house and everything else back in its proper place. You will likely be exhausted and so contact Molly Maid for after-party cleaning.
If you have several guests staying with you at different times, clean the guest bedroom and bathroom right away before the next wave arrives. Wash all the bedding in warm or hot water with a capful of white vinegar to ensure they are fresh. Dust any fans, vacuum floors, and spot clean any stains you see on carpets or area rugs.
Stay on Top of Holiday Cleaning With Molly Maid
Entertaining holiday guests is a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. Let your local Molly Maid help. For special event cleaning before or after the holidays, Molly Maid will help you get it all done. We have over 500 locally-owned locations nationwide. To get started give us a call or request an estimate online today.
