Less than four weeks to Christmas now and if you are hosting the festivities at your house this year, then it’s probably time to start planning and getting the house ready.
If you are anything like me, and especially if you have children at home, then your house may have a ‘lived in’ appearance for most of the year, and it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start to get everything back up to scratch and ready for company.
So here is our handy checklist of Christmas Cleaning tasks to tick off between now and Christmas Day. You could even make an advent calendar of chores and tick off one or two each day.
First steps
The first thing to do is to go around the house and take notes on what needs to be done in each room. Think about who is coming, where they will eat, where they will relax, where they will sleep and what else needs to be provided for them.
Make notes in each room of what needs to be changed, moved or cleaned
Making a Christmas cleaning checklist like this will help you get the house prepared much more effectively.
If you have family members or children who are going to help you, this list will also allow you to dish out the various chores and tick them off when they are done.
A big declutter
As you go around each room make a note too, of what needs to be moved, put away or disposed of, in order to make the living space as lovely as it can be for the whole family.
De-cluttering your home makes it easier for you to clean, and to put the decorations up without wasting time arranging items or moving them from one room to the other.
Once you have decluttered, then you can start preparing each of the major zones in your house – I’ve identified five major areas, but you may have more or less – feel free to divide it up in a way that makes sense to you.
The Entrance and Hallway
If you are expecting guests for Christmas, start off by considering what they will see as they arrive at and enter your home.
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Take a look at your front driveway and entrance outside the house. Does it need sweeping, weeding or any other maintenance? Give all of the windows a good clean, inside and out
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If your guests will be arriving in the evening, or if the weather is bad, consider the lighting outside your home. Can people see the path to the door clearly and find the doorbell? Festive fairy lights can be beautiful and attractive, or maybe consider a Smart Bulb at the entrance that switches on automatically at dusk, or that can be switched on with a voice command when your guests ring the doorbell.
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Consider a welcome mat (possibly a special one for the season?) and/or a festive wreath on the door to make the entrance even more inviting.
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Clear the hallway of all the stuff that is routinely dumped there. Leave behind one coat and set of outdoor shoes for each family member, and make space for your guests to leave their coats, umbrellas, etc.
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If your family wears socks or slippers indoors, consider providing spares for your guests, or remind them to bring some with them
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One of the first things your guests may notice is the way the house smells. You can use fresh flowers, herbs, essential oils, reed diffusers or pot pourri to create a festive aroma to greet your guests and put them in the right mood.
The Kitchen
If you have guests staying for a while, you are going to be spending a long time in the kitchen, and storing a lot of food, so you will need all the space you can get. Consider having a good clear out and tidy up before the big Christmas supermarket order is delivered.
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Clear out and re-pack your shelves and cupboards. Take dry pastas and cereals out of bulky boxes and store in plastic containers. Non-essentials can be stored out of the kitchen for a while, maybe in a garage or shed
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Your counter tops will be in constant use over Christmas so clear them of any unnecessary clutter and give them a good wipe down with a suitable detergent. It’s also worth giving your shelves, chairs and furnishings a once-over to remove any stains or build-up of dust. The same goes for your dining table. A good polish or wax can go a long way.
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If you have guests staying for a few days, put tea, coffee and sugar together on a tray next to the kettle along with cups, saucers and spoons. Label anything ambiguous to avoid guests putting salt in their coffee.
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Give yourself as much preparation space for the Christmas lunch as possible by clearing surfaces of clutter, or add extra work space with a butcher’s trolley.
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It’s definitely worth hiring a professional to come and give your oven a thorough clean. That way the only smells that will come from the oven will be those of your delicious home cooking!
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Clean your fridge thoroughly, removing any out-of-date food (and recycling the packaging where appropriate). Emptying out your fridge also means you’ve got plenty of room for food and drink that your kind guests might bring you.
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Make sure you give all your glasses a good clean and polish, especially if you are getting the posh ones out that only see the light once a year. An easy way to do this is to rinse the outside of the glass in vinegar – don’t worry about the smell, as it will fade as it dries.
The Bathroom
A family bathroom can be a sight for sore eyes, but it’s fairly likely that most of your guests will visit it at least once while they are there. So it is worth tidying it up a little, although this job can probably wait until very close to the guests’ arrival, as well-used bathrooms have a habit of getting messy again very quickly
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Clear the shelves, the basin area and the edges of the bath of all but the essential toiletries.
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Invest in a few sets of matching towels to add a touch of luxury and colour to a plain bathroom. They’ll look luxurious stacked in piles or roll them and arrange them in a basket to save space and create a luxurious atmosphere.
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Keep your guests from rummaging through your cupboards by leaving extra toilet paper in sight. A pretty basket is a great place to stash a few rolls.
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Don’t forget to empty the waste bin. It’s an easy step, but it goes a long way toward making your house feel “clean”. If you don’t normally use a waste bin in your bathroom, consider whether any of your guests might need one.
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If you normally leave the laundry bin in the bathroom, maybe consider moving it into your bedroom or somewhere else if it tends to be messy.
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Your guests don’t want to see toothpaste splatter or water spots when they’re trying to freshen up in the bathroom. When cleaning for the holidays use some glass cleaner and paper towels and really polish the mirrors until you get a streak-free reflection.
Guest Bedrooms
If you are having guests staying overnight, then you will need to provide a bedroom for them. Whether you are giving them your room, moving the children around or closing down your home office for a few days so someone can sleep in it, you need to make the room feel homely and welcoming
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Don’t forget to create space in the wardrobe and clear a drawer or two so guests can unpack. If you can’t make space in your own wardrobe, or don’t have any storage in the room where guests will be staying, invest in a temporary hanging rail that your guests can use
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Plan sleeping arrangements early, making sure pillows and duvets are clean and dry, and storing them together with the right-sized bedlinen. Make matching sets easy to find by folding each set together and storing it in one of its pillowcases
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Give your overnight guests an early Christmas present – a beautiful towelling bath gown will help them feel snug and comfortable at bedtime and allow them to linger over breakfast in style. And don’t forget to give them a towel each.
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You may wish to move a house plant into the guest room to make it feel more welcoming and ‘lived in’ and to make your guests feel more comfortable.
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As with the entrance you might want to consider the smell of the room. Lavender is a good fragrance for bedrooms as it has a calming and relaxing aroma.
The Living room
The living room is the heart of the home and where the majority of the Christmas celebration will take place in most homes. If you are lucky enough to have a separate dining area then consider that included within my general description of ‘living room’.
I’ve left this space till last because in many ways it takes the most thought and planning. This is the room that is likely to look the most different from its normal appearance when the guests come around. You will probably have a Christmas tree, some other decorations – maybe a table or a big pile for the presents. So before you start the decorating, clear the space out and simplify before you beautify.
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Make space for the Christmas tree. Move furniture closer together or turn major pieces around for a better fit. Most living rooms are arranged so that every seat has a good view of the TV, but at Christmas, consider giving the tree the prime spot.
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You may need to cut down on the amount of toys, games and other things that are left in the living room – after all if things go according to plan there will be new toys on Christmas Day. So consider moving some of the other playthings back to bedrooms for a while
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Random piles of mail, magazines and papers often accumulate on tables and surfaces throughout the home. Sift through each pile and throw whatever you can into the recycle box. Anything else, pop into a shoe box and mark it with a note on the side, then stow it away in a cupboard out of sight.
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Similarly, a cluttered mantelpiece, windowsill or bookshelf can make the whole room look untidy. Take a look at everything that is on display in this room and consider if it needs to be freshened up, decluttered, or packed away for a while
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Give your carpets and rugs a good clean, and polish any wooden floors, then keep up a regular vacuuming regime over the holiday period, especially if your family like to be outdoors a lot, or if you have a Christmas tree that sheds needles. You may want to consider investing in a robot vacuum cleaner, which can do this daily chore for you every day automatically, freeing up your time for the other tasks on this list
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We’ve all got that nice set of cutlery and crockery that only makes an appearance on special occasions. Now is their time to shine – literally. Set the time aside to clean and polish your lovely kitchenware and make your Christmas meal even more memorable.
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Finally consider the table dressing for your Christmas meal. Do you need a tablecloth? Serviettes? Name cards? A centrepiece? Crackers? Candles?
A beautifully dressed Christmas table can be the heart of the family celebration
Final Words
At the end of the day, don’t forget that your guests have come to see you and your family and to have a good time, and most of them will not be judging you on how tidy and beautiful your home is. So just do as much as you reasonably can, and don’t stress about it.
Then when the guests arrive, just focus on enjoying yourself and try not to worry. There will be plenty of time to tidy up again after the celebration is over.
These tips were brought to you by the team at Eufy. Please check out our site for the latest robot vacuums and Smart Home Technology
Please feel free to add your own Christmas cleaning tips below
