Holiday Cleaning Guide

Below you will find additional simple tips that will help you get your house in the order. Let’s start with a few suggestions about what you should do three days ahead.

What Should I Do Three Days Ahead?

• Wash and press table and bed linens.

• Wash and dust all light fixtures and ceiling fans.

• Clean and prepare china, crystal, and silver.

• Remove all corner cobwebs.

• Clean the inside and exterior of the oven and refrigerator.

• Scrub around the dishwasher door.

• Clean all windows and blinds.

• Dust around the baseboards and windowsills.

• Vacuum the upholstery.

• Clean and tidy up all bookcases.

What Should I Do Two Days Ahead?

• Sweep your front sidewalk.

• Remove all stains from carpet and upholstery.

• Clean floors in the living area and bedrooms.

• Pick up all clutter, throw away newspapers, store knickknacks and toys.

• Clean the bathroom sinks, showers, toilets, and tubs.

• Clean out all trashcans.

• Dust everything, including the computer screens, TV screens, and picture frames.

• Scour the top of the stove.

• Clean the inside and out of the microwave.

What Should I Do the Night Before?

• Polish faucets throughout the house.

• Remove any smudges from the kitchen stove, refrigerator, or dishwasher.

• Change out wastebaskets and take out trash.

• Clean the bathroom mirrors.

• Wash all the bathroom and kitchen towels in really hot water.

• Make sure you have bathroom supplies in order, like soap and shampoo.

• Clean the kitchen sink thoroughly.

What Do I Do If My Guest Arrive Unexpected?

You get the call, you have someone who is “in the neighborhood” and will be to your house in 20 or 30 minutes. This means you will have to speedily clean your house. Don’t worry about the bedrooms, just shut all of those doors. Don’t panic, here’s how to tidy your house in a quick minute:

Get the stuff up off the floor. Clutter always makes your house look awful. Grab a laundry basket and start picking up the toys and debris that is scattered around. Put it in a closet to later sort out.

Hit the bathroom next. Nothing is more embarrassing than a dirty bathroom. Flush and clean the toilet, quickly wipe down the sink and counter, make sure you have all toiletries put away, hang fresh towels, put out some toilet paper, and empty the garbage.

Start on your kitchen area. Unload and load the dishwasher or if you don’t have one, fill the sink with soapy water and pile them in. Go back to that later.

Straighten up the living area. Cleaning the family room or living area includes fluffing the cushions on the sofa, tossing throws in a trunk or closet, putting away all magazines and books, and stashing all other clutter in a closet. Be sure to get all your shoes out of sight, too.

Wash the dishes. If you only have a few minutes left, be washing the dishes when your guests arrive. You may get these done just in the nick of time.