Make This Season Sparkle: 5 Tips for Holiday Break Home Cleaning
We’re about to enter the most joyful (and perhaps the busiest) season of the year. Between all the holiday shopping, end-of-year events, and family get-togethers, it can be difficult to find the time to breathe – much less keep your home clean and tidy.
However, the holiday season also means more people are likely coming over, and no one wants to play host with a dirty home. As a result, you’re forced to find the time to clean in between the school Nutcracker rehearsals and New Year’s Eve parties.
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t sweat it.
At GiGO Clean, we’re here to make deep home cleaning way easier during the holidays. To start, we’re sharing five easy tips that will help you keep a tidy house during the hustle and bustle.
(1) Prepare by Decluttering
Before diving into serious house cleaning, and before the holiday season is in full swing, consider decluttering. After all, you shouldn’t waste valuable time organizing or cleaning items that you don’t want to keep.
Clearing out excess items helps create a more inviting space for guests – one in which there’s room to breathe and relax. At the same time, decluttering prepares you for the inevitable influx of new belongings during the gift-giving season.
If you don’t have time to go through every room in the house, start by decluttering a few key spaces such as your closets, the garage, and perhaps children’s rooms. As you go through each space, make piles of items that should be disposed of and others that can be donated to charities.
We know that decluttering can seem frustrating and exhausting to many families. If you’re in that boat, take a deep breath and reel yourself back in.
Remember: you can always hire a professional organizer to help with the worst parts of decluttering and organizing.
(2) Deep Clean for a Warm Welcome
It doesn’t matter if you plan to have guests or not – now’s the time to give your home a deep clean so that it looks its best. We always recommend using your time wisely and cleaning your home before you find out you might be hosting last-minute guests.
As you plan your attack, think about the spaces where your friends and family will spend the most time, then prioritize accordingly.
In most cases, this means sanitizing and tidying the kitchen, vacuuming and dusting the living room, and refreshing all of the bedrooms. You might also want to put some elbow grease into those bathrooms so that guests feel comfortable using them.
Of course, if you’re like most families, you don’t have hours to dedicate to a deep home clean before Christmas or Hanukkah. If that’s your situation, you may want to consider outsourcing your deep clean to the professionals for great results and to get some chores off your plate.
(3) Clean Your Holiday Decorations
Let’s be honest: your holiday decorations have been sitting in a basement or attic for at least nine months, if not longer. Chances are, they can use a thorough cleaning before you display them proudly around your home.
A dust-cloth and bottle of gentle cleaner can work wonders for most holiday decorations. Keep in mind that you should avoid overly abrasive chemicals and wet cleaners – these could potentially tarnish painted surfaces on some precious decorations.
If the thought of getting out your decorations and cleaning them gives you an immediate headache, consider hiring a professional to do the job. You’ll find that decorating is way more enjoyable when you have someone else handle the dirty parts.
(4) Prepare the Guest Room
As we mentioned earlier, bedrooms are an important area to focus on when deep cleaning for the holidays. This is especially true if you’re going to have friends or family members staying in your guest room for part of the season.
Don’t just take care of the basics like changing the sheets or dusting the nightstands. To really impress your guests, you’ll want to ensure the space is fully prepared and comfortable for their stay.
Some great tips for preparing guest rooms include…
- Stocking their bathroom drawers with extra toiletries
- Clearing out the closets so guests have space to hang their clothing
- Wiping down fans and lighting fixtures for hidden cobwebs
- Removing any smears or dirt from the windows (inside and outside)
- Adding a holiday scented candle or plug-in for ambiance
- Flipping the mattress if it hasn’t been moved in the last 6 months
Although a rudimentary cleaning might suffice, your holiday guests will certainly notice if you go above and beyond to ensure they have an enjoyable stay. Hot take: a few chocolates on the pillows might even put you in that five-star accommodation category.
(5) Put Away Cleaning Supplies Safely
It’s always critical that you put away cleaning products and chemicals carefully, but it’s especially vital if you plan to host holiday parties or get-togethers with curious toddlers and/or pets in attendance.
Almost all cleaning products can pose risks to children and pets when they are ingested, inhaled, or come into contact with skin or eyes. In some cases, exposure to cleaning products can lead to severe respiratory issues, poisoning, and even organ damage.
After you’ve cleaned your home in preparation for the holidays, put some thought into how you store and organize your cleaning products. Make sure all of them are securely locked away and in places that are not easily accessible to young children, as well as dogs and cats.
Need Some Extra Help This Holiday Season? Get GiGO Clean.
We’re here to make cleaning less of a hassle every day, but especially around the holidays. If you’re looking for a truly deep clean that works with your family’s hectic schedule, say no more.
Just download the GiGO Clean app to get started.
There, you’ll find access to vetted professionals with flexible schedules and secure payment methods. Pick the date and time that work best for you, and voila! Our system will connect you with an available professional.
Have questions or concerns? Contact our support team today. In the meantime, happy holidays from the GiGO Clean team to you and yours!
