The holiday season can be a very fun and exciting time, but it can also be stressful. One thing you shouldn’t have to stress out about is having a clean home. It doesn’t have to be perfect, of course, as long as it’s clean and welcoming.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to focus on the main areas that your guests are most likely to visit. You can then clean the rest of the home as you have time. Here are a few Christmas cleaning tips that will lower your stress and impress your guests.
Focus on the Rooms Guests Actually See
Most guests will only see your home’s entryway, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. These should be the priority for your holiday cleaning. By keeping the doors closed to bedrooms, storage rooms, or other locations, your guests will never know whether they’re clean or not.
Not every corner in the house needs to be spotless. Your energy should be focused on places where people sit, eat, and walk. If you aren’t sure, you can have a “rehearsal” where you pretend a guest has arrived, go to each location in your home that your real guest will see, and check for any unclean spots.
The 1-Hour “Guests Are Coming Soon” Emergency Clean
You may not always have time to prepare, especially if you decide to invite someone over on the spur of the moment or a friend offers to come by and exchange gifts. In this case, you can use this handy guide for fast emergency holiday cleaning.
In the first 10 minutes, declutter the main rooms as much as possible. Anything left lying around, especially if it’s something you’d rather your guests not see, should be put in a closet or in one of the bedrooms.
Then, spend 15 minutes wiping down key bathroom surfaces, like the toilet, sink, and mirror, as well as refreshing the towels. You can then dust the living room and vacuum the carpets (in that order).
Finally, 15 minutes in the kitchen to clean the counters, wipe down the floor, and clean the sinks. If you have any dirty dishes in the sink, you can put them in the dishwasher or simply hide them in a cardboard box until your guests have departed.
Of course, these can be completed in any order or as needed. If you’ve already recently cleaned the guest bathroom and it hasn’t been used recently, you can skip it and spend those 15 minutes cleaning another area.
Simple Ways to Reduce Holiday Cleaning Stress
As long as you don’t have any immediate plans to entertain guests, you can easily reduce your cleaning burden by spreading out small tasks over a few days. If multiple family members or roommates live in the home, each can be assigned a single task to prevent one person from having to do all the work themselves.
You can use baskets, bins, or boxes to scoop up clutter quickly for easy storage, which will also make it easier if you want to put some of it back after your holiday visitors have left for the season.
Always keep in mind that your home doesn’t need to be picture-perfect every single time. It’s okay if things are “good enough” sometimes. Your guests probably aren’t expecting things to look like you live in a museum, either.
When to Call a Professional House Cleaning Service
Sometimes it may be easier or more advantageous to call in the professionals to handle your holiday cleaning. For example, if you have family members or other guests staying longer than a day, you may want a deep clean from a professional home cleaning service.
Time is another important factor. The holiday season can be very busy, and between work, kids, events, shopping, and everything else life throws at us, it’s not always easy to find time to clean. The professionals can handle the work for you, allowing you more time to enjoy the holidays.
You may also just want a proper pre-holiday clean or the perfect post-holiday January reset. If these or any other reasons would make holiday cleaning inconvenient or impossible for you to complete personally, don’t worry! A team of professionals can get your house looking perfect with a single visit.
Wrapping Up Your Holiday Home Cleaning
Holiday cleaning may seem daunting, but with these simple tips in mind, it can be easier than ever. Remember, you don’t clean every square inch of your home. By focusing on the key areas that guests are likely to see, you can save a lot of time and trouble.
Keep your holiday cleaning routines simple, organize quick resets when necessary, and don’t be afraid to ask other members of the household to share in tasks. If you don’t have the time or energy to complete the cleaning yourself, consider hiring a professional home cleaning company like UrbanMop.
Choose UrbanMop This Holiday Season
UrbanMop is a friendly, professional cleaning service that will help get your home ready for holiday entertainment, house parties, regular cleaning tasks, and much more. We understand that every home and family are different, so we can help create a customized cleaning plan tailored to your individual needs.
In addition to our standard services, we also offer extra cleaning options, like refrigerators, windows, and walls. You can also schedule a one-time deep cleaning to help clear up those dirty corners you’ve been avoiding for years.
To enjoy the cleanest home possible, consider setting up recurring services. With regular weekly or monthly cleanings, you’ll never have to worry about unexpected guests surprising you with a messy home.
Don’t give your relatives something to complain about. Make sure your home’s clean this holiday season by contacting UrbanMop.
