WASHINGTON — With Christmas and New Year’s celebrations approaching, many holiday party hosts are maybe freaking out a little about how to get the entire house squeaky-clean and in sparkling condition.
But cleaning the house doesn’t have to feel like a stressful monster to tackle before the festivities can begin. Follow these handy tips to reduce stress and cleaning time.
Focus on areas where guests will spend the most time
Why bother cleaning the attic and basement if your guests will be in the living room and the kitchen most of the time? Think about which areas in the house guests will most likely see and visit. The kitchen, bathroom, entryways, hallways, living rooms and guest bedrooms will be some areas of high traffic, so make sure to get these places in tiptop condition, instead of focusing on areas where they’re less likely to visit such as the linen closet you were about to reorganize. — For your entryway, make sure you’ve shaken out the front doormat and swept the front porch or entry area. Scrub down the front door, as it’s the very first thing guests will see when they arrive. recommends Houselogic.com’s Courtney Craig. — Scrub the toilets, polish the faucets and make sure your mirrors are glare-free. Give the shower a good scrub, and squeegee away excess moisture when you’re done, recommends Kris Koening, CEO of Natura Clean. — Wipe down the refrigerator doors and disinfect any surfaces people come in contact with. Inside the fridge, make sure to throw away old leftovers and anything expired to make room for any holiday leftovers. Make sure the kitchen sink and faucets are clean and shiny. — Make sure the guest bedroom has clean linens, sheets and fresh, fluffy pillows. (Thinkstock)
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Clean from top to bottom
If you start cleaning from the top and work your way down, you’ll make sure none of the dust at the top of your bookshelf is falling onto your already mopped floors. With that in mind, Better Homes and Gardens recommends to always dust first. — Use a pillow case to clean the blades of ceiling fans so all the dust falls into the pillowcase and not onto your floors, Leslie Reichert of greencleaningcoach.com told Better Homes and Garden. — Better Homes and Gardens recommends putting any dirty light fixtures into the dishwasher. — Don’t forget the blinds and baseboards! Lots of dust can collect in these areas if you don’t clean them regularly. Melissa Maker from cleanmyspace.com told Better Homes and Gardens that a simple sock can do the trick. (Thinkstock)
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The vacuum is your best friend
Whether your home is carpeted or not, using the vacuum on all floor surfaces will cut down time cleaning your floors, according to Better Homes and Gardens. Instead of expending energy sweeping, let the vacuum help you get the floors dirt-free. (Thinkstock)
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Sniff around for odd scents
Sniff around with a critical nose, recommends Houselogic.com. Your house should smell like delicious food and desert and not like garbage you were supposed to take out days ago. (Thinkstock)
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Involve the entire family
All the cleaning tasks shouldn’t only have to fall on mom and dad, say experts at Better Homes and Gardens. Get the kids involved, too, with these tips: — Have lonely socks without a match? Draw on eyes for a sock puppet and let the little ones and their new friend handle the dreaded baseboards. (It’ll be fun for them, promise.) — Are stuffed animals and toys scattered all over the living room? Grab a bin or cubby and make it a game of basketball. (Careful not to play too closely to the Christmas tree with glass ornaments.) — Turn up the music and make it a dance party. (Thinkstock)
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Don’t wait
If you haven’t started cleaning, you’re not totally doomed … yet. — Make sure to break up all the cleaning chores into smaller tasks, as recommended by Better Homes and Gardens. — Try tackling a room per day. (Thinkstock)
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