The holiday season is just around the corner. Whether this is going to be your first year entertaining family and friends in your home or simply another year of continuing the tradition, we know at White Glove that it can be a very tiresome time of year — mostly due to the preparation that goes into hosting your holiday events.
It’s likely that throughout the fall, you’ve let certain areas of your home go unmaintained and thinking about having to deep clean your home to get it back to presentable shape might be a daunting thought.
With that in mind, we’ve collected a few of your favorite tips and tricks to help you get your home fully prepared for the holiday season. If you need help getting your home back to pristine condition in the Spokane Valley for this holiday season, reach out to us at White Glove for any of our variety of cleaning services we have to offer you to make life easier!
How Much Time Do You Have?
Our very first rule of thumb when it comes to cleaning is, of course, staying organized. The last thing you want is to have the holidays sneak up on you too fast and before you know it, you have a house full of guests arriving in just a few days for your holiday endeavors.
The good news is, this is hopefully not the case as you are already a step ahead by reading this blog! To continue onward with your proactive planning, we recommend creating a spreadsheet of sorts — whether it’s on the computer or simply a piece of paper is your choice. On this spreadsheet, write down a list of bullet points that outlines everything that will need to be cleaned in preparation for the holidays in your home. From here, divide the different cleaning chores into the number of days in which you have left to prepare so that you have everything fully under wraps.
Shiny Floors For Beginners
One of the most prominent features of a home that is the first to be noticed if not properly cleaned is your floors. Guests will certainly recognize if the floors are clean or not, so ensuring they are spotless and shining should be among the top of your list of priorities.
In order to remove all the stains, first, consider the material you need to work on and the different steps that are required to have a perfectly clean result. One thing that works for all surfaces to achieve a high level of cleanliness is a steam cleaner, which works perfectly, especially when you find yourself in a time crunch. Also, it avoids the potential use of improper, dangerous chemicals. Then, move on to wax or something that will preserve your floors and carpets’ look. For more tips on keeping your floors clean for your soon-to-arrive guests, check out our floor cleaning blog post.
Cleaning The Bathrooms
The bathroom is one of the most important areas to have clean in a home. Outside of making sure the floor is spotless, be sure to tackle all of the other surfaces of your bathroom that can build up with grime throughout the year. You can use store-bought cleaning products or even make a household cleaner by mixing water, vinegar, and lemon juice, which can be used on every surface of your bathroom for a deep, refreshing clean. Don’t miss any objects such as mirrors, sinks, the cupboards, and especially the doorknob.
Cleaning The Kitchen
Another important component to a clean home is having a spotless kitchen that is welcoming for your guests. You need the kitchen to be fully ready to handle the evening’s meal preparations along with the gathering of everyone to grab their dinner, and the last thing you want is for people to lose their appetite by handling food in an unsanitary environment. Things you need to clean the most are the drawers, countertops, the fridge, and any other appliances that will be getting used throughout the duration of your guests’ stay. Deep clean everything and throw away the expired food. Put the most useful objects and foods (cookies, beverages) in a visible place, so that your guests can be independent when using your kitchen, making them feel at home.
The Dinner Table
Having a nice, clean dinner table is a great way to leave a good impression with your guests and show that you were fully prepared for their arrival. For starters, ensure that the surfaces of your dining area are clean and refinished in the best manner possible. Also take some extra time to lay out the table in a nice, restaurant-like manner.
The Guest Room
If you have family or friends coming into town that will be staying over, you will want to ensure your guest room not only has everything they could need to feel comfortable during their stay, but you will also want to ensure that you do a detailed cleaning job to remove the dust that can collect in a room that has not been frequented much recently. Remove the dust from blinds and curtains, clean all the dressers and closets, put your own objects, such as clothes, away, and wax the wooden furniture.
Decorations
Outside of your standard cleaning agenda, you will also want to add some holiday touches to your home to create a warm and inviting environment fitting for the holiday season. Need some inspiration? Start off with some flowers or other plants. Then, on the day of your holiday event, make sure your house smells nice and inviting by lighting some scented candles. What about pictures? If your guests are family or close friends, it would be nice to hang some pictures of you and them together, remembering your best memories. Last but not least, if you have a garden or a balcony, take advantage of its beauty by making sure it’s clean, decorated, and easily accessible!
Going the extra mile for your guests, whether it be friends, family, or both, by ensuring your house is cleaned inside and out prior to their arrival to enjoy time celebrating the holidays with you will always be a very appreciated gesture. These are just a few of our primary recommendations here at White Glove for getting your home ready to go for the upcoming holiday season. If you decide you are too far behind with your cleaning checklist or you have too much on your plate as it is with preparing for the arrival of your guests, reach out to us! We offer a variety of house cleaning services that are professionally done to ensure your home is not just looking its best, but that it is truly White Glove clean.