Clever tricks for speed cleaning your home for Christmas, cutting down the time spent scrubbing and leaving more time to chillax.
By Mama Disrupt®
The silly season is in full swing! So if you want to avoid going silly yourself with all of the things you have to do for Christmas (shopping, cooking, wrapping, cleaning…), then you’re going to need some handy hacks to cut corners. Especially when it comes to cleaning!
We’ve got you…
These clever tricks for speed cleaning your home will cut down the time you need to spend scrubbing before guests arrive – leaving more time to kick back with a wine, #winning!
“IF YOU’RE SHORT ON TIME, DON’T GO WASTING IT CLEANING BEDROOMS WHEN YOU CAN SIMPLY CLOSE THE DOORS.”
1. Make a plan
If you want to spend as little time as possible cleaning the house, then you need to devise a plan. Start by making a quick list so you have direction.
Work out what needs your attention and what rooms that guests won’t go in and therefore don’t need to be cleaned.
Before you begin, you’ll need to organise your cleaning tools of choice to avoid running all over the house in search of cleaning products.
Simply pop all of the cleaning essentials you need into a basket and you’re ready to go.
2. Give the bathroom a once over
Want to give your bathroom the fastest once-over possible? We thought so. These are the steps to follow:
You’ll want to start by lightly spraying all surfaces with a multi-purpose cleaner.
As that settles onto surfaces, clean the mirror.
Next up, it’s time to turn your attention to the toilet. If it’s not particularly dirty, just give it a quick clean with some bleach and the toilet brush and give the seat and everything else a once over with some wet wipes.
Now, time to go back to the surfaces you lightly sprayed. Using paper towel, wipe them clean.
You’re almost there! Just make sure you neaten all items on show (or hide them in the cupboard), empty the bin and pop out a new hand towel.
Lastly, it’s time to clean the floors. If it’s dusty you may need to vacuum quickly. Next, start in one corner of the bathroom and rather than mopping use wet wipes to spot clean the floor on your way out.
3. Pep up the kitchen
Now before you dive into a big kitchen clean, ask yourself: “If I’m having guests over for Christmas and will be cooking, how much do I really need to clean the kitchen ahead of time?”
These are the basic kitchen cleaning tasks you’ll want to do:
Spot clean the floor with wet wipes.
Go over surfaces – think counter tops and stove top – with a multi-purpose cleaner.
Take out the rubbish and recycling.
Move the drying rack and any non-essential appliances into a cupboard.
Lastly, once you’ve finished all of the prep work for your guests, remove any bits of food and wipe the sink clean.
4. Tidy the bedrooms (or even better, just the close doors… ah-ha)
If you’re short on time, don’t go wasting it cleaning bedrooms when you can simply close the doors. Especially if some bedrooms are off limits anyway.
Everybody knows that a closed door means KEEP OUT!
If you have time, however, at a minimum you’ll want to make beds, vacuum floors and hide all stray items away in cupboards.
5. Declutter living + dining spaces
If you’re having family and friends over for Christmas, it’s likely you will spend most of your time in these spaces, so it’s important you follow these steps…
- To start, clear away all unnecessary items from table tops and the floor, including recycling old newspapers and magazines.
- Next, put on a microfibre mitt and run your hand over all tables (coffee, dining, side tables), shelves, photo frames, lights and TV.
- You will need to vacuum all floors – and if you have hard floors, you might need to also spot mop with spray and paper towel.
- Straighten up the couch, fluff up cushions and pop away any blankets, which can look messy.
- Put away any remotes.
6. Add a “cherry” on top
For the ultimate finishing touch that will really wow your guests this Christmas, be sure to follow these steps at least half an hour before your guests arrive:
- Open up the windows and air out your house.
- Light scented candles in the living spaces and bathrooms.
- Fill vases with fresh blooms and place around the house.
- Let in the natural light.
- Pop on some mood-setting music.
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