Staying on Top of the Cleaning During Christmas

Any task as large and complex as cleaning a house from top to bottom over Christmas will require a degree of planning and preparation. Failure to do this will mean spending a lot of time scratching your head and wondering what you’re supposed to be doing next – and before long, the situation will have spiralled out of control. Let’s see how this might be avoided, so that a stress-free, clean Christmas can thereby be ensured.

Before Christmas Happens

During the day itself, you’re going to be extremely busy. That means that you won’t have to do much in the way of cleaning. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be such a problem – provided that you do as much as possible beforehand. After all, if your house is utterly spotless before the guests arrive, then you’ll have a lot less to do once you’ve sent them on their way.

Ensure that all of the cutlery and crockery you intend to use on the day itself is properly washed and ready to go. If you need any extra items – perhaps if your seating arrangements aren’t all that they might be – then it’s best to find out beforehand and secure the relevant supplies.

You should also make a point of stocking up on essential substances. Stain removers, detergents, dishwasher powder, bin liners, toilet paper and shampoo will all be required over Christmas – and you won’t be able to get hold of them at short notice on the day itself! Not only will these come in handy over the course of Christmas, but it’ll make life considerably easier when the New Year finally arrives, and you’ve a cupboard full of every cleaning supply you could possibly need.

If you’re thinking of putting on a buffet, then you might want to spend a few quid on some paper plates and cups. This will eliminate washing up, and leave you available to do other, more enjoyable things, like playing charades and watching the joy-infused EastEnders special.

On the Day Itself

As we’ve touched upon, when Christmas Day finally arrives, you’ll likely be busy with a number of different tasks in and around the house. But by maintaining a mental checklist of what needs to be done, you’ll be able to keep on top of the basic housekeeping, even if you’re playing host to your entire extended family.

For example, when spillages occur – and they will – you’ll want to ensure that they’re addressed right away. If you’re busy with something else, then leave it for a while until you’ve dealt with the stain on the rug. There are, after all, few tasks on Christmas Day which can’t be put aside to one moment; unless you’re cooking a particularly impressive Christmas dinner, a roast just requires timing and experience – it won’t mind being left alone for just a moment.

You’ll also want to make sure that your supply of toilet and tissue paper is maintained. The last thing you want is for one of your guests to find themselves stranded in a strange toilet without paper after an afternoon spent guzzling down cranberry sauce and sherry. Do the kind thing and make regular checks to ensure that the supply is adequate. You might want to give your toilet a quick wipe while you’re at it.

Finally, it’s likely that you’ll have a lot of food left over on Christmas Day. It would be a tragedy to waste it, so make sure that it’s properly covered and stored before you go to bed. You’ll then be able to dish it out as leftovers until New Year’s Day.

After Christmas

Once the day itself is done, you’ll be able to take a moment to take note of the damage. If you decided to wear a special outfit, then you’ll want to have it properly dry-cleaned before you put it back into your wardrobe for next year. The same is also true of any festive decorations you might have put up – give them a quick wipe, and put them back into their respective boxes until next year.

If you should have missed something in your pre-Christmas shopping, then be sure to buy it on your next shop afterwards. Similarly, you should take a note of what you’ve gotten through over the holiday season, and make up for those missing items in your next shop. If you’ve done things right during the preparatory stages, then your first shop after Christmas should be a relatively small one.

Finally, it’s worth attaching a final piece of advice – enjoy yourself! Christmas comes but once a year – and cleanliness, however important it might be, is not the stuff you’re likely to look back fondly on later.