Holidays can be busy enough without worrying about cleaning. The spirit is one of generosity and connecting with loved ones, and that is difficult if you are stressing about all the household chores before, during, and after entertaining. Let us help you keep cleaning tasks from controlling your holiday season with these three tips.
3 Tips for Keeping Cleaning Tasks from Controlling Your Holiday Season
Keep it Simple
“Simple” means to get rid of clutter. If it isn’t needed, store it away. It doesn’t need to be permanently put away, but at least during entertaining, consider removing it from accessible areas to prevent bigger messes later.
In a child’s room, put certain toys up high and out of reach (like on a closet shelf). In the living room, remove DVDs and books from the shelf and put them in a closet. Remove decor, pictures, and vases used on tables and buffets so you have extra serving space.
These tips not only give you and your guests more room but also keep your items safe and out of reach while the house is full. Once done entertaining, replace the items.
Consider What Help Is Needed
What help do you need before, during, and after your gathering? Identify your needs and determine who can make the job easier and quicker. Start with your least favorite tasks. Before you entertain, should you hire professional cleaners to help you clean or organize? Should you hire someone to help you prepare food or decorate?
While being a host, what tasks can you delegate to help it run smoothly? Is there anything that can be prepped ahead of time to make set-up or clean-up easier? Get clear about your priorities, too. It’s possible everything on your list doesn’t need to be done (like sweeping behind the fridge and oven, for example).
Think Proactively
Put an extra trash can in the kitchen. Place extra rolls of toilet paper in the bathroom. Clear a drawer or two for overnight guests. These are examples of thinking proactively when it comes to cleaning and organizing. The less stress you have, the more precise your mind can be, so think ahead and make life easier.
Do you need a station to clean up spills quickly, extra shoe mats for wet boots, or jacket hangers? This could also lead back to the first tip—do you need to clear space in the closet for those jackets or put away extra shoes piled by the front door?
Walk through your home as though you are a guest. Give yourself a mock routine for the day(s). What would you need? Pillows, fresh blankets, and towels? Great, get them ready. But, as tip two says regarding prioritization, ask yourself if it is that important to have extra toiletries on hand and if it would be just as easy to run to the store when you’re not so busy. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Stay Sane This Holiday Season
Stay sane this holiday season, and give yourself a break by prioritizing and asking for help. This is good self-care. Remember that you, too, should enjoy the holidays. Keep it simple by reducing the clutter that makes cleaning up harder. Consider what tasks can be delegated, and think proactively to prevent (or minimize) those last-minute emergencies.
If A Cleaning Service can help with cleaning during your busy holiday schedule or before and after your celebrations, give us a call. For over thirty years, we have been helping residents of the Greater Washington, DC, and Virginia areas with their cleaning needs.
We can support one-time cleaning or ongoing housekeeping for your home or office so you can focus on the relationships that matter.
From our family to yours, have a wonderful holiday season!