Tips For Cleaning Your House in Preparation for Holiday Guests
Thanksgiving is the curtain-raiser of the holiday season, and you know what that means; Turkey! Thanksgiving in the USA is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November. Thanksgiving gives you a feel of what to expect on Christmas which is not that far away also. During this people, most people go to visit their loved ones and eat together. But people don’t want to come to a dirty place. Apart from the apparent health concern, it just not a good picture. Planning will go a long way to offering you a stress-free and fun holiday experience.
The Winter season is upon us, which means the holiday season is here again! A time to be jolly, thankful, and be together with your family. It’s a very hectic time with the shopping involved, cooking ‘special’ meals and entertaining your guests all wrapped up in one package. But do not mistake that the holiday period is all about munching and feasting! Cleaning shouldn’t add to your already stressing schedule. So whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving or Christmas, we’ve got you covered with expert cleaning tips that’ll have you ready before the guests arrive and also afterwards.
Places To Clean
There are some visible spaces in a household that simply can’t be ignored when cleaning. First impressions matter and impressions after that are pretty important as well. So when guests enter your home, there are unavoidable visible areas in their line of view that can’t be overlooked, of which they’ll use to judge you even before having a glass of water or something. Make sure to thoroughly clean the areas that will frequently be visited by your guests. So what needs to be cleaned for the holiday guests?
# The Bathroom
Though you can close most rooms in your place, especially if they’re not company ready, the bathroom is not one of those rooms that can be ignored, especially when it comes to cleanliness. If left unattended for a while, the bathroom can turn out to be the dirtiest and stinkiest place in the house. Yeah, that’s how fine of a margin the difference is. So it’s crucial to stay alert and give special attention to this particular room before the holiday guests arrive. They will for sure, need a place to drain their fluids and empty their bowels. These foods have a reputation of messing up someone if they indulge too much. But that’s what the holidays are for – Stuffing yourself silly!
You’ll need to do a deep clean on places like the toilet and sink that guest will use often. You definitely don’t want your guests pressing themselves and holding in a bombshell, which is quite uncomfortable and unhealthy. You simply can’t afford not having a functioning bathroom. So you’ll need to ensure that the flushing mechanism is functioning, toilet bolts are mounted and tightened. You’ll also need to clean the tub and shower as well as get rid of bathroom mildew or hair. Polish the mirror, empty the trash and install clean and fresh rugs and mats. Just having a clean and functioning bathroom in itself goes a long way in making your holiday guests feel comfortable.
# Detail The Kitchen
The kitchen is the primary food production that’s responsible for feeding the entire household. Nobody really wants to have a meal in a home with a dirty kitchen. When hosting Thanksgiving, guests won’t really care about the dishes in the sink, but will for sure be grossed out by a filthy faucet that’s covered in grime and hard water deposits. Your guests may want to eat, but not that much that they risk their health. So you’ll need to detail every aspect of the kitchen to give it a chef vibe with sweet aromas emanating from the place.
Even if you’re planning on taking your guests out, you still need to clean the kitchen. People tend to congregate and get lured over there. So you always have to maintain a clean code of conduct as to how you manage the kitchen. Plus, a messy and dirty kitchen will make the whole household smell bad. Clean the microwave, countertops, and purge expired food products from the fridge. This way, you won’t be humiliated when someone decides to have a look at the kitchen. You’ll also need to wash all your silverware, china and stemware since people don’t want to drink from musty wineglasses that have been stored up all year long.
# Thoroughly Clean The Guest Room
Chances are, your holiday guests are not from around and have traveled especially for the holiday season. For this reason, you need to ensure that their room is cleaned from top to bottom instead of them having to sleep at a nearby hotel or something. Overnight guests deserve to have a freshly made bed clean beddings. So you’ll need to wash all the blankets, sheets and mattress covers. Vacuum the place, dust and polish the furniture, wash the curtains, and empty the trash can. You should spread the beddings in the following order: mattress cover, sheets, then blanket.
# Create Room For Their Clothes
It’s common sense that guests will need to take off their clothes or need a place to put their luggage if they’re staying the night. So you’ll need to create space specifically for them. Provide some hangers for their closet space and other amenities like lotions and toothpaste. You can also provide a laundry hamper for their dirty, worn clothes and show them how to use the washing machine.
# Vacuum Everything
Besides cleaning the kitchen and bathroom surfaces, you’ll still need to vacuum the place to have it looking and smelling better. You don’t want your guests to sneezing all because your carpet is dusty. Vacuum the blinds, throw pillows, chairs, sofas and curtains. For the vacuuming to work, you’ll need to do it the right way. Its generally done in four phases that overlap back and forth, back and forth unidirectional, then turn a right angle and repeat.
Nice Touches To Add
When cleaning, you will have the chance to reconfigure your place anyhow you want. It doesn’t hurt to include some things while you’re at it. When guests come to your home, all they want is a comfortable and clean space as they enjoy your company. You don’t have to be wealthy or provide 5-star treatment like a luxury hotel; all you need to do is add some touches to make the house even more appealing. Here are a few things you can try out.
– Welcome Basket;
Being the holiday season of giving, you can exhibit that by having a gift basket in your guest’s room to make them feel welcomed. It can make a variety of assortments like tissues, a magazine, spare toiletries, crossword puzzle, packaged snacks, bottles of water and the WiFi password (the most important). You can also provide them with clean linens and towels they can use for their shower.
– Home Comforts;
For the duration your guests will be around, you want them to feel right at home. Most people will skip carrying things like a bathrobe or washable slippers they can room around in at the premises. You can offer your guests with some of these home comforts. Blankets and pillows are also key to them feeling comfortable and warm.
– Entertainment;
While preparing the meals, you will also need to help your guests entertain themselves with the various amenities you have at your place. You can have a brochure that showcases different interest spots in your town for them to explore if they don’t want to be cooked up in the guest room. Have a print card that shows how the remote works as well as access to the TV guide, Netflix and other streaming channels you have subscribed to. So despite all your best efforts of cleaning your place before the guest arrive, you’ll still need to entertain them
– Multiple Options For Food & Drink;
Everybody is different and so are their tastes and preferences. It’s often overlooked, but you need to provide something that your guest can actually eat. So you need to be aware of their allergies and other food and drink options. Also, if they have particular food preferences, adjust your menu and stock up the kitchen with the things they like. Remember, you’re the host, as well as the entertainer. This way, they’ll enjoy eating at your house without any worries.
Here are some expert tips you can use as a guide to prep your place before the holiday guests arrive this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
Figure Out The Layout
When your holiday guests arrive, they’re going to wonder where their coats, shoes, do the greetings, then head straight for the food. For things to turn out how you want, you’ll need to plan ahead of time to create extra room for shoes, boots, coats and umbrellas near the doorstep. Or you can designate somebody to take charge of taking their belongings to the bedroom. The room should be spacious enough to accommodate the guests and also ensure that the food and drinks are easy to access. For everything to run smoothly, the places to sit should be comfy and complete the layout of the room.
Move The Furniture
You can move your furniture close to the walls to create space your guests can mingle in. This will create more room in the party area with free circulation of air in a clean environment. This is one of those situations when it’s not a bad idea to completely push the sofa up against the wall. As long as your living space is already clean, then there’s no reason for being afraid of dirt beneath some sofas.
Remove Valuables and Breakables
It’s not like you’re hiding your valuables from your holiday guests because you’re afraid they might steal them or anything. Some items may be of importance to you, but the guests may fumble and break an otherwise valuable thing for you. And the worst part of it all is that you can’t get mad. It’s the holiday season, and you’re the one who most probably invited them. So during the cleaning process, find a safe spot for your breakables and valuables far away from where the festivities will be. The guests simply don’t know the layout like you and may not pay careful attention to fragile objects nearby.
Relocate Your Furry Friend
Your pup may render the whole cleaning process null and void, given that it can leave poop anywhere in the house at any time. So your guests stepping on hot dog poop will for sure turn them off. Also, the dog may not be friendly to the guests or gets spooked by loud noises, which will, of course, be at the party. Why risk it, your furry friend has been with you the whole year, so it won’t hurt you finding a different location for them to stay low until the guests leave.
Spruce Up The Bathroom
Your party guests will most definitely want to use the bathroom. So you’ll need to ensure that it’s fully stocked with toilet paper and clean hand towels. Use an air freshener to provide fragrance in the bathroom and antiseptic hand sanitizer at the sinks. Every guest will enter the bathroom, and the short period they’ll be there, they’ll have the time to look around the bathroom’s condition. You can additionally add decorations that suits the party theme.
Add A Cozy Touch
After cleaning the entire house, you can add some cozy touches on the locations where your house guests will be hanging around. This will make your living space more inviting to your guests. From the moment they remove the shoes, your guests should get the vibe of relaxation. So you can have plenty of blankets and soft pillows just sitting around or some comfy house sandals.
Clean Up The Clutter
Clutter is actually what contributes to the house being unhygienic. Having piles of unopened mail, boxes and toys don’t do your space any justice. Clutter mostly comes from the things you don’t want to throw out or may have sentimental significance to you. But if you want your holiday party to be fun and successful, you’ll first need to clear up the clutter before the party starts. This goes a long way to the overall cleanliness of your space.
Do A Few Repairs
When cleaning, you may find some faulty or broken down items. Don’t ignore them. So whether the door handle is broken, there’s a tear in the sofa or a burned-out recessed bulb. It’s always wise to fix it beforehand to avoid any potential accidents or embarrassing situations when there’s something the guests can clearly see. When cleaning, clean up everything, including the broken-down household appliances.
Create More Space
There’s nothing as valuable as space at a party. Creating additional space provides room for people to stand or sit at the party. Adequate seating space is especially crucial if the guests are a bit older. The space created should be squeaky clean and offer adequate room for fun and food. Creating more space also involves preparing your driveway to accommodate their vehicles. You may be focused on the internal matters but forget about the outside for all those cars. So you’ll have to clean out your garage, driveway or yard to accommodate the guests if need be. Have a place marked for your guest in advance as they arrive in a clean environment.
Child-Proof Your Home
Nothing gets a mother whirled up than their child being in danger. It doesn’t really matter who it might be, but they’ll get mother bear on anyone in an instant. Get in front of this by having your residence child-proofed and all necessary precautions taken in advance. This includes keeping sharp objects like knives out of their reach, covering electrical outlets, blocking staircases to avoid potentially hazardous falls. You’ll also need to move vases and lamps far from table edges. Chances are that your guests may come with their families, so you want everyone to have a good time and generally be safe. Double-check to see you have the first aid kit and the fire extinguisher is filled. You don’t want your loved one to end up suing you and turning to a foe.
As you can see, planning for your Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday guests is a prudent investment of your time and resources that have been pulled together to make the holidays fun and stress-free. Cleaning plays a massive role as to how much of a success the get-together will be, so it doesn’t have to feel like a chore or something. Having a clean place is just welcoming and more alluring to any guest. Don’t allow it to be a deal-breaker with your holiday guests.
Our house cleaning business takes the load off to ensure that your house is squeaky clean and ready for guests. This allows you to focus on your holiday guests, make the feast and have time to go shopping for presents. The holiday season is all about getting together with friends and family you haven’t seen all year and just have a good time. Don’t allow the cleaning to be a factor as to why a person takes a rain-check.
