5 Holiday House Cleaning Tips You Can Do All Year Long

The holiday season usually involves cleaning, especially if you have guests coming over for dinner or spending the night (or several). Even if you don’t have company coming over, it’s still a good idea to clean your house before the end of the year. Cleaning your house for the holidays can be daunting, especially if you have forgotten to clean thoroughly throughout the year. However, if you apply these same tips and tricks of holiday cleaning to your everyday cleaning routine, then holiday cleaning won’t be so cumbersome. Here are five holiday cleaning tips that you can use all year.

Be Prepared

Most people have supplies to wipe down surfaces and clean floors, but when it comes to deep cleaning a house you need more specialized supplies. Cleaning can feel like a special event if you don’t keep enough cleaning supplies in your house. No one wants to make a special trip to the store just to buy cleaning supplies. Not having what you need is also a perfect excuse to leave the cleaning for another day. It is worth making a trip to the store to buy the supplies you need so you no longer have an excuse not to clean. Instead of buying a small number of specialty supplies, buy enough that you can store some to use later. If you have what you need on hand, you are more likely to actually clean.

You should buy the cleaning supplies you need before the holiday shopping craze sets in and store shelves are cleaned out. Stock up on your favorite and trusted cleaning supplies so you are ready for any mess the holidays may bring. Stay stocked up on cleaning supplies like wipes, detergent, garbage bags, sprays, and floor cleaner (at a minimum) so you are prepared throughout the year.

Planning

Once you have the supplies you need it is time to create a plan of attack. Cleaning an entire house in one go is an intimidating prospect, so break up the house into smaller, more manageable sections. If you have guests coming over for the holidays, focus your cleaning efforts on the parts of the house your guests will use the most. During the rest of the year, clean your house room by room. Deep clean the kitchen one day and finish everything in there before moving onto the next room. Then tackle the bedrooms the next day. Move through your house until everything has been deep cleaned. Thankfully, your house does not need to be deep cleaned frequently and simple maintenance is sufficient for most of the year. Deep clean your house before guests come over or as the seasons change.

Laundry

Part of cleaning your house is washing sheets, towels, blankets, rags, and any other fabric that can be tossed in the washing machine. Bed sheets should be washed at least once every two weeks, but it is recommended that you wash your sheets once a week. No one wants to curl up with a smelly blanket so other blankets and throws ought to be washed as they become dirty. Bathroom towels and washcloths also should be washed regularly. Leave at least two clean hand towels for guests and wash the towels after each gathering. Wash pillows or covers on furniture if possible, but fabric cleaner spray is a decent alternative.

Put Away the Clutter

Clutter naturally collects over time, but it can make your house feel cramped as it amasses. Take the time to sort through your clutter. Determine what clutter belongs in the house and what is junk that should be thrown out. Do not hesitate to throw out clutter that serves no purpose and is only taking up space. Clutter that you want to keep needs a permanent place to sit in your house rather than wherever you set it down haphazardly. Clear off the clutter from your counters and tables to get rid of that cramped, claustrophobic feeling.

Enlist Help

If you are having a hard time cleaning your house, consider asking for help. If you live with roommates or your family, ask them to help you clean. Delegate tasks that are simple to accomplish, but make a big impact. Shoveling snow is a basic chore that needs to be done regularly throughout winter, so rotate the job between members of your group. One person shovels this week, someone else shoves next week. Refilling soap containers, taking out the trash, sweeping the floor, and other simple chores are good tasks you can delegate. You will likely find that delegating a handful of tasks can lighten your load ensuring that all the cleaning is done.

Chances are you will clean your house for the holidays and hopefully these tips and tricks will make the process easier. Don’t forget that all of these suggestions can be applied to cleaning year-round. Stay prepared by keeping cleaning supplies on hand. Make a plan to break up your house into smaller sections. Do laundry frequently to keep fabrics clean. Clear away clutter to open up rooms. If you have too much to clean, call in some help. With these holiday cleaning tips, you can keep your house clean all year.

If you found these holiday cleaning tips useful, be sure to SHARE them with your friends on social media!

Gwen Lewis is a writer who lives in California. She has been in the fashion and health industry for years and loves writing on the topic to give tips from experience. In her free time, she loves to stay active and has just taken on learning how to surf. For more, visit her online portfolio here.