With stores decorating for the holidays in October, it can feel like the season’s special occasions arrive earlier every year. If you’re someone who hosts many of the big holiday events at your home, the stress can quickly set in as you think of everything you need to do to prepare your home for company. By starting on cleaning and organizing now instead of waiting until the last minute, you have a better chance of actually enjoying the time with your guests instead of worrying what they’ll find in your home that you forgot to clean.
Tidy room by room
A great reason to work on de-cluttering and cleaning your home in November is that the holidays tend to add more items to your house. Making room for it now means you won’t have to struggle to find a place for it later, even if it’s just a place to store it. When you start tidying, begin in the kitchen and living room, as they’re the main entertainment areas of the home. Eliminate collections of old magazines, catalogs and newspapers you know you’ll never look through again and minimize the collections you have on your mantel and coffee table. Freeing up surface space also gives you room for decorations, and you may want to put non-seasonal items in storage until after the holidays. Make sure to clean out the fridge of expired or unwanted food and give it a good wipe down of vinegar and water to freshen it up. With all the food that comes into the home during the holidays, you need plenty of room available in the fridge and freezer.
Examine dining and living room upholstery
Over the next few months, you’re going to spend more time around the dining table than usual so now is the time to examine the chair upholstery for stains, rips or other wear. Professional upholstery cleaning can breathe new life into your favorite formal set, and some strategic wood gluing can fix any rocking or wobbly legs. In the living room, look over your sofa and chairs and be brave enough to remove cushions and thoroughly clean all surfaces. If the furnishing fabric is looking a bit too dingy for your tastes, a professional cleaning can eliminate stains and restore beauty. While you’re looking over fabrics in the room, examine your drapes, other window treatments, carpets and rugs to see if they might benefit from some expert cleaning too.
Check your plumbing
More people in your home means more toilet flushing, hand washing, shower taking and dirty dishes to clean. By snaking your pipes now, fixing misbehaving toilets and adjusting washers and aerators in faucets, you won’t have to deal with messes and wasted water during holiday gatherings. When you have your pipes cleaned professionally or snake them yourself, you avoid potentially slow or clogged drains that can be an unpleasant mess to deal with then you have company. While you’re hosting your gathering and preparing the big meals, make sure you don’t overload your disposal because you may find yourself in need of emergency plumbing and that’s not cheap during the holidays.
Clean guest beds and bedding
Make sure to clean and put fresh sheets on that whatever you’re using for guest beds, whether it’s a sleeper sofa or beds in a spare room. Wash or replace pillows if need be so guests can have a clean, fluffy place to rest their head. Inspect sheets and comforts to ensure they’re stain and hole free and check to see that you have a spare set of sheets for all size beds.
While preparing for the upcoming holiday gatherings can sound exhausting, if you get started now, you’ll be ahead of the game and feel less stressed during family events. As an added benefit, your house will be clean, fresh and tidy for any unexpected company that may appear this time of year. Have your house looking its best with Embassy Cleaners services including professional drapery, carpet, rug and upholstery cleaning.
