How to clean your home in time for Christmas

Make a good first impression

When your guests walk through the front door, they don’t want to be hit with an eyeful of your family’s coats, shoes and keys. So make your home’s entryway a focus of your cleaning efforts. 'Remove excess items to make space for guest coats, bags and shoes,' says Amanda Wiss, Professional Organiser at Urban Clarity. 'Set up a collapsible coat rack if there's room - it saves people from traipsing through your bedroom, which allows you to focus on other areas. Designate a chair for guests to leave hostess gifts so they won’t be spread throughout your home.'

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Try counterclockwise cleaning

Try red wine for the soul, white for your sanity

Red wine is a cozy winter staple but a glass too many by just one of your guests can turn it into a nightmare. The good news: You don’t have to freak out if there’s an accidental spill. 'Even if your guests prefer red wine, be sure to get the WHITE,' says DwellWell Co-Owner Stacey Platt, author of What's a Disorganised Person to Do? 'That way when your closest friend or family spills a tall glass of red wine on your beloved carpet you can quickly combat it with the neutralising and stain removing powers of white wine. Simply pour white wine over the stained area and gently blot liquid up with a cloth or towel. I do say BLOT and not RUB. Rubbing will force the stain into the fibres. Blot the stain away.'

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Use fresh herbs

Sometimes all you need is a little bit of nature to up your cleaning prowess. Jillian Cooke, Creative Director of Erba Clean Cleaning Service, uses herbs like lavender and chamomile to clean and freshen the home. 'Fill a spray bottle with 20 drops of lavender essential oil, 1 teaspoon vodka and water to create a linen spray. Lavender is known to reduce stress, promote calm and aide in relaxation. Mist bed linens, lamp shades, shower curtains and drapes.' She also grinds up lavender and chamomile with baking soda in a food processor to sprinkle on rugs and carpets to remove odor. Just leave overnight and vacuum the next day.

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Edit your decorations

Years of christmas celebrations equals boxes of decorations. We know every single one of them means something to you, but when expecting guests - you may want to rethink putting out that aluminum foil tree you made in second grade. Wiss advises tact when unpacking those containers. 'Perhaps a tablecloth can cover an area that is brimming with clutter. Also, as you unpack your seasonal decor items, identify things you're not planning to use and donate them. Editing now makes your entire home lighter.'

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Get rid of the wax

Candles are a wonderful way to enjoy the glow of the holiday spirit, but sometimes we go a little overboard, leaving a wax hangover on tablecloths and furniture. Platt suggests grabbing the iron in this situation. 'Place a [piece of kitchen roll] over and underneath the waxy culprit,' she says. 'Heat the iron to warm and press waxy area with the iron. Keep changing paper towels until all remaining wax is absorbed. To get out final residue, rub the area gently with heavy duty liquid detergent. Then put the tablecloth through the washing machine as soon as possible.'

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Simplify stovetop

Cleaning Before you begin cooking, why not make it a little easier to clean up when you’re done? According to Cooke, the greasy build-up on stove top burners can be wiped out using ammonia, then spill-proofed by coating with a thin layer of car wax. 'Place the burners inside a large zip lock bag with 60ml ammonia. Leave overnight. The fumes from the ammonia will remove all the grease and food build up. The wax layer will make future spills easier to clean.'

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Declutter the kitchen

Create space in the kitchen for your future efforts by filling a box with all the paraphernalia you won’t be using and moving it elsewhere, says Wiss. Then polish any silver and wash glasses and serving dishes well in advance so party day is much smoother. 'And make sure to purge your fridge - you’ll need plenty of space for all the food you’re serving,' she says.

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Fluff up your pillows

Fluffing and flipping the pillows on your couches and chairs can wake up any old piece of furniture - or just make it look a whole lot comfier. But there’s a method to proper fluffing, according to Platt. 'Remove all cushions, hold one away from your body and beat it from bottom to top with a wooden spoon or spatula. Turn the cushion 90 degrees and repeat the bottom to top method, using more force for greater fluff. If cushions are attached to the couch, do the same thing, beating bottom to top until you achieve your optimal fluff level. Flip stained or dirty cushions and you’ll practically feel like you have a new couch.'

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Freshen up the guestroom

Whether it’s family or friends staying over, you’ll want to hit the guest room and make it clean and livable for overnight stragglers. The first thing Cooke suggests is removing toxins created from dust by placing a pillowcase over each ceiling fan blade to capture all the accumulation. Then, place a houseplant in the room to filtrate indoor air and neutralise odours. 'Plants can remove up to 87 percent of toxic indoor air,' she says.

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Make a list and check it twice

Each of us has our own system for cleaning. Breininger suggests figuring out what best works for you and creating four or five tasks that you’ll do in each room. “Remember,” she says. “Cleaning means different things to different people.”

Example Sytem #1

• Dusting
• RUbbish out- Vacuum 
• Pick up everything on the floor 
• Declutter the surface of the main piece of furniture

Example System #2 

• Dusting 
• Water plants 
• Push in all of the chairs 
• Open all the curtains
• Move all items that don’t belong in the room to their proper location in the home

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath

• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

   

   

Give new life to single socks

We all know there’s a special heaven for single socks. But why throw the old, lonely one in the garbage when it can be put to good use? Yup, just put it over your hand like a puppet and get to cleaning and dusting around the house, says Platt. 'The end of the year is near, and if you haven’t found the missing sock by now... well let’s just says, chances are you’ll be getting more from Aunt Marge anyway.'

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch

Make the after-party cleanup easier

When the guests are gone and it’s time to relax, nobody wants to stare at a nasty, dirty stovetop. Smallin’s advice for cleaning drip bowls, trim rings and grill and roasting pans? 'I used steel wool pads for years, but now prefer stainless steel sponges for scouring metal. I'm talking about those curly sponges made of stainless steel, not sponges designed for cleaning stainless appliances. They are rust-resistant and last longer than steel wood pads. Plus you can toss them in the dishwasher and they're easier on your nails. Just let the dirty devils soak in a pan of hot, soapy water for five to ten minutes to soften and loosen grime. Then give them a quick scrub with the stainless steel sponge to remove grease and food.'

• Give your home an extra sparkle with a homemade Christmas wreath
• Make sure you have all the essentials for Christmas lunch