Prepare Your Home for Holiday Chaos
You’ve probably heard that a clean, uncluttered home can decrease stress and de-clutter the mind. We know that this is especially true around the holidays. As lists, decorations, dishes, and guests pile up, your home can feel chaotic rather than celebratory. Use the following tips to organize and prepare your home for holiday chaos, and hopefully, maintain a little bit of sanity!
Bring more light into your home.
You know your house by heart, but your guests do not. Make sure all of your light bulbs work and consider adding a few night lights to the bathrooms and kitchen area. This will allow guests to grab a glass of water in the middle of the night without disturbing anyone. Also, make sure your exterior lights work and are on for your guests if they arrive at night. If you have a front walk, it never hurts to add small lights along the path—this will really make your guests feel safe and welcome!
Prioritize your cleaning missions.
It always seems like a good idea to get really ambitious before the holidays and clean out the junk drawer and the coat closet. However, often these goals become lofty as other tasks pile up. Rather than berating yourself, think about what really needs to be cleaned and what can be left for later. Make sure your common spaces and the rooms in which your guests will be staying are clean. Other than that, we typically store piles in the laundry room or another room that the guests will not walk through—it’s an “out of sight, out of mind” trick!
Make sure your bathrooms are well-stocked.
You want to do everything you can to avoid a guest finding him/herself in the bathroom with no toilet paper. Keep extra rolls in cabinets, on shelves, or in open baskets so that guests can easily find them. Also, you can make your guests feel at home by putting toiletries and towels out in the open—on shelves or in baskets—so they know they have access to them and they don’t have to go rummaging through your cabinets! A pro tip: make sure every bathroom is equipped with a plunger and an air freshener of some kind.
Clean your appliances.
This can be a big task, but it is made smaller if you focus on the three that will be used the most this holiday season: your fridge, your microwave, and your oven. You will be so much happier with a clean fridge—we promise! Take everything out and wipe down shelves and drawers. Throw anything expired away. Make sure ingredients you will need for the holidays are easy to find. Also tighten any loose screws on door handles because your fridge will be opened many times in a day! Your microwave should be very easy to clean. Take the plate out and wash it with soap and water or throw it in the dishwasher. Use a cloth and soapy water to clean out the interior of the microwave. Last but not least, give your oven a scrub but don’t use the self-cleaning function until after the big meals. Self-cleaning is great but it places a lot of stress on your oven, and you don’t want it to give out before you start cooking! Just make sure scraps of food are cleaned out and maybe take the racks out and let them soak in soapy water.
Make your broom and vacuum accessible and ready for use.
Things get spilled and dropped during the holidays all the time, so it is important to have a broom and a vacuum on hand. Make sure your broom is clean and has a dustpan with it, and that your vacuum is ready to go with a new bag. You may also want to keep some carpet stain removal spray accessible!
Designate a spot for winter apparel and shoes.
Maybe you have space already, but if not you can add a storage bench to your front hallway or your laundry room. This will help keep your floors dry and clean and will minimize clutter. You can also hang temporary hooks on the back of a door or anywhere that is convenient so that guests have a place to hang their gear.
Schedule a professional carpet cleaning.
You can save money by cleaning your carpets yourself, but sometimes the stress of adding another task to your list is not worth it. Scheduling a professional cleaning means the job will be done well and it is one less thing you have to worry about. If you decide that some of your carpet needs replacing, contact us at Sloane’s Carpet Secret for the best deals on styles and installation around!
How to Use This Information
Here at Sloane’s Carpet Secret, we know that the holidays are a time to welcome guests into your beautiful home. We want to help you with any pre-holiday carpeting needs you may have! We have the biggest selection of discount carpeting in Denver, and we also offer top-notch installation services. For more information, call Sloane’s at (303) 300-9555 or contact us online!