How to Deep Clean Your Home for the Holidays
I have come up with a “Deuces Wild” strategy. Two months, two weeks, two days, and two hours. Let’s take a look at each one of these.
Two Months; After a long summer, the one area that sticks out is carpets. Cleaning carpets is time consuming and you also have to move furniture to do a good job. It also means cutting down on traffic in those areas until the carpet is clean, fresh, and dry. This is a major undertaking if you have children and or pets. Another area to address is cleaning upholstery at this time. If you are steaming, this is the time to do it. Some people like to do curtains and drapes at this time, too. I don’t think so. The reason that I wouldn’t is that a lot of pollen and dust will still enter your home during the fall when leaves start falling. Change your filters at this time. That will help keep your rugs clean. Get rid of the cobwebs in the ceiling corners and dust and polish your wood trim.
Two Weeks; During this period, focus on your windows. Many times this is done on November 1st. Halloween is over. Many windows get soaped. If you have old pumpkins or Halloween decorations outside clean them up. The same is true with leaves that need to be done shrubs that need to be trimmed. This is the time to shape up the outside for the winter season as well as the holidays. Since you are doing your windows, now is the best time to do your drapes and curtains. If you must move furniture, this is also the time to do that so that the imprints in the carpeting have time to disappear. Once this is done, you can start thinking about house decorations. with two weeks before the holidays will gather only a small amount of dust. Any waxing of wooden floors should now be done as well.
Two Days; Day one focus on high traffic areas first. The living room, dining room, kitchen, and especially the bathroom. Work very hard on these areas as they will be seen by everyone. Spend extra time in these areas. Set out new or clean hand towels in the bathroom. Replace hand soap bars. Set out tissues so that they are easy to get to. Damp mop the kitchen floor and bathroom floor. Do a final vacuuming of all carpets.
Day two you want to do dusting of woodwork, window sills, pictures, and bed posts. Visually check your shelves and book cabinets. Make sure everything is in order. Pick up any clutter. Wash all mirrors. Clean out your refrigerator and organize it so that it looks good. Do the same with your stove and stove top. A great idea for bathroom sinks and mirrors is a little white vinegar. That usually does a good job on anything. For toilets, pour in a cup of ammonia and let it set over night.
Two Hours; This is what I call hit and run. It is the final “white glove” inspection as to say. Starting at your front door, stand there and get a quick look at the entrance way. With a cloth and polish, do the door knobs. Now continue through each room. Stand in each doorway and inspect that room. Make any minor adjustments.
Also now is the time to light scented candles and place them in effective areas. A light dusting of all furniture. Set your lighting at the desired light that you want. If it is dark outside, provide a lot of bright light. If it is very light outside, then dim your lights. Lighting has a big effect on people at social functions. Set out mints or candies in strategic locations.
Lastly, sit down relax with your favorite drink and do one last minute run over in your mind. You are done. Your “Deep Cleaning Deuces Wild” as prepared your home for the holidays.
