The Christmas Clean: A Frantically Festive Guide to Preparing Your Home For the Holiday Season

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The holidays are approaching fast, which means the frantic rush to get everything perfect has already begun. Sometimes, it’s easy to get lost in the rush and feel overwhelmed. So, to offer a little assistance, here’s a couple of tips to help get you ready for the big day.

De-clutter

We tend to hold onto things way longer than we need to, and there is something about de-cluttering the house that clears your head and gives you a fresh start, before the onslaught of gifts begins. Using the 12-12-12 method. Find 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home. It can be a really fun and exciting way to quickly organize things in your home.

Get festive

Whether you celebrate the holidays casually or are an all out christmas fanatic, there is always something fun about decorating the house. There are many ways to decorate your house to add a little festivity, such as new photo frames for pictures, little christmas themed ornaments or the classic christmas tree. You can create your own decorations with the family to really personalise your christmas and create beautiful christmas mementoes.

Give your garden a bit of love

We tend to overlook our garden and put it in the “i’ll do it later” list but now is the perfect time to give your garden a little love. If you don’t have much time, focus on the entry area. Sweep the entrance, pull out any weeds, brush off the doormat and get rid of any cobwebs and fallen leaves.

Keep on top of the bathroom

With visitors coming and going, the bathroom is a key area you need to keep clean. No one likes a messy and gross bathroom, so keeping it clean is a key way to make visitors more comfortable.

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Clean glassware and dining sets

We all have special glassware we only use on special occasions, but for the rest of the year they are packed away, collecting dust. Giving them a clean insures there’s no awkward moments on the big day when someone hands back a dirty glass and saves you time from worrying.

Prepare supplies

If you are expecting visitors over the festive season then now is a good time to iron any tablecloths, check you’ve got enough glasses, pull out the good dinner set and prepare any other entertaining supplies that you might need. It’s no fun frantically searching for the gravy boat on Christmas Eve, or realising you don’t have enough chairs as everyone sits down for lunch.

Delegate

Delegating tasks can relieve a lot of stress and pressure and get things done faster and more efficiently. It gets everyone involved so no-one is overly stressed but everyone feels as though they have really helped.

Remember that the holidays are meant to be a time for rest, relaxation, friends and family. At the end of the day, try to remember that people are coming to your home to visit you, not to evaluate the housekeeping skills.

If all else fails, chuck everything in a few washing baskets, stick them in a bedroom and pour yourself and the guests a glass of wine. Suddenly, no-one cares, and you can enjoy the festivities in peace.