Holiday House Prepping

We’ve created a lot of blog posts to help you clean just about anything life throws at you (here’s a round up the top posts from 2020). So we hope that you don’t turn into a ball of anxiety this time of year, while prepping for holiday guests.

Comedian Chris Fleming reenacts all the crazy holiday house prepping antics that are far too familiar for most of us. 

If you need a little help this holiday season, don’t be “Gayle” remember you can call us and we’ll help prep your home and have it ready for guests in a day. 

2020 Top Five Cleaning Blog Posts

 We’ve created a lot of blog posts to help you clean just about anything life throws at you. 

Here’s a list of our top five blog posts from 2020:

1. Deep Cleaning Tips from our Professional Cleaners

2. Disinfect Daily

3. Quarantine is the Time to Clean

4. Keeping Allergies at Bay at Home

5. Love Your Home

Is there a topic you’d like to see us write about? Reach out on Facebook or Instagram - we’d love to hear from you.

Clearing Kitchen Clutter Before Thanksgiving

Clutter. It’s the gatekeeper to anxiety when you step into your home. Eliminating clutter and clearing your counters can be a surprising fix for those disorganized feelings (and will help clear room for all of the cooking you’ll likely do for the holiday). It only takes a few minutes to move everything off of your kitchen counters so you can wipe them down and reorganize. Once you’re done, you’ll be happily surprised at the difference it can make!

Here are quick and simple steps to help you get your counter clutter under control. You can use these in other parts of your home too!  

1. Clear your counters off completely. Take everything down - appliances, dish rack, towels, etc. put it on the floor out of the way. 

2. Grab your cleaner and a CLEAN rag. It’s important that you aren’t just moving the dirt around, you’re actually eliminating it. Take a clean cloth rag and wipe EVERYTHING down. 

3. Time to edit. Before you put everything back on the counter, take a moment or two to reflect. Are there appliances that you don’t use often that can be stored in the pantry or cabinets? Is there clutter that isn’t kitchen related that can be moved to another area in the house? Having some cleared counter space is a good thing!

4. Rezone your space. As you’re putting items back, think about how you use them. The coffee maker should really go closer to where the coffee supplies are, etc. 

Keep your counters clean all the time by doing a few simple things each day:

1. Put things back where they belong right away.

2. Don’t let your dishes pile up on the counter. If the sink is getting full that’s a good time for a quick load.

3. Have a designated mail spot so you aren’t throwing mail on the counters and leaving it to pile up.

4. Wipe down counters daily and before and after meal prep.

Thanksgiving Cleaning Prep List

You might recall our Thanksgiving Cleaning Prep List that we shared last year. We’re back with the same list and a few new tricks we’ve added to the trade. 

Step One: Assess the Damage

Make a list of everything that needs to be cleaned so that you are prepared. Do you need to replace a light bulb in the bathroom? New linens? Put it on the list!

Step Two: Check Your Cleaning Supplies

Make sure you have everything you’ll need to do your cleaning on hand. If not, make a list. Don’t forget to check your cleaning bottles too; you don’t want to be running to the store in the middle of a cleaning job because you forgot something. 

Step Three: Prepare the Kitchen

Since most of your time spent on Thanksgiving is in the Kitchen you’ll want to spend some extra time in this area. 

• Make sure all the cookware you’ll be using is clean and ready to be used. 

• Wipe down the cabinets, the refrigerator, the microwave, and the countertops. 

• Wipe your special holiday dishes and flatware. 

• Clean out your refrigerator. You’ll need room for leftovers.

• Don’t forget the oven! Wipe down the door, clean the stovetop, and pay special attention to the inside; we want the turkey to cook without smoking out the house with burnt spillage from last week’s lasagna. 

Step Four: Laundry Day

If you’ll be hosting for any out-of-town guests, you’ll need to do some laundry if they are staying with you. Wash the bedding in your guest room. Since you’re already in the laundry room, make sure to wash any linen you’ll need for the dinner (I.e. cloth napkins, tablecloths) and hand towels for the kitchen and bathroom. While you wait for the spin cycle, dust and vacuum the guest room.

Step Five: Setting The Table

It’s always a good idea to look over your dining area before you host Thanksgiving to ensure you have everything you need at an arm’s reach. 

• Double check the lighting in the room and adjust accordingly (open the curtains if needed, or add candles or additional lighting if necessary)

• Make sure everything is wiped down 

• We like to use hot pads, crockpots, and other handy kitchen tools to help keep Thanksgiving sides warm (cleaning tip: line with aluminum foil for easy clean up).

• We recommend using tablecloths or recycled paper over tables for easier clean up.