6 last minute preps that get your home ready for Thanksgiving

There are a lot of tips floating around about getting your home ready
for the holidays, but when the clock’s ticking down, tips like “start early” don’t really count. If you’re up against the clock, use these (fast) tips to get ready for your family Thanksgiving.

Finish your home projects.

If you’ve started home projects (like a beautiful laminate accent wall), now is the time to get it done so your guests aren’t wading through the dust during the holidays. Stop in for any last minute supplies you need so you can get your project completed and wow your guests over the holidays.

Make a plan.

Don’t get so frantic about getting ready for Thanksgiving that you don’t take the time to make a plan. Make a list of tasks that need to be done, and designate tasks to family members or cleaners that you bring in for the occasion. For your plan for the day of, make sure your list includes time for prepping and cooking your dishes. You don’t want ornery guests waiting for dinner because you were too busy cleaning.

Abandon areas of your home that don’t count.

Devote your cleaning efforts to areas of your home where your guests are going to be. We know it’s tempting but if your guests won’t be in your basement or closets, let them be. Move on to areas where your guests are going to be hanging out and eating. Save any other projects for after the holidays when you don’t have the clocking ticking down.

Have fans ready.

When you clean your laminate or wood floors, don’t leave puddles for the safety of your guests and for the good of your floors (more tips for wood floor cleaning here). Use fans to make sure your floors dry completely so you don’t end up with water damage. After you get your floors dry and ready, keep a rag on hand over the holidays so you can clean up any spills.

Don’t clean your floors (or anything) without testing.

Holiday cleaning—even rushed holiday cleaning—is not the time for experimenting. If you’ve never used a certain cleaner before, go back to what you know or visit your local store for cleaning advice. Using unproven cleaners can damage your floors, counters, and surfaces and even void the warranty of your floors. No matter how much you want a perfect clean, it’s not worth it if you end up with damage that costs more to fix.

Carry your cleaning supplies with you.

Once you have your list, gather up all your cleaners and cleaning supplies and put them in a container that you can carry with you. This simple step keeps you from wasting time running all over the house looking for your next cleaner or paper towel. Best yet, carrying your cleaners allows you to make fast and short work of your holiday prep—and move you forward to enjoying the holidays with your guests.