Thanksgiving home cleaning: Where to start so you’re ready for guests

Thanksgiving home cleaning: Where to start so you’re ready for guests

Your guests are coming! Before you know it, it’ll be Thanksgiving and all your friends and family are going to converge on your home. The clock is ticking! Use these tips to get your cleaning started so your home is ready BEFORE your guests walk in the door.

Start at the top.

If you don’t want to keep cleaning and re-cleaning, start your Thanksgiving cleaning by looking up. Dust off fans and the tops of cabinets. Wipe off the top of your appliances and vacuum out any spider webs that are hanging out on your ceiling or in corners. Clear out any bugs from the light fixtures or globes and wash them down so your holiday is bright.

Clean off the counters.

A lit bit of work now can save you a lot of work later. Start by cleaning off your counters—every counter—in your kitchens and bathrooms. Clear away any items you don’t need and wipe down every counter in your kitchen and bathroom now, so you don’t have to later.

Clear out the clutter.

If you have anything you’ve been meaning to get out of your house, now is the time to do it. Donate items you don’t need or haven’t used to local charities. Clean out those items now so you can clean under them, vacuum, and mop as you get ready for Thanksgiving.

Schedule a carpet cleaning.

Don’t try to clean up all your carpet stains at the last minute—as in, when your guests are walking through the door. Instead, schedule a deep carpet clean that removes all the stains well in advance and leaves your carpet looking great.

Make a list and stick to it.

So you don’t have to do a last minute frantic cleaning, take our Thanksgiving checklist and break it into daily checklists. Try to tackle a few tasks every day, such as cleaning out your microwave and oven one day and dusting your cabinets another day. And to make your guests as happy with your Thanksgiving meal as your clean home, prepare as many dishes in advance as you can. As with cleaning, advance work makes for a happy (or at least stress-free) Thanksgiving celebration.