Tips for a faster clean-up after the holidays

Tips for a faster clean-up after the holidays


After a wonderful holiday get together, your guests are gone…and so is the wonderful feeling of the holidays. Instead, you’re surrounded by all the dirty dishes, tables, and floors that come with hosting a holiday with your family and friends. To help you out (and make you want to host another family holiday), we’ve compiled these tips to make your holiday clean-up faster and better.

Don’t let food debris dry on your dishes.


Be proactive about your cleaning now so you don’t add to the checklist later. Let your dishes soak so you don’t have to scrub off dried food. For the dishes that can go through the dishwasher, start the loads now so you can get your dishes started and finished (with newer dishes, skip the unnecessary pre-rinse). Clean off the dining room table and do a quick wipe-down to rid your table of the hardened leftovers from your delicious dinner.

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.


Once you’ve got your hard surfaces wiped down (and any debris on your floors), do a thorough vacuuming of your entire home. Make sure you use a vacuum that won’t void your warranty (use these tips to choose the right vacuum or contact your local flooring store to get more info on vacuum cleaners).

Call in the pros to get out the stains.


It happens: spilled wine, a dropped plate full of food, an “oops!” with a can of soda. If you have a stain on your carpet, use these tips to clean it up now. The next step is a deeper cleaner: schedule a professional carpet clean to get out the stain permanently—from your carpet and padding.

Carry all the cleaning tools with you.


When you tackle the post-holiday clean-up, gather all your supplies before the cleaning begins. If you do so, you won’t have to stop your cleaning to go after another bottle of cleaner. You can just keep moving from room to room, cleaning as you go—and getting done sooner.

Don’t get distracted.


Stay focused. Divide and conquer if possible: make a list and split up the cleaning tasks so you can get your house back to normal. Be efficient with your time so you can get back that wonderful feel of the holidays and enjoy a nice, clean home.