subject: Guidelines on How to Clean up your Residence for Guests this Yuletide Period [print this page] Guidelines on How to Clean up your Residence for Guests this Yuletide Period
The Yuletide season is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the dual blessings of friends and family. And as much as many of us adore having good relatives and friends inside our home, cleaning in between visits and celebrations creates stress that looks like it is going to ruin our christmas cheer. Just how then will we ensure things are presentable and still maintain our sanity?
Mother always reminded us of the benefits of organizing. Any and all chores or preparing food that can be done prior to the celebration or visitors arriving, need to be completed ahead of time. This will likely reduce the number of things you have got to accomplish on the day of the party.
Become an expert in quick clean up techniques. There is no reason to clean the whole house each time people come and visit. The rule of thumb as Linda Cobb (a writer and expert on house organizing) would state "If it's not dirty, don't clean it". Get a basket and pick up things that don't belong within the room, do this for each room then hide the basket in a cabinet for organizing later on. Put together a cleanup caddy that has all the cleanup supplies you'll need and bring it with you to the rooms guests will be able to use or view. For fast cleaning wipe only places that your visitors will use or see. Vacuum the rooms the guests will use and place the pillows in their proper place. Don't stress about not vacuuming under each and every piece of furniture, chances are your guests won't be moving the pieces around anyway. To judge if the area is fit for company stay in its center and assess it like you are the visitor. The rooms which visitors should not go into must be secured or at least closed. The coats and jackets of your visitors must have its own place near the front door, a coat rack can be setup or a closet emptied and assigned for use.
Prepare your restroom for an influx of people. A new bathmat and shower curtain could be a good idea for this holiday season because visitors have a penchant for spending a lot of time in this room. Clean the surfaces of the room efficently, then put fresh flowers in a bowl or light a scented candle. Potpourri and scented soaps also help keep the room smelling fresh even after heavy traffic. Be sure you stock up on amenities like towels, soap and toilet paper for your visitors.
Don't forget about the exterior as this is the first scene they will see. Polish the front door knob and wipe down the door. Sweep the steps or pathway your visitors will take. To prevent accidents from happening be sure to remove snow or ice. It is advisable to turn the lights on if your friends or relatives are coming at night. During the day time open the curtains and blinds to make the house more inviting from the outside as well as providing enough light inside.
If you have time, in a pot add water, cinnamon and cloves. Simmer the ingredients till the house smells nice and fresh.
