Preparing for Xmas!

The Lights are on! Everywhere is selling Christmas gift packs for everything you usually buy – there’s no denying it … Christmas is pretty much here.

Don’t get wrapped up in it. Take a step back and focus on what needs to be done. Make lists: gift shopping, food shopping, events, baking, and cleaning. Sit down and figure out what you need to do and how long you have to do it in.

Let’s focus on the cleaning. Assuming you recently did a season-change clean, there shouldn’t be too much to do.

For most of us, the arrival of the in-laws, or even our own parents, is the largest source of stress. That invisible white glove slips on ‘her’ hand the moment she walks in. With your weekly cleaning routine in place, you know that you can do this. Be brave!

In preparation for their arrival and the Christmas festivities in general, there a few things you can do.

Carpet care

Get a spills emergency kit ready: make sure you have kitchen paper at the ready, and brush up on your most common carpet stains (link to the carpet stain article – if you can), so that when the inevitable spills happen, you don’t have to hurtle around trying to control the flood.

Do a solid clean of the house – throw the windows wide as you return all the bits and bobs back to their homes, then do a spot of dusting, go over the bathrooms and put on new bedding. Start off in a strong position!

Stock Up

Buy in more rubbish bags so you’re ready for the piles of wrapping and packaging. It’s best to clean all of that away as soon as it arrives, rather than building a mini mountain in the corner.

Clean Out

If you have kids, sort through their old toys and clothes. If you know there are replacements on the way, or that you’re going to need more space to store this year’s toy pile, get your kids involved in deciding which toys they no longer use or need, and hand them either to charity or a child that will enjoy them.

Make The Spare Room A Guest Room

One room that is likely to be called into use more than usual is your spare room – your guest room. Dedicate yourself to sorting this room for a while. Bring it in line with the rest of the house: clear away clutter, put on clean bedsheets, arrange some flowers in vases and empty a space in the cupboards and drawers for your visitors to unpack. Make this room a room you’d be happy to sleep in. As a throw-back to my chambermaid days, I lay a chocolate on the pillow and fold towels and an extra blanket at the foot of their bed. In the bathroom, I set out some toiletries especially for them. I like making my guests feel welcome.

Head To The Kitchen

It’s likely that much of your time over the coming weeks will be spent in the kitchen. With a little bit of preparation, you can get well ahead of yourself and reduce a fair amount of time. All the large serving dishes and roasters need a clean, as they’ve probably not been cleaned for 12 months.

Whether you have ‘special’ cutlery and crockery or not, giving it all a good buff will make it look so much nicer than it does out of the dishwasher. Glassware as well will shine wonderfully when you give it a little more attention. You’ll need more glasses than usual, so bring out all of your glasses and wash them. I’ve heard a rumour that if you have cloudy glasses, caused by hard water, cleaning them with toothpaste brings the sparkle back. Personally, I’m a massive fan of vinegar and detergent, but everything is worth a go, isn’t it?

At last, your house is clean and ready to tackle the oncoming seasonal festivities; now it’s time to pull out the deccies. Put on some carols, pour a glass of wine and grab a cloth, so you can enjoy bringing Christmas out of the box – and dust or wipe this year’s deccies!