Well, holiday cleaning is a big task for every home. Before you can enjoy the holiday season with your family, you must make sure that your home looks its best as well. If you take some time preparing your house, it can help ease the rest of the stress of the season. After all, everyone wants to be in a clean home at Christmas time.
The secret to a stress-free Christmas is to start your to-dos and cleaning well on time (2-3 weeks in advance). We know it's a challenge, as everyone is busy. However, if you find time to sit down and think about your tasks, you can solve them much more easily.
Plan your cleaning
It might sound strange but it's worth making a cleaning plan and not leaving all the work until the last minute. With a plan you won’t miss important spots such as cleaning the oven or your refrigerator. Make a list by writing it down on a piece of paper (or create an Excel), and don’t forget to add dates to the tasks!
Start with what you see
It is easier to get things done if you first get any unnecessary clutter out of the way. If you haven't yet packed away your summer wardrobe and accessories, now is the time! It's also worth doing a general house-clearance to get rid of the items you don't need by recycling or repurposing them. For example, you can donate used but still good clothes to charities or take them to your local thrift stores. What better way to help someone in need while you get your cleaning done.
Tidy up the kitchen cupboard
Now extend your sorting and decluttering to the kitchen cupboards as well. In addition to dusting them, look at which dishes, baking pans and tools you know you will need for the Christmas menu and make a list of whatever else is missing and you still need to get. What you don't need or don’t plan to use, just box it. Now is also the time to repair the stuff you’ve been planning to fix and get rid of the unfixable ones: bid them farewell as they find purpose again by being recycled and becoming useful. And don’t forget to sell what still works but you don't need it anymore. Every little help!
Now jump to the hard part
It’s important when you create that perfect cleaning plan, start with the less inspiring but necessary chores first. Like emptying and cleaning the refrigerator. You know you will want a sparkling clean refrigerator to pack away your Christmas menu. And since it’s food, you should choose a cleaning product that is free from toxic ingredients and not harmful to your health. Consider using Cycle cleaning products: for example the limited edition orange-cinnamon scented all-purpose cleaner (Cycle Limited Christmas Edition Pack), which leaves a delicious Christmas scent and perfect cleanliness after. And if you're already in the kitchen, you should also wipe the oven and the stove at the same time! Sprinkle some baking soda before using the Cycle all-purpose cleaner and voila! A spotless grime free oven awaits your roast.
Mirrors and glass
Although winter is not the most suitable season to deep clean windows, we do recommend to wipe them clean and spotless. And a great natural and organic way we know is using vinegar and corn flour (but does involve some effort) – this article explains it all How to get 'sparking' windows and glass with 'secret ingredient': but if that’s too much then why not instead try Cycle’s glass and mirror cleaner – Cycle Glass & Mirror Cleaner. With Cycle, make your glass and mirror cleaning chore quick and effortless while you enjoy a spotless shine and do good for the planet at the same time (all Cycle ready to use products contain >90% recycled and repurposed ingredients and the rest 10% are entirely natural and organic ingredients).
Don’t spare the dust
Even if you vacuum everywhere, wipe shelves and shake out your carpets regularly, dust will find it’s home in your house. Where? In all the nooks and crannies such as small corners, edges and seldomly moved surfaces. Look over door tops, under cover and at the sides and windowsills. Make sure you include all hidden and oft-forgotten “dust homes” in your cleaning plan. We recommend using our Christmas-scented all-purpose cleaner along with a damp cloth to remove the dust and grime and bring to life your hygienic home all-ready for the holiday season.
Don't forget the bathroom
Although the bathroom does get cleaned often, it’s also a home for dirt and grime in those pesky corners that are often missed in your regular cleaning. Make this the moment to get to those areas! And what better way than using our affordable and essential oil infused limescale and dirt buster – Cycle Bathroom cleaner (500ml) to wipe the corner of tiles, sanitary ware and faucets! Made from repurposed vinegar, recycled water and other natural and organic ingredients, Cycle helps you get the clean you and your home deserve in a non-toxic, efficate and uber-sustainable way.
Happy holidays!
