Christmas might not officially kick off until the 1st of December, but as a cleaning and home management expert, I start my actual prep for the festive season in November.
As soon as the pumpkins and Halloween decorations come down, I start decluttering cupboards for the gift-giving season, checking my decorations are ready to go, and cleaning the kitchen so that it's ready for hosting festive parties and the all-important Christmas dinner.
The countdown to Christmas can come around very fast, so make sure you keep your cool and stay organised with my November to-do list to get your home ready for the festive season.
1. Prep your home entrance
The festive season is all about catching up with friends and family and sometimes they do turn up unexpectedly so make sure your entrance is ready for you to hang a few festive decorations.
Start by sweeping away any leaves and debris. Scrub the pathway, if you don’t have the luxury of owning the best pressure washer, chuck over a bucket of warm soapy water and use a hard yard brush to scrub the path clean.
Add in a good weatherproof door mat that will help to soak up mud from muddy footwear. Use an old mop to wash over the front door and shine up the letter box with a bit of cream cleaner to make it shine.
Check outside lights are working and brush off any dust and cobwebs to get maximum efficiency. Cut back any bushes that are obstructing the door and make sure your house number is visible to guests.
2. Put away any autumnal decorations
If you have a house full of autumnal and Halloween decorations it is time to put them away, remove any pumpkins, spooky spiders and traces of any Halloween parties and create a clear cavass ready for Christmas.
Pack them away in labelled boxes so they are easy to find next year.
3. Declutter
This is a good time to have a good declutter. Check bookcases to remove books you no longer need, clear out old magazines that could be clogging up the coffee table, and donate duplicates of any kitchenware that is taking up valuable cupboard space.
This is also the time to do a stock check of towels and bedding and get rid of anything that you don’t need or know you won’t use again. Christmas brings gifts, and it is always a good idea to make sure you have space for anything that may come your way.
4. Deep clean
Pull out furniture, wash sofa cushions, dust, wash carpets and rugs. Don’t forget to pay special attention to places where you plan to set up Christmas decorations, for example, the fireplace where you'll be hanging stockings or the corner of the room where the Christmas Tree is going.
Remember that dust falls like snow so when deep cleaning always start at the top of a room and work your way down.
5. Oven Clean
Your oven is going to be working overtime over Christmas so now is a good time to deep clean your oven.
Remove the shelves and soak them over night in some warm soapy water with a splash of white vinegar and scrub up the door using a lemon and some bicarb. You may also want to pay attention to your baking trays, stock check them and clean them up. If you need extra you have time to grab a few more.
6. Fridge Clean
Get your fridge in order before the big food shop, give your fridge a clean and declutter. Throw out any expired food, wipe down shelves, and make space for all the Christmas goodies!
Use clear, stackable containers and fridge trays to keep everything organised and easy to find.
7. Sort through Christmas decorations
You may not be quite ready to put them up but now is a good time to sort through what you have and plan your Christmas decorating ideas for the year. This allows you time to get to the shops and buy anything else you need before it all sells out.
Test your lights, make sure they work, and you have no burnt-out bulbs. Detangle if you need to so when it comes to putting up you don’t waste time wrestling wires.
Carry out checks that anything that is battery-operated works, look for any damaged ornaments, and check you have hooks for stockings and the door wreath.
8. Festive scents
Now is a good time to pick up some festive candles, reed diffusers and potpourri to bring that festive scent into the home. Nothing says Christmas like the smell of cinnamon or fresh pine.
November prep kit
Get your festive scents and a few extra luxuries with this lovely advent calendar
Make putting away decorations easy with this handy label maker
White vinegar is the ultimate multi-tasking cleaner that no cleaning caddy should be without
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