12 holiday cleaning tips to make your house sparkle:

Here’s 12 holiday cleaning tips to help get your home sparkling without adding extra stress or taking up too much extra time.

4-7 days beforehand

1. Clean the inside of the oven and the stovetop to help get rid of any leftover smells to take away from the roast.
2. Clean out the refrigerator to make room for leftovers. Make sure you have adequate storage containers and space to store them before you start cooking. To absorb any fridge odours, place some vanilla essence in a small open dish; or an open box of baking soda if you prefer.
3. Clean the tops of ceiling fan blades, light fittings and inside down lights to make sure there are no surprise dust drops over the roast turkey!
 

2-4 days beforehand

4. Remove clutter from kitchen benchtops to give a more open and welcoming feel. The kitchen is the centre of the home and people love to congregate around it.
5. Anyone staying with you? Make sure the linen is cleaned, beds made, guest towels are ready before they arrive to make them feel welcome. And if you want them to feel extra special, add a small chocolate to their pillow!
6. Remove any personal items from bathrooms which are on display. Give the entire room a thorough cleaning, including the toilet, shower, sink, bath and mirror.
7. Move furniture, like small tables or pot plants, to another room to make space for extra chairs or sitting space around the tree or wherever you’ll be spending most of the time.
8. If you have a pool, clean it.

Day before

9. If you’re spending time outside, sweep around the area where you’ll be seated, dust off any cobwebs on outdoor furniture, clean up after pets and tidy the garden.
10. Dust all surfaces and then vacuum the house from top to bottom.
11. Before you go to bed – and Santa arrives – set the table ready for the main Christmas meal.

On the day

12. If you can’t relax, at least enjoy it!