Holiday House Cleaning: A Before-and-After Plan

That Cleaning Girl · House Cleaning

The holidays bring family, food, decorations and a lot more mess than usual. Between the cooking, the visitors and the wrapping paper, the house can feel like it's always one step behind. If you've already read How to Clean Your House Before Guests Arrive, this takes it a step further, with a plan for the whole season, before, during and after.

Plan around your events

Start by looking at the calendar. When are guests coming? Are you hosting a big meal or a party? Are people staying overnight? Work backward from your biggest event so your cleaning lands at the right time. A deep clean three weeks before Christmas won't help much if you'll be decorating and baking in between.

• Two to three weeks out: declutter, deep clean the kitchen and make room for decorations.
• One week out: clean the guest areas and wash guest bedding.
• A day or two out: a full regular clean of the main rooms.
• Day of: quick touch-ups only.

Before: make room first

The holidays add a lot of stuff to a house: decorations, gifts, extra food and extra people. Clearing out first gives everything a place.

• Clean out the fridge and pantry so there's room for holiday food.
• Clear kitchen counters of anything you don't need for cooking.
• Pull out toys the kids have outgrown and donate them before new ones arrive.
• Clear the entry so there's space for guests' coats and shoes.

Before: the kitchen gets extra attention

The kitchen does the heaviest lifting during the holidays. Before the cooking starts:

• Clean inside the oven so it doesn't smoke when it's working hard.
• Wipe the range hood and its filter.
• Clean the microwave inside and out.
• Wipe cabinet fronts and handles.
• Run the dishwasher's cleaning cycle or clean its filter.
• Sharpen up the sink and drain so it's ready for a lot of dishes.

Before: guest areas

Clean the guest bathroom thoroughly and stock it with extra toilet paper, soap and towels. Make up the guest bed with fresh sheets. Clear some closet space and a drawer or two. Make sure the entry, living room and dining room are dusted, vacuumed and mopped, since that's where everyone will gather.

Don't forget the dining room. Wipe down the table, chairs and any china or serving dishes that have been stored all year. They usually need a wash before they're used.

During: quick daily resets

Once the season is underway, the goal is keeping up, not deep cleaning. Ten to fifteen minutes a day keeps things manageable:

• Run the dishwasher every night and empty it every morning.
• Wipe kitchen counters and the stovetop after cooking.
• Take out the trash and recycling daily. Holiday trash piles up fast.
• Do a quick pickup of the living room each evening.
• Wipe the guest bathroom sink and restock towels.
• Vacuum under the tree every couple of days to catch fallen needles and glitter.

Ask guests to pitch in. Most people are happy to help with dishes or clearing the table.

After: the big cleanup

Once the decorations come down, the house usually needs a real reset:

• Vacuum thoroughly, especially where the tree stood. Pine needles and glitter hide in carpet for months.
• Dust shelves and mantels where decorations sat.
• Wash table linens and guest bedding.
• Clean out the fridge and toss leftovers that are past their prime.
• Clean the oven and stovetop after heavy holiday cooking.
• Mop all the hard floors.
• Wipe down the entry, where extra foot traffic left its mark.

Cedar season also hits North Texas right around the holidays, so this is a great time to change your air filter and dust everything well.

Keep it simple

The holidays aren't about a spotless house. They're about time with people you care about. Pick your priorities: a clean kitchen, a fresh guest bathroom and a tidy place to gather. Let the rest wait until January.

It also helps to lower the bar for yourself on busy days. Paper plates for a casual lunch, a basket by the door for everyone's shoes and a rule that dishes get done before bed are small choices that save hours over the season. Nobody remembers whether the baseboards were dusted. They remember the food, the laughs and the people around the table.

Getting help for the season

Holiday weeks fill up quickly, so it's smart to plan ahead if you'd like help. Many families across Waxahachie, Midlothian and the south DFW area book a clean the week before their big gathering and another the week after. See how our house cleaning services work and get your date on the calendar early.