Lana Hawkins We spend joyful time with our family and friends during holidays, but that seasonal shine can disappear quickly when we face with the consequences: house cleaning after guests leave, after removing decorations and all other traces of holidays. Restoring everything to its original state and taking your home back can be a difficult task, but we have a few smart tips that will help you.
Christmas tree
Carefully remove the tree, if it is not a natural, place it in its packaging. Nothing says Christmas is over like an empty corner where your Christmas tree used to be; so fill that place with a lamp or a plant. Wrap New Year’s lights around the empty paper towel tube, in order to prevent them to get tangled. Wrap the cord around the tube, and put the plug inside it. If you threw away original boxes for your Christmas tree ornaments, you can put them in used cardboard boxes. Place layers of soft paper or some other material between ornaments to avoid damage.
Carpet or furniture stains
Check your carpets and furniture, there might be stains on them. The longer they stay, the harder it will be to remove them. If you notice stains, apply a mixture of warm water and a mild dishwashing liquid on them. Cover the stain with a paper towel and continue to spray that mixture and pat with paper on the stain until it is removed. Rinse the spot with clean water, wipe it again and let it dry.
Odors
Unpleasant odors are necessity after holidays. If you are a smoker or you had guests who smoke, you know how unpleasant odor cigarettes can leave. If your house smells like an ashtray, you need to do something about that. One way to remove the odors is to pour vinegar in a small bowl and place it in a less visible place, because vinegar has the power to absorb odors.
Sometimes odors are coming from the drain of the sink. When this happens, put the baking soda down the drain, and pour alcohol vinegar over it. This mixture will make foam. Leave it to react for ten minutes and pour boiling water into the drain to rinse any accumulated dirt.
Fingerprints on stainless steel
Home Appliances made of stainless steel shine nicely, but this material is an excellent surface for fingertips and other visible marks. To quickly clean the stains and fingertips from your stainless steel fridge or sink, use the olive oil. Apply small amount of olive oil on the clean rug and go over the fingertips and other marks, you will be surprised. It is a Christmas miracle!
Play the music
House cleaning can be tedious. You will be surprised how much faster cleaning goes if you are in a good mood. Play your favorite music (preferably one that has an energetic fast pace) and get to work.
Let your children help you
Kids of all ages can help with household chores. You should make a list and share all duties from picking up the toys to a garbage disposal.
When you remove all traces of holidays from your home, reward the whole family with a dinner (in a restaurant of course, cause you don’t need more cleaning) or go to the movies, it’s completely ap to you.
