Look familar? After Christmas your house can be in a very bad way.Wow - Christmas was a blast. A colossal meal at lunchtime, followed by hours of fun and games with your family, a relaxing evening in front of the television, and a glass of bubbly to finish. You're exhausted, and head to bed.
In the morning you wake up and survey the house, and oh dear - it's a mess! Before you panic, remember that Christmas can easily take its toll on even the cleanest house. With so much food to prepare, it's very difficult to 'wash up as you go' and with children around the house can quickly get grimy in places you'd never expect it to!
Take a breather, and start tackling the mess one part at a time. Here's a list of handy tips to help you out.
- Clean the kitchen first
The kitchen inevitably suffers over the festive season. Your baking tray has probably seen better days, and the mound of washing up would probably give Everest a run for its money. You should always clean your ktichen first, as you'll use it to make tea and dinner later on, and a messy kitchen will seriously increase your stress levels. - Ask the family to chip in
After all, you've prepared the Christmas dinner and the festive celebrations, and you're probably feeling exhausted! Get the children to clean their own rooms and your partner to help out downstairs. Many hands really do make light work. - Work to a structure
Christmas cleaning is often more difficult than everyday cleaning because there's a great deal more tidying to do before hand. Make sure you don't overlap jobs. Clear away the Christmas paper, the old food and the beer bottles before you start to clean. Always finishing tidying first. - Watch out for stains!
Carpets can very easily get stained over the Christmas period. Gravy, red wine, beer - they're all regular culprits. Click Cleaning's put together a comprehensive stain removal guide that tells you how to quickly and painlessly remove even the toughest stains. - Don't overdo it
When you clean after Christmas you're tackling days and days of heavy use! Don't feel you have to get it all done in a day. Take it easy and do it properly, and your house will be back to normal in no time at all. It can be easy to get stressed, but remember the mess is only temporary.
Good luck with your Christmas cleaning! It really can be daunting first of all, but please don't despair. The more people you have to help you, the easier it is, so call on all your friends and family! And last but least, make sure you relax: after all, it is Christmas!