During the busy holiday season, what is your strategy for keeping your home guest-ready - Knowledge Base: Holiday

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During the busy holiday season, what is your strategy for keeping your home guest-ready?

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December 1, 2008 - Keeping a clean home during the hectic holiday season can be a challenge - especially with the additional details to deal with, like gingerbread cookies on the floor, holiday decor that needs constant dusting, and guests dropping in at the last minute. How do you keep your home clean during this busy time?

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Xanax and a big shop vac.
It's easier to keep holiday decorations simple rather than small objects that are hard to move around and clean. Any lighting should be well anchored in place so that a duster or vacuum could easily do it's job without knocking everything out of place. Have a nice cookie tray handy for all that type of baking goods. A cake holder is also a plus. Make room on the counter for all these edibles. In that way you only have one place to clean up after each use instead of wiping up crumbs here and there. Make drinks that will last for a few weeks. Put them in tight containers that prevent any spillage. This is also true for any baked goods that will need to be refrigerated after they've cooled. Try to keep the refrigerator free of clutter. Make room for those drinks and foods that will be taken out when your guests arrive. To us, this is the best way to get through the holidays without too much trouble. During the holiday, guests are never any trouble. It's a time for happiness and giving. Happy holidays... PJ M
Simple really. If my guest doesn't like the way I keep my home then they can get the hell out and go and get themselves a life. What gives a guest the right to criticize how a person keeps their home. They are there as exactly that: a guest. And why the hell do you care or even ask such an anally retentive question? It is supposed to be a holiday season, so let your hair down, tell your guests to let their hair down. Who knows they may actualy be able to extract the pole from the backside and actually enjoy themselves and learn not to worry about things that really are none of the business. So my house may be a little messy, but that doesn't mean I'm a bad person. So lets all try something new this Christmas, HAVE FUN AND ENJOY THE SEASON.
keep it so people can walk in it without tripping over stuff.
What I do? It's Simple! I have no kids! Me and my husband never make a mess. So we always get ready on Dec. 5th and clean up little things. Like the laundry, dishes, Etc. It actually is good. But we're planning to get kids in a while.
Hell, I would be happy if it was tornado ready. My house would give a tornado a run for its money.
I just don't worry about it. If people want to make judgments about my house, they can, but I prefer to focus on the quality of the interaction rather than the appearance of my house.
you can try every possible way to keep it good and better in every way. I just put my family in with me and make deals on how to make the holiday better for everyone. even me!
Your friends and relatives are coming to visit you and your family and not to inspect your house. They should expect a little clutter and lots of dust during this festive season so if someone is so damn picky as to criticize how you keep house and not tell you how lucious your gingerbread cookies are, don't invite them next year.
I clean every room in my house from top to bottom. go through things and weed out what i dont use. put them into groups like one i use for donations to thrift shops another i use for things to give to family & friends.Another things just to throw away.i organize (this year i reorganized & moved furniture) made room for decorations sweep/vaccumm/dust/mop.clean bathroom toilet & sink have(only if you dont have pets & small children) a container that i keep water & bleach in,& leave my toilet brush in it, so its ready to use anytime.I bleach my white kitchen sink & counters by filling kitchen sink with bleach & water & leave soak for an hour rinse and its as clean as can be! I keep extra boxes of regular & sugar free candy around in case theres an unexpected guest then i have a gift to give them. â�¥*Mâ�¥*Eâ�¥*Râ�¥*Râ�¥*Yâ�¥* â�¥*Câ�¥*Hâ�¥*Râ�¥*Iâ�¥*Sâ�¥*Tâ�¥*Mâ�¥*Aâ�¥*Sâ�¥*
I agree with apbanpos and and lyn... Keep the guest bathroom GUEST READY divide the house into zones...keep it simple and manageable...you can tidy one area for 15 minutes and relax and gather your thoughts and go onto something else... if you concentrate on the cluttered areas, set a timer...and then spend time only on what's most important--including yourself... For Loving Yourself and that's what you want most to share with others this season...
1) Always have homemade Christmas cookies. 2) Always have a nice decorated Christmas tree. 3) Welcome your guests with a smile! Who cares about the rest?
If my friends are coming to see me, they know to please come anytime. They also know that if they are coming to see my house, they need to give me a few weeks notice. I don't constantly dust the holiday decor--I put up a Christmas tree and hang stockings from the fireplace. They're not up long enough to need dusting. Outside of that, I"m not going to do anything I don't already do. If it's not good enough for my friends and family, then they certainly don't have to waste their time coming to visit me. I'm going to enjoy my company, not stress over what my house looks like. And if one of my teenagers has left a bowl of popcorn in the family room--well, that's what a FAMILY room is for, to sit down, relax, and eat a bowl of popcorn in.
yes, I have everything to welcome guests
Use silicone dishware and utensil, be more determind to keep the house clean, put the treats out early for the last minute guest, for the dust keep clothes dryer lint trap clean.
ME NOT KNOW?
I dont have guest, they have me. haha
Simplicity itself. I only have friends who come to see ME, not the condition of my home. If someone thinks my home is not clean enough, they are welcome to leave it.
thats what I hired the maids for
During the Holidays and all year thru we have guests drop by all the time with out notice .So with that said, my children are my big helpers. They have been taught well to keep the house nice. I do the deep cleaning while they do the basic cleaning. It helps me out alot. I guess it is all about routine?
I make sure I dust at least every other day, vaccuum once a day, everybody cleans their own dish, pick up stuff off the floor and off the table and put things were they should go other wise things start to pile up quick and then it just makes an even bigger mess. I just turn on some Christmas music and the family chips in with most of the cleaning and we have a good time as a famliy.
I try to make a hour every night before bed time to catch up on every thing, & if I have any extra time in that hour I try to do a little extra , like make some candy that does not take long. Or wrap a few extra presents. Keep the dishwasher empty if I can. Good Luck.
So far ... no strategy. And it shows.
i just have a notice on my front door that says a clean house is the sign of a wasted life that way people know what to expect lol
I have a routine that I follow daily.... That way I only have to deep clean the main areas once a week or so.... I'm a SAHM during the day with 2 toddlers and at night I work from 5pm till midnight.. My husband has "chores" to do while I'm working to help me out.... In the morning I wipe down the bathroom countes, toilet/sink with lysol antibacterial wipes and I clean the mirror... I also once a week pour a bit of bleach down the toilet and let it sit for 1/2 hour or so... I also once a week deep clean the tub/tile surround and wash/replace the rugs.. I then sweep/mop the bathroom... It takes in total about 20 min. to deep clean IF I keep up with the daily routine... I also take the laundry down on a daily basis and wash a full-load of laundry EVERYDAY.. That keeps it from piling up ! I make my way into the kitchen and once again wipe down all the surfaces counters/appliances with antibacterial wipes.. I prepare breakfast for the children and while they eat I unload/load the dishwasher... I run my dishwasher only when FULL on time delay at night... I also wipe down the highchairs AND sweep/mop the floor on a daily basis.... Once a week I go through the fridge and get rid of any old food. Make a shopping list... When the kids are done I send them downstairs to their playroom... I switch the laundry and take a basket upstairs.. I fold/put away.... While the children play I will vacuum the living diningroom/bedrooms.... I like to vacuum everyday since I have little one's that find everything and put it in their mouths.. I also have a large breed dog that sheds... I also once a week vacuum my furniture... I dust once a week as well.... I check the children.... Then move on to the bedrooms and make the beds... I change the linens once a week... To save space I store each bedrooms bed linens under the bed in a storage container, to free up valuable closet space.. I dust once a week as well.... Making the bed everyday is a HUGE improvement if company suddenly drops by.... Every night BEFORE bed/bath my children ages 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 have a game with daddy and it's to pick up their toys and put them in the decorative baskets we have in the livingroom... If I'm working my husband will load the dishwasher and wipe down the counters... It's a very big help... He also is in charge of folding and putting away the laundry.... *For the holiday season I have cookie dough in the freezer made I just cut off some dough and drop onto cookie sheets and place in over... While the coffee is brewing.... I don't have a ton of decor with little one's well "less is MORE"..... I just find that keeping up with the house on a daily basis helps get through the holiday OR any other day.... In case you were wondering we have a 3 bdrm. ranch w/ a partially finished basement.... 1 1/2 bath... It's about 1,700 sq. feet.. Good luck
I'm not one for clutter, but whatever doesn't pertain to Christmas decor goes in a closet until after the Holidays. The less cluttered things are, the easier to stay on top of it. Less is more.
Go out of state to see my family.
THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION.... :) I prepare my guest by saying how extremely embarrased I am that my house is not 100% perfectly clean before they arrive. I tell them how I had to choose betwen cleaning all day or spending time with them and that to me, a dirty house is much better than not seeing them. So my husband and I do some quick cleaning.....and I mean quick.....just pick up and windex all the visible spots from the house....as if we are in the fast foward command. Usually when the guests arrive they expect to see worst. and always compliment on how nice everything looks. And all it takes is a vacumm, a bottle of windex, some paper towels and 10-20 minutes of your time. :) Happy Holidays Everyone!
I tell them if they don't like the way my house looks, don't let the door hit them in the butt on the way out! If people come to look at your house, they are not real friends/family. People get too hung up on petty, unimportant stuff.
I keep my table top dustbuster fully charged, I also use the clorox handy wipes. I am not afraid to use paper goods. paper cup, plates etc.......I love simplicity. I begin spring cleaning in the begining of December while my kids are in school. My garage becomes my storage area if i'm bombarded by excessive laundry, mess etc....
I fly with the flylady! (as do my friends) http://www.flylady.net/
keep the bathrooms clean, the kitchen clean and tidy. guests are in charge of keeping their own bedrooms tidy, and cleaning up any "messes" their children make. relax and enjoy your guests and let them help.
When I enter in the house with the shopping bags I put everything in a table and then, I take a bag or box for every room (baby bedroom, office, master bedroom, etc) and I organize the stuff in each bag and after I take it to each room. If I have time, I put everything in place but if I don't have time I just leave the bag or box inside the closet in each bedroom. If for example, for some reason my guest open the closet of my baby, he will see just the bag. Is much better that leave the mess everywhere. For have the kitchen clean, I never leave dirty dishes in the sink and I try to clean everything there while I am cooking. For the floor, I wait until everybody sleep in that form my guest will see the house super clean the next morning. I don't have any guest right now in the house, but my husband is in home, I have a baby and two dogs and the house is always clean. The secret: keep looking when something get dirty and clean it immediately. In my country the husband don't clean the house -at least that have a very bad wife- and I still keep that tradition in my home. I am the only one that clean, wash clothes, cook and I never let my husband do MY JOB so many people can think that the house is a mess but not. The house is perfect! Just keep an eye always and be ready for clean any little thing. Specially if you have visitors in your house. Good luck!
i dont need to do anything "extra". i clean every day all year round and make sure my family knows the one who makes mess cleans it. i don't need any "storage room" for junk. i throw all the junk away. garbage can is the proper place for storing unnecessary stuff
I pretty much do this all year long; clean up right after I mess up, always have the guest bath "guest ready" and maybe have some little munchie and things to drink that are warm and comforting. I also decorate the entry and livingroom (have greens on the fireplace right now and a snowman on the door handle). Keep it simple is the best motto.
For this Empty-Nesting Single Retiree (Who just became one in the last year ...) The ANSWER is SIMPLE -- NO MORE Children in the Home because they are ALL Adults and OUT of the house! Hey, when they decided to move ... I was QUICK to start the go-throughs -- to take BACK the HOME That I EARNED through my HARD WORK -- and whatever they did NOT want (or cherish) was designated for one of three piles -- TOSS (Dumpster) ... Donate (Charities around the area) ... and Keep (Core Memories/Collections). OF Those Three categories -- the Biggest (by Far) was Toss and a close second -- Donate! For me .. the job was daunting -- I raised (single .. only MY income because the ex was a deadbeat too besides an abuser) ... a High Functioning Autistic Child (Asperger's Syndrome) and a Severe ADHD Child. NEITHER one ever attained some skills -- and after a LONG day of work .. it was an EQUALLY (and sometimes longer) NIGHT of work in the house ... and .. in the end ... it was mixed (neither appreciated me or the efforts/care). I HAD to stick yo a scheduled routine -- so my own health suffered in the long run. NOW ... for the past year ... I've tackled that house room by room ... closet by closet, attic by attic ... and am ALMOST at the point where the HOUSE is the way I WANTED it all these years! And ... the best news .... after surviving a brutally abusive short disaster of a marriage (and almost 2 decades of AFTER the Divorce torment ... ex Burglarized my HOME in August 2006) ... I FINALLY was 'surprised' by God/Fate ... and a kind, gentle, caring, loving MAN came into my life -- a "Helpmate"! so .. he is coming down, is helping me with the rest of the repairs to the home, and we are going to enjoy the holidays together!
up for dusting in a hurry - i use a blow dryer i know i know but it works and if your house smells good it willl feel clean, another thing to do is pour bleach in you toilets and let it sit - meanwhile take warm water, bleach and mix then spray down sinks and showers- later wipe down with a white dry cloth - wipe seat down with clorox cloth or papper towel if nothing else- flush n you have a clean bathroom-and i know its tacky but if you do fall behind on your chores the saying is true - out of sight out of mind- so dirty dishes in the washer clean laundry can stay in dyrer dirty in side washer(hampers will look clean) and always find time to make the beds and empty the garbage - also natural sun might gives the appearance of a brighter - cleaner home !
tying the kids up!
I tried this before and it worked. Dig a big hole out in the backyard, then throw all the trash or messy things in and bury it. No one will ever know, and when the holiday season is over you have yourself a beautiful, trash tree growing.
I decorate the house with get well cards, that way when guests drop by they will have just thought I was too sick to clean or bake.
I usually clean a level at a time - changing the sheets on each bed, totally clean the bathrooms and put clean pillow cases on all the extra pillows and tuck them in the linen closet ready for use. I keep the bedroom doors and bathroom doors closed until use. The carpet and floors don't get dirty and the pets are kept out. A quick dusting is all that is needed when I get a call that friends or family are on their way. The hearth room and kitchen get everyday use so picking up is natural and it is clean most of the time. I keep fresh baked goods handy and holiday coffee's ready throughout the holidays. Special cakes and goodies are kept wrapped separately in a crystal bowl for the little ones to grab and not be yelled at. I've decorated each bar stool so the little ones willingly climb up and eat their treat. A hand vaccum is kept handy in the laundry room and we grab it if necessary - no fuss - no scolding - no problem. Holiday entertaining is fun - should be fun. We love people..... and use things.
I focus on cleaning one room a day and then make sure everything stays picked up. I've had company for 6 weeks straight! Different relatives coming and going, so it's been hard but do-able.
I use a leaf blower because it's very fast. Just make sure the door is open so the CO fumes go outside too.
Simple - don't invite anyone over! If they show up anyway, pretend you're not home. ;)
Keep the lights low. Hides all your flaws and secrets.
My husband and I share housekeeping duties in our small apartment. It's just us two for the holidays so it'll be cozy and intimate. :)
Always...Always have one room where you can just toss everything and close the door. Not a closet...that spare bedroom or home office. Toss the junk in there and shut the door.
Easy - I'm a proud FLYbaby for over 6 years!
Simple... invite no one; and if anyone comes knocking, don't answer the door.
My home is always ready to welcome guests holidays or no holidays. What about you?

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