It’s the most wonderful time of the year – sort of! After all, “wonderful”, in this case, includes traffic coming to a standstill here and there. Packed malls and downtown shopping areas. Pushy shoppers who see nothing wrong with cutting way ahead of you in line. Oh, and don’t forget, your relatives coming in from out of town, including Aunt Edna and her knack for not noticing the festive table and delicious food, but rather that one stray dust bunny in the corner of the room.
Still thinking “wonderful”? Well, before you give up on that notion, check out these tips for relieving at least one cause of stress: house cleaning.
Ask for help. It’s true that many hands make light work, but sometimes you have to ask to get your wish. Don’t let that stop you – get the whole family involved in dusting and vacuuming. If you can, hire a cleaning service for a one-time pre-holiday deep clean or treat yourself to a robot vacuum that can handle the floors while you tackle something else.
Keep cleaning supplies handy. This way you can give the bathroom vanity a quick wipe down after your shower or spot-clean kitchen cabinets while waiting for water to boil for that mac & cheese your 9-year-old could eat morning, noon, and night.
Set limits. Sure, you want your home to feel clean and inviting, but do you really need to spend time deep cleaning your home office this time of year? Focus on the most important areas of your home and make others “off limits” to guests.
Clean while you sleep. Whether it’s the tub, oven, or tile floor and surrounding grout, let cleaning products do the work for you while you sleep. Spray your tub or shower down before bed and let the solution sit overnight. Choose an oven cleaner that can be applied to the inside of a cold oven to dissolve baked-on foods. Make a baking soda paste and apply to grout, let it sit, then wipe clean in the morning. Just be sure you don’t have any sleep-walkers at home!
Steam things up in the kitchen. Place a microwave-safe bowl filled halfway with water in the center of the microwave. Close the door and bring the water to a boil. Turn off the oven and leave the bowl inside – with the door closed – for about 15 minutes. The steam will loosen stuck-on food so you can easily wipe it away.
Stock up on necessities. Don’t wait until the last minute to discover you’re out of vacuum cleaner bags, dishwashing liquid, or laundry detergent. Along with the plates and napkins, potatoes and gravy, and everything else needed to make your holiday gathering a success, stock up on essential cleaning necessities.
No matter if you’re having out-of-town guests or just hunkering down with your family, the last thing you want is a sudden loss of heat. Well, there’s no need for that when you bring in Optimum Air for a thorough furnace cleaning and inspection. It’s a service designed to keep your system running at maximum efficiency while reducing your home heating costs. Contact us today or anytime to schedule service.
