After a tough year, many of us will be eagerly anticipating the festive season. Even if it may be different in terms of how we celebrate it.
Despite that, though, many of us will have now turned our attention to that pre-Christmas prep – ordering gifts, buying new decorations, planning that festive feast. Among all of this, one thing that often gets neglected until the last minute is that all-important tidy-up of your home before you get any decorations up!
Admittedly, it’s not the most joyous of tasks to be doing when we could relax on the sofa with hot chocolate and our laptops doing a bit of Christmas shopping. But the earlier you do it, the earlier you can kick back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the buildup to the festive season. Get these bits and pieces done before December, and you’ll be feeling smug when everyone else you know is frantically trying to get things spick and span the week before the big day!
Here Rubbish Be Gone Removal Company has the top tips to help you declutter and clean up in time for Christmas.
Deep Clean Your House
Let’s face it. Once those trimmings are up, chances are that surfaces and nearby areas won’t get cleaning until everything comes down all the way in January.
So, to make things easier, go around your house and give everything a nice, thorough clean. Not only will you have less to do when the trimmings come down, but if you’re expecting guests this Christmas, having your home nice and clean is a must – this year more than ever!
Besides your usual housework tasks, vacuum those areas you don’t normally vacuum, clean the carpets, take any knick-knacks off of shelves and give surfaces a good dust-off, and rid any corners of those pesky cobwebs. It may seem like extra effort now, but think of how good it’ll feel to get those decorations put up in a freshly cleaned house?
Make Room For Your Christmas Tree
It happens every year – you unbox the Christmas tree, but then you’re stumped with where to put it. When you’ve planned an afternoon of decorating the tree while listening to classic Christmas tunes, moving furniture around is not something that adds to that festive feeling.
So, this year, plan ahead.
If you can’t see anywhere for your tree to go as your room is, you’ve got plenty of time to shuffle things around and make room. Plus, it gives you even more chance to give your house that deep clean we mentioned!
Sort Out Your Stuff
Christmas is the time of year where we’re graced with new things and on some occasions, unwanted items that we’ll just stuff in whatever drawer we have spare. For that reason, now is a good time to give wardrobes, drawers and toy-boxes a good declutter and get rid of anything you no longer use, want, or need.
With the kids’ toy-box, depending on age, this may be one that you can delegate straight to them rather than doing it yourself, but if they’re not quite old enough (or you’re just worried about a pending tantrum when you throw away that Barbie doll that lays around for 2 years now) then you might better off doing it yourself.
Anything that’s in good condition, donate to your local charity shop, or perhaps even sell it online to make a bit of extra Christmas cash.
Alternatively, if you have heaps of junk you just want rid of, why not look at our range of domestic rubbish removal services for a quick and easy way to declutter?
Upgrade Old Furniture
While our finances may not be focused directly on home improvements this time of year, if you’re entertaining, it can certainly pay to upgrade certain pieces of furniture.
If you’re hosting Christmas lunch, consider a new dining table, or if you have family members visiting, it could be worth investing in a new mattress or bed for the spare room. Similarly, if you have furniture or a chair or recliner that could use a facelift, why not work on upcycling or repairing? Of course, this depends on your budget, but if you’re able to, doing it now is definitely an option.
Keep a lookout for furniture deals too, you may even score yourself a bargain! If you invest in any new pieces before the festive season, you can also take the hassle out of getting rid of the old too with the help of our furniture disposal service.
Check Your Deck
Specifically, your lights. If you’re well kitted out for Christmas decorations this year, make sure you go through what you have and check that everything is in working order – especially with lights!
Not only is this worth doing to ensure a hassle-free bit of festive decorating, but you should do it to ensure yours and your family’s safety too! While it’s not the most exciting of tasks, taking a few minutes to do it is certainly worthwhile.
Clear Out Your Food Cupboards
We do it every year – that big Christmas shop where we end up buying ten times more food than what we have room for. Before you even make your list, go through your cupboards and your freezer to see what you have and so you can make plenty of room for your festive food supply. Throw away anything that’s out of date, and it’s even a good idea to empty cupboards completely and give them a good clean too (perhaps even defrost your freezer if you get time!). If you have food, that’s in date but you know you will not use it for whatever reason, put it to one side and donate it to your local food bank.
So there you go, a few simple ways that you can declutter and prepare your home for Christmas. Admittedly, they’re not the most festive of activities to be getting on with, but remember, the sooner you get them out of the way, the sooner you can kick back and enjoy the upcoming festivities!