Prepping Your Home Before The Holidays

A few weeks ago, I was talking about polishing my kitchen cabinets. In part, it was meant to be a joke, but I really do polish my cabinets. That brought on a flood of DM's of people saying that they didn't even know polishing your cabinets was a thing. But it also brought on a lot of questions of people asking me to share my cleaning tips.

I also wanted to ask how many of you have a cleaning crew? A lot of my friends have maids that come once a week or twice a month. I've really considered it, but (crazily) I actually enjoy cleaning. I love the feeling of accomplishment and seeing everything sparkle after you're all done. I also find it to be a stress reliever. Which is truly why I decided not to hire someone. I think I will end up doing so, though, once I live in a larger space. Just polishing the cabinets in my tiny kitchen takes a solid hour to do!

I thought this post would be very timely around this time of year since so many of you will be hosting small gatherings to large parties and even hosting guests overnight! Since I live in an apartment, I think things are more simplified, but these are all things I suggest doing before your decorations go up. It makes cleaning a lot harder/laborious once all of the holiday decor is up! So I'm sharing some cleaning tips but also the cleaning products that I use. I wasted a lot of money trying a ton of different products in the past and I finally feel like all of the products I use really work. 

Polish Your Wood Cabinets

I guess we should start with this one because I seriously got SO many questions. I polish my cabinets with this cabinet cream and use these microfiber cloths. I do this at least once a month, but more when I am cooking a lot. Your cabinets get built up with grease from cooking, so polishing them cleans them and helps to protect the wood. 

Clean Your Floors

This means taking the time to roll up all of your rugs and vacuum, Swiffer, scrub any of your floor surfaces. If you don't want to do your entire home, try just the kitchen. You'd be shocked how much dirt is on your floors just from using your kitchen to cook. For hard surfaces, I use this Swiffer, and then for carpet, I use this vacuum and this carpet cleaner. 

Dust Everything

I feel like this comes without saying- but also, make sure any items in cabinets or things on a bar cart have been properly cleaned. These are places that can often be forgotten and attract a lot of dust. I love these microfiber cloths. They really do trap dust best. 

Clean Your Linens

Having extra sets of sheets on hand if you have overnight guests is key. I also really like to go through my linen closet and see if there are any washcloths, towels, etc. that need to be replaced. I find that kitchen towels and linen napkins need to be replaced the most. Food stains and just general discoloration can look really gross when hanging on a hook or on a table. Sometimes even a heavy dose of bleach can't save them, so I like to get a few new ones around the holidays (these also make great hostess gifts!). For laundry- I find that these pods work the best (I'm also obsessed with the scent). I also find that using plain old Dawn dish detergent on stains really help (sometimes even better than Shout). And lastly, I use this bleach so there's no chance of splashing. 

Polish Your Silver

I don't know many of my friends my age that have an extensive silver collection, which I think is more the norm. However, I just love the look of antique silver. Call me old fashion, I know. I also have silver utensils that I use 24/7. So having silver polish on hand is necessary. I do this about once every 4-5 weeks. I really think this silver polish is the best. My mom has always used it and now I do, too. This is also a good time to clean your jewelry if you have any pretty silver pieces! 

Scrub Surfaces

In general, I keep my kitchen pretty clean. But if there is a week that I cook a ton, I know that scrubbing is absolutely necessary. I have a glass stove (which I loathe) and after every use, I clean it, but sometimes it needs to be scrubbed really well. This product, Bar Keepers Friend, is basically one of the best cleaning products you can have in your arsenal (as a side note, a lot of people prefer Bon Ami because it's made with less chemicals and better for kids and pets, but I truly don't think it works as well). I sprinkle it on my large stainless sink and take this scrubber and then rinse. I use this cooktop cleaner daily (it's the only thing that works, I swear), but will then use the bar keepers friend powder on the glass top and let it sit with warm water. I then take that same sponge and scrub. You can use the Bar Keepers Friend powder pretty much anywhere. I find that it works best on non-porous surfaces such as your bathtub, sinks, etc. 

Wipe Down Your Baseboards/Moulding

In talking with my friends, this is another thing that a lot of them said that they never do! I wipe mine down with a Magic Eraser. It's somewhat annoying and a bit time consuming, but it truly makes a difference. 

Make Room In Your Coat Closet

This is hypocritical of me to suggest because there is no making room in my overly stuffed coat closet. But, whenever I have guests over, I lay their coats on my bed. My parents do this when they have larger parties and nowhere to store a ton of coats. They would always give Callie and I the task of coordinating the coats. But, if you are able to make room in a coat closet, that is the best option! 

Lay Out Hand Towels for Guests

One of my absolute biggest pet peeves is using someone's bathroom where there is no guest towel to wipe your hands with. I feel like this happens SO often. I always have clean guest towels present at all times in my bathroom! I have these monogrammed hand towels which are beautiful and can be washed/reused. I also always have disposable hand towels, too, and change them out seasonally. Caspari makes my favorites (like these and these). You can sometimes find them at Homegoods, too! I like to keep them on a silver tray in my bathroom, but they make all sorts of holders that you can tuck away and only bring out when you have guests, like this acrylic tray!

Clean Your Disposal

Have you ever wondered where an unpleasant smell was coming from in your home? It is more than likely your disposal! I can especially tell in my apartment if I walk in after being out for a few days. Day-to-day, I'll slice up a lemon or lime and that will take care of things, but they make a cleaner which is SO good for getting rid of gross smells. I use this about every two weeks if I am cooking a lot/having guests over. Otherwise, I'll do it about once a month. 

Put Out a New Sponge

My mom taught me this one. Whenever you have guests over for a party, you always set out a new sponge. Honestly, I have no idea why, but I still do it to this day. I don't mean when you have just a few girlfriends over for a glass of wine, but more so when you have a large gathering. I've written about this sponge time and time again here on Summer Wind. It's the best. I give it to all my friends and family! 

Clean Mirrors and Glass Surfaces

I think these can be easily forgotten, but this is one of those things that only takes a few minutes and if really does make a difference. Obviously, the bathroom mirror needs to be cleaned much more than a hallway mirror! I use these wipes. It makes everything so quick and easy to clean (you can also use them to clean granite, marble, etc). 

Clean Out Your Refrigerator

You likely have a few jars of old condiments that you can get rid of to clear up space for things people bring. I also suggest taking everything out and wiping down your fridge!

Obviously, you don't need to do these things all in one day. I suggest spreading them out over a week or two before you plan to have guests over. And as a safety tip, I always keep a window open and fan on because some of these products are made of not-so-great chemicals. I also use rubber gloves to keep my hands safe from chemicals-- and my manicure fresh, ha! Do you have any really great cleaning tips? I would love to know!

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