Hello and welcome to Memphis Maids! Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you had a great time this weekend, but now it’s time for some house cleaning after Christmas!
First of all, we sincerely hope you had a great time yesterday. Christmas is the perfect time to gather with your friends and family and celebrate one more year.
We love to hear from our customers and their Christmas Eve dinner. But we also know that, sooner or later, they need some help cleaning their house, especially now that New Years’ Eve is less than one week ahead!
That’s why we came up with some tips for cleaning after Christmas and right before New Years. At Memphis Maids, we love to share our best tips and tricks because we know some of our visitors prefer to clean on their own.
Let’s get right into it!
How to Start Cleaning After Christmas: Remove (or not) Your Christmas Decorations
First of all, we know some people choose to keep their Christmas decorations until January or even February.
Some prefer to take them down this week and switch them for New Year’s decorations. If that’s your case, today is the perfect day!
Carefully start grabbing your Christmas decorations, artwork and centerpieces. Do not place all Christmas lights under the same box without dividers, you don’t want to risk them tangling.
By the way, you can donate non-working Christmas lights at hardware stores, thrift stores and secondhand stores.
You may have wrapping paper scraps, cardboard plates and gift boxes scattered around. Take a large trash bag or even better, two cardboard boxes. One of them is the “Trash” box and the other the “Recycle” box.
Related: Decluttering Tips to Start the New Year
Clean Your Kitchen Appliances
Give some love to your kitchen appliances after Christmas! They are probably a bit greasy and in need of some serious cleaning, especially your oven, your stove and your fridge.
Your fridge is probably the easiest to clean out of all three.
You probably have some leftovers from yesterday. Start by taking them out and organizing them in plastic containers. You can place them back in the fridge or the freezer (with a date label).
Once your drawers and shelves are empty, take them out and wash them with hot soapy water, using a non-scratch sponge. Rinse with plenty of cold water.
Take this time to remove expired food and reorganize ketchup and mayo bottles.
Next, we have your oven. Ovens are particularly hard to clean with DIY cleaning products, because they have dried-up grease and food, in some cases, for a long time.
Fortunately, there are fume-free options on the market right now.
If you don’t have any commercial oven cleaners at hand, try mixing one cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of washing soda and 1 tablespoon liquid soap.
Mix these ingredients with hot water until you form a thick paste. Spread it all around your oven and leave it overnight. Wipe off with a microfiber cloth and warm water.
Last but not least, make sure to wipe your stovetop and remove any grease or dirt. Dish soap on the surface without any water should be enough. Use a short dish to scrub and wipe with a microfiber cloth. If not, you can try oxalic acid, commonly found as Bar Keeper’s Friend.
Cleaning Your Windows and Mirrors After Christmas
Your windows and mirrors are another key area. This last week of the year, Memphis is cold and there’s not a lot of sunlight. You want to maximize natural lighting in your home with crystal-clear windows.
If you don’t have glass cleaner at home, ammonia is a fantastic alternative. In fact, most commercial glass cleaners have ammonia in their formulas!
Just mix 2 tablespoons of ammonia, two or three drops of dish soap and two cups of water. Apply with a spray bottle and then wipe your window or mirror following an “S” pattern.
Related: Household Cleaners: Damages They Can Cause
Renew Guest Rooms
Overnight guests are always invited to make themselves at home. Without the cleaning part, of course. That’s our job!
But it’s essential to fix your guest rooms as part of cleaning after christmas. To give your guest room(s) a quick makeover, start by stripping your bed and washing your sheets.
Go through your drawers to make sure they didn’t leave anything behind.
With your vacuum cleaner, vacuum your headboard and the sides of your bed. Do the same for your dresser, nightstands, desk and TV stand.
If you have a handheld vacuum cleaner this will be even easier! Grab a microfiber cloth with slightly damp water and vinegar to wipe them as well.
Related: How to Clean Your Home Using Vinegar
Vacuum and Sweep Away Your Floors
Saving your floors for last is usually the most effective way to keep them clean for longer.
After Christmas, there’s usually a lot of debris and dust lingering around, especially in your kitchen and your living room.
Sweep your floors with a broom or a dry dust mop, if you have one.
If you have pets, you should vacuum your floors as well. Look for commercial pet deodorizers to absorb their smell from carpet floors and rugs.
Cleaning After Christmas Bonus Tips: Pay Attention to Details
As we mentioned earlier, pets do cause some odors and stains more often than not. Wash pet beds and clean their toys often. Most pet toys are washing machine safe, but double-check just in case.
Baseboards are one of the areas you usually miss, and it’s great to wipe them right before the end 2023. Just wipe them with an alcohol wipe.
If you notice any stains or scratches, you can try using a magic eraser. Just be careful, as they are a bit abrasive and are not meant for cleaning surfaces regularly.
Related: 5 Things You’re Forgetting to Clean
Conclusion
That’s it! We hope this article helps you with cleaning after christmas. Now it’s the time to clean your house and get ready for New Years’ Eve.
As always, make sure to contact us if you need a house cleaning service in Memphis. If you haven’t booked a cleaning service before, check our standard cleaning and our deep cleaning services. Any of them will come in handy this week.
Contact us quickly and get your house ready for New Years Eve!