This post has been sponsored by SC Johnson. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Let's be honest. As soon as September rolls around, the holiday season begins. And I'm not talking about the fact that stores are already filled with all things Santa Claus.
Every mom knows that when school starts, we dive headfirst into the Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas blur of parties, activities, and family fun traditions. I call it Hallogivingmas, and it's about to get real.
This time of year, it feels like our schedule is always full and the door to our home is always open. It can be stressful trying to balance our holiday activities with keeping our home clean and inviting for guests.
But it doesn't have to be.
You can stay on top of housework and enjoy your celebrations by following a holiday cleaning schedule. And I have everything you need to make it happen, including a FREE printable checklist to help you stay on track.
Holiday Cleaning Prep
Before you dive in to your holiday cleaning schedule, you need to stock up on supplies. Having the right cleaning products will make your chores so much easier and knowing that you have them at the ready lets you handle any messy surprises with ease.
As soon as the kids are back in school, head to Safeway to pick up your holiday cleaning supplies.
Safeway is my go-to store for picking up everything on my holiday list, from coffee to cleaning products. I can get all my holiday cleaning essentials on my regular grocery run and save money thanks to the Safeway mobile app.
Click here to see what's in store for your holiday cleaning and grab a coupon too!
To make your holiday cleaning easy, you'll need:
Click here to see what's in store for your holiday cleaning and grab a coupon too!
To make your holiday cleaning easy, you'll need:
- Pledge® Multisurface Cleaner. This is my go-to for everyday cleaning! Seriously, it's gentle and safe for wood, countertops, and even stainless steel.
- Scrubbing Bubbles® Bathroom Grime Fighter Aerosol. This is what you'll need to get your bathrooms sparkling clean the easy way. It removes 100% of soap scum and smells amazing! Plus, the penetrating foam goes to work on big and small surfaces to get rid of grime.
- Scrubbing Bubbles® Fresh Gel Toilet Stamp. This is a genius way to get freshness with every flush! Just stamp the gel disc under the rim for 12 days of continuous freshening. No touching or scrubbing required.
- Windex® glass cleaner. The only glass cleaner you'll need.
- Drano® Max Gel Clog Remover. The secret weapon in your cleaning arsenal to blast tough clogs with ease. Because no one needs a backed up sink on Thanksgiving morning (trust me, I know from experience!).
Make sure to have a good supply of microfiber cleaning cloths and paper towels, too, along with a caddy to help you carry everything easily from room to room (and to use for those party mishaps that always happen).
Holiday Cleaning Schedule
Start with a deep clean
There are 3 big holidays in 3 months, so make sure that you look at your calendar now and mark down a day for deep cleaning once a month.
A great time to schedule your deep clean is when you rotate out your seasonal decor: clean once now before you put out the pumpkins, once more after you pack away the jack o'lanterns, and one more time before you put up the Christmas tree.
A great time to schedule your deep clean is when you rotate out your seasonal decor: clean once now before you put out the pumpkins, once more after you pack away the jack o'lanterns, and one more time before you put up the Christmas tree.
Following this deep cleaning schedule will help you stay on top of the nooks and crannies and make sure that you're decorating an already tidy home.
Maintain a daily cleaning schedule
It is much easier to keep a home clean by taking care of small tasks every day. Take the time each day to tackle these chores and you'll find your house stays clean between your scheduled deep cleaning days.
- Do a quick pick up
- Sort paper clutter
- Empty kitchen sink
- Start dishwasher
- Wipe down countertops with Pledge® Multisurface Cleaner.
- Clean bathroom surfaces with Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Grime Fighter. I let the bubbles go to work while I brush my teeth, then wipe away when I'm done! And since I use Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Gel Toilet Stamp, I can freshen the bowl with every flush.
- Sweep/vacuum high-traffic floors.
- Final clean/mop. You can even use Pledge® Multisurface Cleaner to spot clean hard floors.
Clean before a holiday gathering
When you've taken care of your daily cleaning, you'll find that getting ready for guests is a lot easier. But there are still a few things to take care of before you host a holiday party or family gathering.
- Clean guest room
- Stock and clean guest bath(s) (make sure to add a new Toilet Gel Stamp if needed, and clear any slow moving drains with Drano Max).
- Clear clutter from foyer/entry
- Dust all guest areas
- Vacuum/mop floors
- Clear out refrigerator/freezer
- Clean kitchen surfaces
- Wash & prep serving dishes
- Prep emergency cleaning caddy
Having an emergency cleaning caddy is a great hack for holiday entertaining! Keep a caddy with your spot cleaning essentials at the ready to clean up any spills during your get-togethers.
Post party pick up
After your guests depart your house might feel like a tornado blew through! You'll need to do a bit of post party cleaning to get it back in shape.
- Clean guest bath(s)
- Clean & change linens
- Pick up as needed
- Wash dining linens/rugs
- Vacuum/mop floors
- Wash dishes
- Clean kitchen surfaces
- Spot clean as needed
Want to have this list in your planner for the entire season? Grab the free printable version by clicking on the button below!
Don't forget to stop at Safeway to stock up and save on cleaning essentials all season long.
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