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They’re coming. They’re coming from points east, west, north, and south to spend Thanksgiving at your house. Lucky you! That means you’re in a cleaning frenzy. And the cleaning cycle will ramp up again once the tribe has flown off, leaving you holding the proverbial bag.
But hosting at Thanksgiving can be a stress-free endeavor with a perfected pre-cleaning and post-cleaning plan in place. Remember: It’s not what you do; it’s the way that you do it. Let’s talk about a plan of attack for the Thanksgiving cleaning cycles you’re about to tackle.
Planning is Perfection
A plan of attack is the best defense against stress when hosting Thanksgiving. You know the usual suspects are going to “suspect”. You know there’s bound to be some kind of tension around some ancient grudge at some point. You can’t stop that. But you can stop the stress!
Whatever you do, lard in the extra-jumbo toilet paper pack. You know why! That bathroom is going to be in heavy rotation, especially if the family’s going to be staying with you. And the napkins are for meals!
If you’re planning on a warm, crackling fire, then you’ll need to get that chimney cleaned. You may be the brave soul who’s ready to tackle the job on your own but don’t you have enough to do? I suggest that you outsource this task to a local fireplace and chimney maintenance company. Then again, I am not privy to the intensity of reader cleaning frenzies, so DIY if you must!
Create a detailed list of what needs to be done, then assign at least a week for knocking off your cleaning items. Assign each task a generous amount of time to be accomplished, as contingencies can and will arise and those can add to pre-Thanksgiving cleaning stress. With a plan, contingencies won’t have a chance of dampening your resolve or stressing you out!
A Logical Sequence of Tasks
For my money, tackling the guest bedroom or bedrooms first is the best way to approach your cleaning plan. Remove anything you’ve been storing there and find a place to stow it. There’s nothing less hospitable than a wall of boxes in the guestroom, so get them out of sight. Once that’s done, vacuum, dust, and then change the sheets on the bed. Close the door. With guest sleeping quarters out of the way, you can move down your list of tasks.
Make Room for the Turkey
Big jobs like the refrigerator can be done early. Get the old food out and anything that’s in there that shouldn’t be (almost empty condiment containers and that ancient jar of olives from last Thanksgiving). Clean the shelves and compartments and the fridge is good to go, ready for the turkey and all its trimmings!
Dusting and Floors Last
Jobs like dusting, switching out pillow covers, vacuuming, and cleaning the laminate, wood, or linoleum floors should be left until near the end of your cleaning plan, so everything’s fresh for the arrival of your invading Thanksgiving army. Taking on the various aspects of cleaning in a logical sequence allows you time to enjoy the process and the anticipation of a shared family holiday without the stress!
Protect Yourself
You’re cleaning out the fridge but what about the oven? It might need a once over, too, and the fumes from oven cleaners and many other household cleaning items can be irritating or overwhelming. Protect yourself by wearing a mask. But don’t forget to protect your hands with nitrile rubber gloves to avoid chapping and other skin irritations.
Why Stress?
Here’s the thing: You may not want to do all the cleaning yourself – especially before and after. It’s a lot, right? So, why not give yourself the gift of commercial cleaning services? Why not let somebody else do it all, while you address the food and the family dynamics at the dinner table? Aren’t those two responsibilities daunting enough?
Whichever plan of attack you choose to perfect your Thanksgiving cleaning – DIY or with the help of professionals – Thanksgiving is to be enjoyed. So choose wisely and have a stress-free, happy Thanksgiving!
Country & Victorian Times 