When you have guests coming for the holidays, it helps to have a clean home to welcome them. But then Christmas is one of the messiest holidays of the year – so should you deep clean your home before or after Christmas?
Luckily, professional cleaners have tried both pre-Christmas cleaning and a big January reset to help decide which approach is best so we don't have to.
These are the cleaning tips you need to know for the holidays, and how deep cleaning at the right time can help save you time and energy.
Should I deep clean my home before or after Christmas?
The short answer is that it is usually best to deep clean your home before Christmas to help avoid stress on the big day.
‘Holiday cleaning can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! Avoid the rush of last-minute holiday home prep by deep cleaning ahead of time,’ says Maria Mooney, cleaning expert at Truly Free. ‘It's crucial to clean and organize your space to accommodate upcoming holiday guests. That way, you can enjoy the cozy, welcoming space you created long before your loved ones arrive!’
That being said, having a good clean-up after the holidays is still essential to restoring order, adds Alicia Sokolowski, cleaning expert and owner of AspenClean:
‘Well, if you hosted gatherings, you might be left with a lot of mess and clutter after the celebrations – deep cleaning afterward as part of a New Year's reset, helping you start the new year with a clean and organized home, would then be the key.’
Overall, it is up to you, Alicia adds, and it ultimately comes down to your schedule.
With that in mind, here is how to break down your cleaning tasks around Christmas to help maintain your cleaning motivation and clean without feeling overwhelmed.
Before Christmas
1. Complete your pre-Christmas declutter
No seasonal cleaning routine can start without a little pre-Christmas decluttering. Not only does it help to clear space for your Christmas decor, but makes it far easier to clean, says Alicia Sokolowski, a cleaning expert.
There are plenty of things you can do with the items you declutter, from selling online to make some money for the holidays or donating to shelters and charities to help those in need.
2. Prepare guest spaces
No matter if you are having dinner guests or overnight guests, preparing your guests' spaces in advance will make anyone feel welcome in your home and take some of the stress away from hosting. Tackle your living room and kitchen, and prepare your entryway for Christmas guests.
When preparing a guest room for Christmas guests, Maria Mooney, a cleaning expert, recommends ensuring the spaces are clean and dust-free first and foremost.
‘Wash bedding, fluff pillows, and provide extra blankets and towels. Consider adding some thoughtful touches like fresh flowers or scented candles, or even a stuffed Christmas stocking,’ she adds.
3. Dust to help prevent allergies
Allergies are an issue even in winter, especially when people are in and out of your home and bringing dust and debris with them.
To help keep you and your guests happy and healthy, Alicia Sokolowski, cleaning expert reminds us to remove dust in our homes by working from top to bottom, wiping surfaces with a microfiber cloth, and finishing by vacuuming and mopping.
4. Clean and polish your dinnerware
Whether you go all out with your Christmas table decor or not, cleaning and polishing your dinnerware sets and flatware sets is essential before Christmas hosting to help impress your guests, suggests Maria Mooney, cleaning expert.
This is especially true when using special sets of tableware that you perhaps don't pull out very often and may have become dusty or smeared in storage.
After Christmas
1. Wash and clean seasonal decor
When taking down Christmas decor and organizing Christmas decorations for storage, it is helpful to give them a polish, or do laundry where needed, to ensure your decorations are ready to be put straight out next year, says cleaning expert Alicia Sokolowski.
Even if you dread it, it will help you to decorate for Christmas without feeling overwhelmed next year, she assures.
2. Clean up the aftermath of Christmas trees
While the worst damage a faux tree can do is drop some plastic needles that need vacuuming up, a real Christmas tree can do serious damage to your flooring.
The cleaning experts at Method suggest using a good floor cleaner to help clean up Christmas tree sap and pine resin and prevent staining.
‘While Christmas trees are often a must for many people in terms of bringing the festive spirit into any home, no one enjoys the continual clean up that comes with having a real tree in your home throughout December.
‘Method’s hard floor cleaner in lemon ginger, and the wood floor cleaner in almond, are perfect for keeping your tree floor in tip-top shape.’
3. Pay attention to forgotten spots for a fresh new start
After Christmas is the perfect time to tackle the places you aren't cleaning but need to for a fresh start in the new year, recommends Maria Mooney, cleaning expert.
‘Holiday cleaning isn't just about the obvious areas. Take a moment to clean overlooked spots once the holidays are over, including light fixtures, air vents, and even your washer and dryer. If you have any artificial plants, this is also a perfect time to dust them off or give them a gentle wash.’
FAQs
Why do we clean before Christmas?
Cleaning before Christmas can help to make room for new gifts and allow you to pause your chores and relax over the holidays without your home becoming too unruly. Clean and declutter before your decorations are put out to make it easier.
How do you clean your house after Christmas?
After Christmas, start your cleaning by removing your Christmas decor to give you plenty of space to work. Once this is all packed away, spend time cleaning all of your surfaces and floors, removing any glitter and pine needles before moving your furniture back into its original position.
Cleaning may not be the most festive of tasks when getting your home guest-ready for Christmas, but putting on some festive music and using scented cleaning products to make a home smell good for Christmas can help to make your chores go by a little quicker while adding a fun touch to your to-do list.
