I can't believe it is already Christmas time again! It's one of our favourite times of year in the Pearson Household, however the lead up can definitely be stressful, especially if you will be entertaining! Over Christmas we love to host friends and family, so naturally we want our home to look it's best for the festivities.
Over the years I have perfected my Christmas cleaning schedule; instead of the Christmas-week rush to get the house together I spread out my tasks over December. This is Step 1 of my easy guide full of the products I use and tips to help you clean smarter, not harder to get your home looking fabulous for Christmas Day...
To-Do List- One Month Before Christmas!
Porch
• Wipe down the door with a damp cloth.
• Launder (or deep-clean) the doormat.
• Tuck away any out-of-season items.
Living Room
• Vacuum furniture.
• Treat any furniture or carpet stains.
• If you have a fireplace you plan to use, schedule a chimney sweep.
Dining Room
• Polish silver #Smartcleaning Hack: Aluminium Foil + Baking Soda
• Launder any table linens you plan to use.
• Polish the dining room table.
• Ensure you have enough chairs for your guests. Borrow or rent any extras.
Kitchen
• Deep-clean your oven. #Smartcleaning Hack: Baking Soda
• Deep-clean your refrigerator and freezer.
• Clean grease off kitchen surfaces. #Smartcleaning Hack: Microfibre Cloth + Elbow Grease
Bathroom
• Address any leaks, broken hardware or other issues.
Guest Bedroom
• If you don’t use your guest bedroom often, make sure everything is in working order.
#Smartcleaning Hacks
#Smartcleaning Hack: Aluminium Foil + Baking Soda
Cover the bottom of a large baking pan with aluminium foil, with the shiny side up. Use ceramic or glass bakeware, never metal ones, to avoid unwanted chemical reactions. Fill with water and add baking soda. You need 1.5 tablespoons of soda for every gallon of water. Bring to boil and put the tarnished silver inside for 15 seconds. Take out the silver using kitchen tongs. Leave the silverware on paper towel to cool down. All tarnish is gone!
#Smartcleaning Hack: Baking Soda
1. Empty the oven: Remove your oven racks, oven thermometer, and anything else you have inside the oven. Set aside.
2. Make a baking soda paste: Mix a 1/2 cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Adjust the ratio of both as needed until you have a spreadable paste. For me, this took about three tablespoons of water to get the desired spreadable consistency.
3. Coat your oven: Spread the paste all over the interior surfaces of your oven, steering clear of the heating elements. I used gloves for this portion, as my oven was pretty grimy. It helped me get in there and coat the dirtiest nooks and crannies without having to worry about all that grime under my nails. The baking soda will turn a brownish colour as you rub it in; it also might be chunkier in some places than others, which is fine. Just try to coat the whole oven to the best of your abilities, paying extra attention to any particularly greasy areas.
4. Let it sit overnight: Allow the baking soda mixture to rest for at least 12 hours or overnight.
5. Clean your oven racks: Meanwhile, clean your racks in a dishwasher, or if you don’t have a dishwasher, cover the surfaces of your bath with towels, fill the bath with hot water and fairy liquid and leave to soak for 2 hours. Take them out and wipe clean with a microfibre cloth
6. Wipe out the oven: After 12 hours or overnight, take a damp dishcloth and wipe out as much of the dried baking soda paste as you can. Use a plastic or silicone spatula to help scrape off the paste as needed. I found that the damp cloth was enough for me, but a spatula might come in handy in those hard-to-reach places.
7. Spray a little vinegar: Put a little vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz everywhere you still see baking soda residue in your oven. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and gently foam.
8. Do a final wipe-down: Take your damp cloth and wipe out the remaining foamy vinegar-baking soda mixture. Repeat until all the baking soda residue is gone. Add more water or vinegar as needed while wiping to get the oven clean and shiny.
9. Replace your oven racks: Replace the oven racks and anything else you keep in your oven, and you’re done!
#Smartcleaning Hack: Microfibre Cloth + Elbow Grease
Fill a sink with hot water and put a microfibre cloth in to soak. Then spray elbow grease degreaser onto the surfaces and leave it to soak for five minutes. After five minutes, use the hot microfibre cloth and wipe away the grease; remember to rinse the cloth when it's dirty and repeat the process until the grease has gone. Buff/dry the surfaces with a dry microfibre cloth.
Comentários