Christmas cleaning thread?

[NoCapes]

Christmas is the time of year that I do those cleaning jobs that I should do every couple of months
The forgotten, not really seen so it doesn't really matter kind of jobs

I've made a list and crossed a few small bits off today, anyone want to join in?

My list is -
Oven & hob
Microwave
Washing machine ✔️
Bins
Under couch
Under living room cupboard
Living room window (always covered in dog nose prints)
Patio doors (baby nose prints)
Dog bed and toys ✔️
Kitchen lights ✔️
Under my bed & wardrobe
Tidy garden
Clean porch
Put unblocker down drains

What have I forgotten?

[ResistTheCraving]

Loving this thread. Im rubbish with cleaning so hoping to get some tips 😊

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

Well if it were my house it would also include cleaning down skirting boards, walls & doors but that's because I have a slobbery dog.

[NoCapes]

Bernards that's one that I actually do remember to do semi regularly - because we also have a slobbery dog
She also thinks she's a bear and scratches her back on the door frames so there's usually hair stuck in them too

[bastardlyandmutley]

Wiped down woodwork (doggy grott) & stair treads
Pulled out couch and swept behind.
Steam mopped all the wooden floors with my festive Zoflora.
Cleaned the downstairs windows inside and out.
Swept out the front porch
Cleaned the front door ready to hang my cones decoration.
Cleaned out the back lean to thingy (more dog grot)
Emptied freezer.
I still need to clean the upholstery and rugs. I will also give the fridges a good scrub before I get the Christmas food shop.
I was going to clean the oven but the last time I did that it broke and needed an electrician to repair it. So rather than risk having no oven for Christmas I think I will give it a good clean afterwards. It will be grotty and oily anyway.

[ErnesttheBavarian]

Christmas is such a madly busy time of year, why would you save all of these big jobs for this time of year? Isn't that what spring cleaning is??

[Grumpyoldblonde]

I have done my oven just to have a good dust down ready for the decorations this weekend.

[Grumpyoldblonde]

Just need that should have said.

[NoCapes]

Ernest 'Spring' cleaning is too vague for me, I need a deadline, an actual date, or its 'tomorrow, tomorrow, at weekend, next week, maybe on Saturday' then poof it's Christmas again!

bastardly you are on it! Good work

Grumpy I'm dreading the oven - in fact, I'm not even going to promise it'll get done at all

[Buttwing]

I've found my people!

I'm having a sort out this weekend as my 4dc are going for a sleepover at grandmas. I'm so sad I've turned down a night out to have 24hrs to have a good clear out

My oven is being cleaned on Monday and the stairs and landing carpet is being done on Wednesday. I will clean the bedroom carpets myself next week.

[Grumpyoldblonde]

Oh and I defrosted the freezer. nocapes oven wasn't as bad as I feared, was filthy but overpride made light work of it. I think a good clean before Christmas makes the post clean up much easier.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Oh, freezer - did ours a couple of weeks ago ('tis a tedious drawn out process but over now)

Oven needs doing

I need to sort out the small bedroom for the guinea-pigs (there are two runs but I need to shuffle them a bit)

No houseguests this year so I'll sort through and tidy the spare bedding , put in those vacuum bags and store away.

Need to clean before the decorations go up .

[Florin]

I have started. I figured start from top to bottom although haven't quite stuck to it. Cleaned top bedroom and tidied it as far too much stuff got dumped up there also tidied up spare room and started cleaning shutters which take forever. Cleaned all the skirting boards on landing and hall and washed walls up the stairs, hall and kitchen. Sorted out some of my husband's over flowing clothes and got rid of a bag of ds's. I still need to clean the bedrooms kitchen and sitting room and ds finishes school tomorrow . Luckily ds (4) rather likes a bit of cleaning so hoping he might help get it all sorted.

[Cagliostro]

Signing in!

We've been frantically preparing for looming Landlord inspection tomorrow but I've been really inspired by seeing how much of a difference it has made to the house. So from this weekend we will be continuing to spruce the place up but also continuing with the decluttering. I have some toys to sell as well so that will help.

First Christmas at home in a few years too so all the more reason to fix the place up :)

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

Yes! That sort of grease/hair line x far up your walls? Mine then has a couple of " of dc finger marks too. We're redecorating next year & I've decided to go for upvc skirtings to try & make it a bit quicker.

I'm cleaning the windows & sorting the bookcases in the living room today they keep getting dumped on so need a sort out.

Dc are doing their bedrooms over the weekend & then I'll clean the carpets. Downstairs one's will be done next week before school finishes.

[A1Sharon]

I was going to start a Christmas cleaning thread myself!
I have spent all week scrubbing, de cluttering, dusting, polishing...my cleaner is here today and has nowt to do, .
I like everything to be tip top before the decorations go up. And it is so satisfying when you sit down and it's all done.
My most hated task was cleaning the wooden shutters. Two words-time consuming.

[ErnesttheBavarian]

OK, but my point is, why make the time of your crazy cleaning at one of the busiest times of the year? why not easter? Or start of lent (6 weeks earlier). Both have eg bank holidays or school holidays as a marker, and it's around spring time, and life is not so hectic. No way would I want to clean my oven just before Christmas. Or anything else for that matter.

Tis madness to plan a big clean at this time of year. Or why not in the new year when you take down all the decorations? All that shed tinsel etc? Make sence then, and new year is a bit quiet?

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

I try & do big cleans quarterly. Like A1 I like to get it looking all nice before the decorations go up.

[Grumpyoldblonde]

Cleaning the oven is really no effort with the bag system though Ernest it does it itself, I just want the oven nice and clean, the freezer defrosted and the dishwasher tip-top (cleaned through) all these appliances take a battering over Christmas. A good de-clutter in the run up is great with all the new stuff coming in. I don't go crazy but it's nicer to put the decorations up on clear surfaces and in dust free corners. I do a big clean when school goes back in September and around Easter.

[girlelephant]

Everyone I know does a big December clean! I thought it was normal. I did a massive clean in August as also do then quarterly but will be doing much of it again as it needs freshening up. There's something so satisfying when a deep clean has been undertaken! The house feels so much nicer than when frequent tasks are being adhered to

[Cagliostro]

Right, landlord inspection done and no issues. So now we can carry on with more detailed decluttering etc. Treating myself to some present wrapping first though (I LOVE wrapping but resisted as obviously inspection was the priority)

[PixieMiss]

Er..call me slovenly but how do you clean a washing machine? Wipe down the front?

[Grumpyoldblonde]

Clean a washing machine by running an empty hotwash maybe with a cup of vinegar. Should be done monthly for maintenance. I said dishwasher though and I buy a cleaner to run through now and then.

[NoCapes]

Clean the front, take out the drawer and clean that and the space where it goes and I bought 'washing machine cleaner' from Home Bargains but I suspect it's just bicarbonate of soda tbh

Today I cleaned the microwave ... That's all

[NoCapes]

Ernest I think you're over estimating how long all of these things take, they're only 1/2 an hour jobs mostly, just trying to do one extra thing ontop of normal cleaning and tidying each day
I'm not doing 'massive cleans' just a few forgotten extras

[NoCapes]

Oh and I do clean at other times of the year too don't worry