CHRISTMAS CLEANALONG

[Alsonification]

Hi all. So for the first time ever I will be hosting Christmas Day dinner in my home.

And to that end, I've decided to give my house a massive clean, declutter & reorganisation (very badly needed!).

I've worked out there are 16 weekends to Christmas (well actually 17 but I want to use the last one for food prep) so I'm dividing my house into 16 sections & going to spend one day every weekend on a different section.

I'm starting this weekend. Would anyone like to join?

I haven't put up decorations yet , DH will go up in the loft tomorrow and bring them down.
I need to get the washing- that is hanging about - put away so the bannisters can be decorated .

Cleaned the utility
Put some clothes into recycling from DS wardrobe
Some bedding to charity shop yesterday

Need to clean the downstairs loo
Vacuum the hall/stair carpet

Vacuuming will be done after the decorating as the faux greenery sheds fake needles (that I'll still be finding in March )

I am now in preservation mode.

The house is decorated, tidier and cleaner than it has been in ages.

For the next couple of weeks, I will be working to preserve it!

Room where tree, which we haven't got yet, is deep cleaned ready for installment.

The jigsaw board, for construction of the season's festive jigsaw has been dusted down!

Ok so catching up, have some zing back!
Did a medium clear and clean of kid's rooms Friday.

Had a fairly productive present buying, deciding Christmas tree collecting date (think we are going with Thursday but can't decorate until Sunday so it can get nice and cool and wet in garden for 3 days) with all the family this weekend. One more fun trip into town with friend next week and then it's online or nothing!

Did an hour of wrapping, have taken lots of niggle bits and pieces upstairs and down.

Cleaned/cleared as much as can be done of front and back living rooms.

Laundry basket full again but it's a satisfying sweep full and after Wednesday H WFH or off until January so don't mind leaving tumble on if he's in, so that makes life easier.

Will deep clean bathrooms Thursday and tick off some niggle jobs, hopefully will be feeling festive peace and goodwill on sunday when we will install tree, decorate and sneak in a Bailey's.

Be even better if the weather settled into a calm period of Christmas frost instead of freezing wind.

The teens cycled in today, I might suggest I drive them in for rest of term unless weather settles.

So have half hour to have a christmas tea herbal (it smells like mince pies it's lovely) and a read of the gentle woodunnit on Thanksgiving easy novel and this time next week we will be Good Housekeeping Christmas Special Interiors Section (I wish this will never happen)

All major cleaning now finished so I'm moving into maintenance mode now.
This thread has been a real motivator so thanks @Alsonification and everyone on it.

Feeling organised and calm and in no fear of unexpected visitors! (Well, nothing that a five minute tidy up and a quick vacuum couldn't cope with.)

08/9 En suite ✅
15/9 Dressing room ✅
22/9 Master bedroom ✅
29/9 Kitchen part one ✅
13/10 Kitchen part two ✅
20/10 Utility room ✅
27/10 Sitting room ✅
03/11 Larder ✅
10/11 Bathroom ✅
17/11 Indisposed! ✅
24/11 Hallway, stairs and landing, incl airing cupboard ✅
01/12 Spare room ✅
08/12 Study ✅

Yesterday I gave the kitchen a good clean and wiped down the cupboard fronts.
I clean the downsides loo 2-3 times a week but yesterday I cleaned the radiator in there which had been bugging me for ages. Took a few minutes to clean along the bottom where dust was accumulating.
Today I am going to give the bathroom a good go and wash all the hard floors.
This week I am going to clean the skirting boards, doors and their frames. Might do each floor on a different day. Wednesday and Thursday.

Yep, I'm also in maintenence mode now.

I have about 10 presents left to wrap.

Hoover and dust the place - but as I've kept on top of this, it'll not take long.

Move the coffee table and the dining table into their Christmas positions.

Mop the kitchen floor, and wipe over the bathroom.

Got to get this done tomorrow and Thursday, as am them working or away until then23rd, when the in-laws descend!

I'm so glad everyone's still motoring along & getting some use out of this thread.
I'm working til Friday but then off for 2 weeks so I'll be doing the pre Christmas Day scrub down at the weekend. Which will be made much easier just by the fact I've been keeping on top of it.
Plenty of wrapping here too plus at the ripe old age of 49 I'll be hosting my first Christmas dinner. For 7 adults & 2 smallies.
It's going to be fun 🥰

Ah we've been floored with a bug this last week and every room is chaos. I don't know where to start?! The good thing about all this prep is all rooms have had a deep clean and tidy in the past weeks but looking at every room is stressing me out 😬

I feel similar, @PumpkinSpicedTea, as I had carpal tunnel surgery last week so am mostly out of action, bar stuff I can do wrong-handed. The house is driving me to distraction!

I hope you're all better soon.

Thank you @NoWordForFluffy I hope you're recovering well.

Just trying to just think what matters and essential rather than making everything perfect. Which is hard 😂

I'm having the same thoughts. Hard when you want it perfect! 😬

I know it's really hard especially when we've done all the hard work in the last few months. I changed my mindset today when doing bits and pieces but fast forward to tonight and I'm having panic attacks as the house doesn't look much better despite me working hard most of the day 😬

DH was unwell last week and he spent most of the week asleep. It was a battle to get the daily jobs done without adding in all the extras I wanted to do!
The presents are all bought and wrapped which is unheard of with a week to go. The house is clutter free but as fast as I clean it the kids or cats seem to make a mess! I have been trying to have a tidy up in the evenings so at least we start the day organised! I'm just trying to keep on top of it now. Has to become part of the routine now. Maintaining it so we can spend more time doing nice stuff rather than having to spend so much time sorting the house out.

I was away for a few days now I'm back ( well got back Thursday)

Done loads of laundry but still some to go .
Took DD shopping ( she insisted !) it wasn't as busy as I feared .
Vacumed
Got DS to help me do the cats' trays (empty , clean, )

I'm doing the dishwasher clean cycle
Need to wipe the fridge before the shopping arrives on Sun

I have some clothes to sort through , I think there's a couple of things to go out .
Over the weekend the bedding will be washed and put back ( Christmas/ Winter bedding )
Clean bathroom /downstairs loo
Wrap DD presents . DS gets money
Watch a CCF (Cheesy Christmas Film)

Get DS to clean his room (Ha!)

I was ill in the night last night and did very little today. I can’t sleep so I’m up and I’ve thoroughly swept the downstairs (except kitchen as dog is sleeping) of a small mountain of dog hair - he is a German Shedder.
I’ve also mopped downstairs.
I’m going to wrap the last few presents and put them into the large, individual bags as usual. Everyone comes here for present opening so each person has their own bag.
Just having a decaf coffee with Ballycastle in.

It's kitchen day here today!

Teens finished school early Friday, H wanted to go to the local for a cheeky, had a lazy day with panto yesterday. And a teen sleepover this evening!

Basically the kitchen is chaos but intend to blast the lot today. There will be a thousand trips up and down the stairs.

I may not get properly dressed!

Well everyone, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Day in your lovely clean homes 😊

I didn't do all on my list but I had most of it done & it really made a difference on the day. Even my brother commented on how clean my house looked & he's not one to usually notice 😂 so I call it a success.

Here's to a happy new year to everyone & maybe some decluttering resolutions ❤️

@Alsonification well done! And thank you for this thread.

I got almost everything done.
The house is messy again but the big clear up for our NYE will begin on Sunday when our houseguests leave. And yes I'm working until 5pm on NYE.

I have 5 lovely days off with the kids starting from 1st Jan though. Can't bloody wait.

At least declutterring won't be on our New Year's resolutions!

I think this year we ( ie DH) will need to do some painting .

We have a system- I chose the colour , he complains about any patterns not matching up , some do work better than others . Most recent decoration was the downstairs loo ( brilliant white ) and our bedroom (complete overhaul , 2 patterned walls which I chose the paper for and wouldn;t compromise )

He measures up , we order the paint /paper /paste
I empty the room and declutter then get DS to help clean (as he's tall)
Then DH decorates .

This weekend I want to clean the kitchen worktops , they're wood so a bit battle scarred and I have waaay to many things out on them , but there's nowhere for them to go . And I think if they are put away they will be forgotten .

@Alsonification
Wasn't exactly as envisioned
But New Year will bring another declutter push, it's easier once you start and I will begin Christmas 2025 deep clean in September! Only way.

It was good enough. Which might be my peak

Are we having a post Christmas cleanalong? Has anyone really started or waiting until decorations are down?

Having a mini blast as have a chilled day before we go friends tomorrow for two nights.

The tumble dryer will be going all day and all of the night!

The recycle bins are full so will have to improvise. Or see if any neighbours have space.

3 hour blast should do it!

I took 2 bin bags to charity shop yesterday and 1 bag in the bin - satisfying. I'll start to put the Christmas decorations down today apart from the tree, which I'll do later on in the week.