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?

Sorted out the wine storage in the old lean-to at the back of the house.
Rearrange the freezer.
(Made the Christmas cake and puddings).
Put out the Christmas china.
Cleared the table for the decorations.
Quick dust

I can't believe it is December already! I want to empty a few plant pots and maybe fill a couple with winter flowers but Saturday was really wet. Spent some time indoors cleaning floors and carpets/rugs instead and brought some boxes of Christmas things down to see if we need some wrapping paper, cards etc. Ideally the house is clean and tidy and gifts sorted by the coming weekend when family members that are spending Christmas abroad arrive for a night or two.

Plans for Friday -

recycle some of DS old clothing into recycling bins . Still wearable but not Charity Shop worthy .

clean oven- I have ordered some foam cleaner

vacuum

damp dust the TV stand , it is glaring at me with its dust layer

kitchen needs cleaned but that can be Saturday

pantry and go through cupboards

I'm planning a cleaning day tomorrow...
The kitchen and bathroom need blitzing

Blitzed the kitchen and bathroom today
Need to re grout an area in the shower 🚿
It'll look just as usual by tomorrow morning ☹️

Emptied out the big cupboard next to the kitchen to top up the water in the central heating and found about a billion bags for life.
I need to regrout around our sink and shower, is it easy @swampwitch0 ? It looks difficult.

I also put the Christmas card box somewhere special last year, so I could find it easily rather than searching through all the decorations in the attic, but I have no idea where I put it! I’ll be looking for that this weekend.

@Coatsoff42
It's fairly simple
Loads of YouTube videos to guide you :)

I will get to wickes then and try it tomorrow. Thanks!

Went through kitchen cupboards and sorted out random boxes of tablets and sticky plasters , things in jars ,
The pantry can wait , DS put away the food shop and it looks like a Tasmanian Devil has taken up residence in it ! . I might get DS to sort it .

Sorting out washing -never ends does it ?

Shoved DH up in the attic for Christmas things- not decorations yet , that's next week.

Spent the morning in town

Tomorrow I can faff about in my housecoat till later , going out in the evening so I'll save getting washed and dressed till then.
DD is dyeing her hair tomorrow so the bathroom can wait till she's done

Oooh I opened the pantry door , moved a couple of things and closed it again. !
I think I'm going to have to empty it methodically and re load the shelves and I have to be in the right mood to do this .

Oven is cleaned , I used a spray foam on the base and sat on my folding stool with my blade in a handle cleaning tool , methodically and therapeutically scraping .

Washing - I'm doing the shower curtain and towels .
Going to put a bag of cleaner over the shower head to descale it .
And spray the bath/tiles before I go to bed .

I’ll be having a blitz next week - among other things a big Zanzibari chest inlaid with brass and copper to polish. Since it only gets done one a year in December, the smell of Brasso wadding has come to feel Christmassy! I shall play a CD of carols b while I’m at it.

The lurgy has descended on casa swamp ☹️
So, aside from washing and making sure tablets are taken, mot much going on here ☹️

Pantry is tidied .
I was hoping that I had some dates but I don't so need to put them on the food order (DD has asked for Sticky Toffee Pudding )

Next week will be decorating ( I will send DH up into the attic and shout instructions to him up the ladder )

I have cleaned the cutlery drawers ( 2 of them), brushed the inside of the trays ( wooden with flock lining ) and cleaned inside the actual drawers .
On. A. Roll. Here .

I gave up waiting for better weather and tidied up the garden at the weekend. Leaves cleared, planted a few pots with pansies to brighten up the concrete and scraped the moss from between the paving slabs in front of the door. I got thoroughly muddy and wet in the process but it felt like a small personal triumph. I treated myself to a long shower and then a mug of hot chocolate with some Christmas music chosen by DD playing in the background while we baked some biscuits.

I bought Astonish oven cleaner on a bit of an impulse. Hoping it works - my oven needs some TLC!

Week ending:
21/09 En suite ✅
28/09 Dressing room ✅
05/10 Master bedroom ✅
12/10 Bathroom ✅
19/10 Spare room✅
26/10 Study ✅
02/11 Hallway, stairs and landing, incl airing cupboard ✅
09/11 Sitting room ✅
16/11 Larder ✅
23/11 Utility room ✅
30/11 Kitchen part one ✅
07/12 Kitchen part two ✅
Phew, all done! Feels good.

Rang carpet fella but he can't do anything until January earliest so that decision is made for us. Hall, stairs, landing and sitting room to be carpeted but DH quietly pleased as he can put off finishing the painting a little bit longer 🙄😋
He did clean the fridge so he is in the good books still.

Trees and decs are up and dogs seem to have coped with moving crate locations. Outside decs still to go up but glad we are late this year as the storm has caused quite a bit of damage to neighbours' gardens etc. Quite relieved to see my greenhouse still standing this morning!

Just a good tidy needed now really to keep on top of everything, and a last food and drink inventory to see what needs using up. Our pre-Christmas meal plan is often quite 'eclectic' as I attempt to create fridge and freezer space😁

That completed list must be really satisfying@IDareSay! I'm running a bit behind, mainly the kitchen and oven still to do. Taking some inspiration from your list and coveting new carpets!

Kitchen worktops cleaned which meant moving everything off each one , clean, scrub any manky bits , dry and replace .
Couple of things to recycle to charity shop,

Cleared the porch , there were a load of bags -we don't use as many bags now as supermarket shopping is delivered rather than going to the shop.
Any scruffy looking carrier bags will be recycled for bin liners and the Bags For Life can be used for Charity Shop donations as they hold loads and they're strong .

Shoes were sorted , some thrown out and some to recycle .

The shoe cleaning box gone through , anything past it was disposed of .

Bathroom being cleaned at the moment ( I've sprayed the tiles and opened the window and taken the shower curtain down to wash)

Need to vacuum but DD was WFH today and I'd get The Look if I was noisy

On my third load of washing now .

Wellllll, the Big Day has come and gone but we're still in Christmas for a few days .
I'm back at work tomorrow so I'll do nought at home except put the bins out .

I recycled some clothes (Charity Shop a couple of decent things and recycle bins for less decent , Wearable but not sellable )

I will go through the Cupboard of Bowls/Cookware with lids and see if everything has a lid that fits and works .
I have a vacuum to sort out ( see if it works )
Then I might shampoo the hall carpet

I bought oven shelf cleaner ( the one with a bag) so might plan to do that ( and clean the base of the oven with the foam) on a day I'm not cooking . The door looks fine still. (Thankfully)

DD has some clothes to recycle

Sainsbury usually has a good homewares sale , I need some more bowls from there but no hurry .