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?

Wednesday, I scrubbed down (please understand the force implied) the bathroom.
Threw away a bin bag of old bath toys, and empty bottles (that the children like to play with).

My shoulders sink a little when I go in the bathroom now. Hadn't realised how much it had been bothering me.

This morning, I scrubbed down 1/4 of the kitchen, including the ceiling, window, windowsill, dishwasher, washing machine, coffee machine and floor.

Possibly the pantry next Wednesday, have until lunchtime without the children. Am visualising my Christmas shelf.

I can see in the sunlight that my emulsion touch ups are the wrong colour.
I do not know what has happened here, but the touch ups are a much lighter shade.
I need to touch up my touch ups.
I have booked a decorator for a kitchen repaint. It has not been done for about 7 years, he is coming in October.
Stewed down loads of pears today for freezing, so not done much cleaning. The skirting boards (the hidden ones) are taunting me now.

Anyone with older boys - when did you declutter more of their toys?

My job for this weekend is DS10’s bedroom and I am procrastinating!

We’re in a phase where he’s either playing football outside or football on his PlayStation, or talking about football, or watching football.

He will occasionally do Lego, nerf guns, art, but we seem to have a lot of stuff that’s rarely used - unless his friends come round but often they’re out in the garden anyway.

I feel like with the two (older) DDs it was more a blunt transition to ‘no more toys’, so I don’t really know what to keep. I can ask him but he is a bit of a hoarder, though he also really likes his bedroom to be organised and tidy, so if we can make some good decisions that he won’t regret later, he’ll be happy!

Any advice very welcome!!

I've cleaned out the fridge today,, cleaned and decluttered the kitchen cupboards.

Dishwasher and washing machine have both had a clean

I'll be re-oiling worktops tomorrow and scrubbing floor.

I need to book a window cleaner and oven cleaner.

I've just realised it's one of my parent's '0' birthday in Nov, so I should host a dinner. So I need to crack on with this deep clean/sort campaign quicker than originally planned.

I'm in! I started last weekend clearing out the laundry room and general dump cupboard in the hall, Then I blitzed our bedroom so now these areas just need keeping on top of.

Today I've given the kitchen a bloody good deep clean - Cupboards out, cleaned, sorted and refilled.

Tomorrow it is the turn of the cupboards upstairs. The bathrooms will be done too, but they are cleaned pretty much daily so not much to do in those.

I told DH about this thread and he's come up with a list of his own DIY jobs to do.
Yesterday we wrapped our kitchen cupboards (which was definitely not on my list!), just need to buy some new handles now.
He's also suggested ripping out the bath and just having a walk in shower. I haven't a clue about things like this so I just do whatever he thinks is best. It does mean me rejigging my original plans regarding what week I do what room but I suppose it will be worth it in the end.
Yesterday I also sorted everything in the pantry and freezer. I need to seriously have a word with myself about buying so much food as once it's in the cupboard it's out of sight out of mind.
This week I'm planning on setting aside 30 minutes each day to finish the loft so I can make room for all the Christmas presents I'm yet to buy.

Yesterday the downstairs got blitzed! It looks amazing. Know I can get in with upstairs while deep decluttering/cleaning.

One other thing I'm going to do is start using things up in the freezer and pantry so I can clean them out in November start stocking up for Christmas. I'm off at half term so I'll clean them out then.

@goingdownfighting what did the blitz entail?

I'm working in my DC's room and have a bag for charity / Vinted. They have so many little 'bits' need to consider best storage solutions - I.e. Playmobil, hair clips etc. Any ideas?

Today we're getting rid of a chest of drawers so will have a bit more space!

The whole house got blitzed yesterday as we're having guests round. Next weekend's chores is to clean inside the bottom kitchen cupboards. I cleaned inside the top wall cupboards during the holidays but didn't do the bottom row as we went away.

I review small/old clothes each time I do the laundry & donate to charity so that's a bag out of the house each week. Both dc sprouted over the holidays so have outgrown a lot of clothes. This system helps me stay in controlling the clothes mountain.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/shop/donating-goods/book-furniture-collection-near-me

@Spaceracers it was decluttering surfaces and deep cleaning. I've not touched the inside of cupboards just yet but have got it looking tidy at least.

My conservatory roof has been cleaned. It sparkled.
I either had one very incontinent seagull, or a crowd visited yesterday.
Today, despite the promised rain and a lunch out, I will need to get my hose on it. I have an adaptor that forces the water out at a slightly stronger pressure, so hoping that will do the trick.
At least the inside roof is shiny.

Started with the smallest room, which now is sparkling. All skincare sorted out and no more being bought until everything I have is used up. Snagging list created for DH to get around to when he has time; nothing urgent but would be nice to close a door to a room and know there are no jobs at all that need doing!

Dressing room is a pretty big job; all my clothes, shoes, hair and make up stuff, and goodness knows what is in the top cupboards; I can see I will be moving a lot of the contents around but there will be lots to get rid of too. The good thing is it's easy to clean.

8/9 En suite ✔
15/9 Dressing room
22/9 Master bedroom
29/9 Bathroom
6/10 Spare room
13/10 Hallway, stairs and landing, incl airing cupboard
20/10 Study
27/10 Sitting room
3/11 Utility room
10/11 Larder
17/11 Kitchen part one
24/11 Kitchen part two
01/12 Any areas missed

I have a terrible cold but did manage to clear out the drawers in the dining room (although didn’t have the energy to wash them out) and whilst flopping on the sofa I’ve also stuck a bunch of stuff onto marketplace which has been in the cellar since we remodeled the kitchen. Our old fridge has already been ‘sold’ and will be collected tomorrow. So some progress.

DH also hung a tv on the wall last weekend so today he sorted out the clutter in the unit it previously sat on and we can now marketplace that as well.

On a different preparation note, here in Switzerland it’s almost impossible to get chipolatas at Christmas but they do sell them for grilling in the summer. I picked up a bunch at the supermarket yesterday and prepared pigs in blankets which are now in the freezer.

Greaterthanthesumoftheparts

I am impressed, and need you to come here.

Wow great progress with everyone.

I've almost finished part 2 of the kitchen. Took a bit longer than I thought as I was in & out to the hospital to see my dad & also drop my mam so finishing last bits today or tomorrow. But it's mostly done. Just need to wash down skirtings & clean the light fitting really. Oh and sort out a small wall unit.

Oh and I've ordered a small pot of paint to touch up some scrapes on the unit doors. I got them resprayed a good few years ago & they could really do with being done again but until then I'll try make them look a little better.

I got some great advice from a friend re. DS’s toys and his room is done, cleaned, all furniture moved and hoovered behind, and wardrobe organised. ✅

I did the kids' wardrobes last weekend when I was sorting uniform out for them. It wasn't a planned job, but done spontaneously as I was putting ironed new uniform away!

I imagine our clothes will get sorted a bit more once the built-in wardrobe is installed next month.

I've now touched up the paint in DS' and DD's rooms. Ours will get done when we dismantle the old wardrobe, as we can't take the rad off the wall to paint behind it until it's gone!

The garage is the big job, and one I'm dreading!

1 Kitchen part one ✅
2 Kitchen part two ✅
3 Sitting room
4 Utility room part one
5 Utility room part two
6 Playroom
7 Downstairs loo
8 Larder
9 Hallway incl under stairs press
10 Stairs/landing incl hotpress
11. Bathroom
12. My room part one
13. My room part two
14. En suite
15. Dd’s room
16. Ds’s room

Just keeping myself motivated as always lol.

Alsonification,
Keeping us motivated, too!

This thread is definitely motivating me. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have got round to touching up paintwork without its metaphorical kick up the arse!

It's sitting room this weekend. Kids both away for the weekend so I'll be here on my own getting stuck in.
It's mostly pulling out sofas to clean underneath but there's also a bloody piano to pull out & a good few pictures to dust etc.
I also want to wash the curtains & sand & revarnish the windowsill. In fact, I have to do all the windowsills in the house cos they're all battered.

DD’s bedroom today. Possibly the worst room. Ugh. How does a 6 year old amass so much STUFF?!

Well I'm currently tackling my bedroom. Have painted walls and woodwork, cleaned carpet and upholstery. Still to do - paint wardrobes, wax cupboard, order new blind and wall paper for the ceiling. I'm knackered, but this is the biggest job and will be great to finally get it done. My other rooms are easy after this!