Pre Christmas clean thread?

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

I'm about to make 'the list' would anyone like to join me? Thankfully the dc don't break up until next Friday but I do have the 2yo & 4 month old with me so I won't be entirely unhindered. Think the kitchen will be #1, I did the cooker last week & need the oopmh to do the rest now

And I'm working until Friday evening.

KingThistle your cat is gorgeous

I have so much to do and my energy levels are not good. The lack of natural light makes me feel like hibernating.

I have decided not to wash the sofa covers as they're not too bad but there's so much clutter everywhere and it's getting on my nerves. I think i'll get a big bin bag and start fling stuff into it.

I wish it was July!

Morning everyone!

ToDo

Kitchen
Dishes
Counters
Clear clothes
Hang up wash
Put on wash

Sitting Room
Clean out fire
Light fire
Tidy
Dust Hoover

I'm getting nowhere fast today! I've made the cake & got it the oven & made cottage pie for tonight & now the baby is feeding again.

I will get there, I've still got until Friday or Saturday. Then I can have a quick wizz round Christmas Eve morning & prep the food. The dc want to go to the park in the afternoon if the weather is ok. I'm on board with this plan as they'll burn some energy off!

OK, I need a plan: (Bearing in mind cleaners will do the main "cleaning" part - I am on deep cleaning and decluttering duties)

Kitchen/diner/playroom:
Empty out and clean the fridge
Sort the freezer
Sort 1 corner food cupboard (the rest can wait)
Clear off dining table
Clear off DD's study desk
Clean inside windows (and hall)
Move candles off dresser and tidy that a bit

Bathroom:
Empty bins
Sort cabinet and throw out things we'll never use

Our bedroom
Put away clothes on chair
Sort dressing table top

Spare Bedroom:
Oh God!! Clear the chaos, dump recipes and patterns I'll never use, and get the room back into use as a guest room for visitors on 26th.....(note to self- order skip)

Study:
Get rid of 3 bags to charity shop
Bring bag of mending to seamstress
Clear off desk to work on it
(Use up lots of wrapping paper to get rid of stocks)

DD's room:
I think I'll think about that one in the new year

Other jobs: when time allows
Clean air vents in each upstairs room
Check smoke alarms
Clean washing machine (clean filter, door seal, and run with "cleaner" and no clothes)
Check dryer filters (the door one is always cleaned - but the low down one and sides of doors)
Clean oven
Clean out under sink
Clean all inside windows
Clean all downstairs outside windows
Clean DD's windows inside and out (attic)
Use drain unblocker on kitchen sink and bath upstairs
Check outside drain (1 has a tendancy to get blocked)

Deep breaths, I can do this......

We are rocking this. Well, you lot are, I've been in the office fretting about my list!

But you've got a list Iheart that's a start.

The house smells amazing thanks to the cake. Am going to crack on with the rest of the washing & putting away tomorrow. Will deep clean the bathroom too.

Much tidier now but still stuff to do. The boys bathroom needs doing properly, I won’t, they don’t care much so it’s a bit like who will blink first. Had a very satisfying trip to the dump with the cardboard mountain earlier. It was remarkably busy for a Tuesday.
I thought we’d decorate tonight but DS2 forgot the long cable ties and DS1 has gone to the gym. Is a bit different to the nativity play days

Had to go out today, so not much done today.

Tomorrow-

My ironing, DH does his own
Clear fridge out, clean said fridge
Put away towels, washed yesterday
Clear kitchen sides and wipe every surface, including skirting boards
Chivvy teenagers to sort their pits, sorry, rooms
Sort Christmas table cloth etc. This a clean but needs ironing.
Work out how to do self cleaning oven thing. Innards are now clean.

Also they daily hoovering.

And I must remember to put the recycling and food waste out tomorrow evening.

So I managed to de clutter the kids room and completely gutted the bathroom and threw out SO MANY bath toys!! I have boxes and boxes that need to be recycled but I have no idea how to get rid of them quickly. Do they do a tip just for cardboard? Also need to decorate the downstairs toilet and put up the flat pack furniture before Christmas so it's out of the way. Plus last minute shopping commences tomorrow (fuck sake). Long walk to the butchers and then in the busy busy shops for last minute Christmas crap. I am going to be so fucking organised next year to avoid this!

Can I join please?
I have 3 days to sort out everything for Christmas. I want it all to be done by Saturday as I'm working a 13 hour shift then and I'm not cleaning on xmas eve.
Unfortunately we have the builders in replacing out bathroom and we've just redecorated our daughters room so want that sorted as we are currently sleeping in the living room!

To Do

Wash up and clean sides in kitchen - before the builders arrive and see I live in a pigsty

Empty bin

Tidy up hallway so builders can get in and out

Book courier for parcel

Buy storage from amazon

Start sorting girls old room - bagging up donation stuff and binning crap.
I have already put a load of washing on and put the dishwasher on.
Wish me luck !!

Today will be the day I start wrapping & get the washing back to a manageable level!

FFS. ILs came last night on way home from holiday in exotic climes. An hour after they arrived FIL gaily announced he'd been quarantined on the ship the day before for terrible diarrhoea. Apparently lots of other passengers had it too but he's sure it was just food poisoning. 6 days before Christmas! WTF is wrong with people! Now I have to clean AGAIN!!!

Some small progress made last night

Kitchen/diner/playroom:
Empty out and clean the fridge
Sort the freezer
Sort 1 corner food cupboard (the rest can wait)
Clear off dining table
Clear off DD's study desk
Clean inside windows (and hall)
Move candles off dresser and tidy that a bit

Bathroom:
Empty bins
Sort cabinet and throw out things we'll never use

Our bedroom
Put away clothes on chair
Sort dressing table top

Spare Bedroom:
Oh God!! Clear the chaos, dump recipes and patterns I'll never use, and get the room back into use as a guest room for visitors on 26th.....(note to self- order skip) not done, but dumped 2 very large bags of crap this morning and emptied out 3 lever arch files

Study:
Get rid of 3 bags to charity shop
Bring bag of mending to seamstress
Clear off desk to work on it
(Use up lots of wrapping paper to get rid of stocks)

DD's room:
I think I'll think about that one in the new year

Other jobs: when time allows
Clean air vents in each upstairs room
Check smoke alarms
Clean washing machine (clean filter, door seal, and run with "cleaner" and no clothes)
Check dryer filters (the door one is always cleaned - but the low down one and sides of doors)
Clean oven
Clean out under sink
Clean all inside windows
Clean all downstairs outside windows
Clean DD's windows inside and out (attic)
Use drain unblocker on kitchen sink and bath upstairs
Check outside drain (1 has a tendancy to get blocked)

And I also wrote and posted the last cards, and got the biscuits in to school for the staffroom. Things are slowly falling into place, but I need to crack on tonight.....

So I've washed up and cleaned sides.
Emptied bin.
Put clothes on aired
Booked a courier for tomorrow
Bought storage tubs off amazon.
Made a start on girls room by taking down old beds.

Having a break now for lunch.
Need to -
Empty dishwasher and dry pots
Do the rest of girls room.

I have loads to do but find if I make short lists then it's less overwhelming

Fairly good day here. I've done the majority of the wrapping & the washing is coming along.

Tomorrow I need to:
Sit down & write the food list
Continue with the washing/folding/ putting away
Groom the dogs
Vaccum
Mop

Well I finally got something done today! Sitting room looking tidy and festive now. Decorations all up at last. Kitchen cleaned but will need to keep on top of it as nobody ever puts anything away

Heading away today so want to tidy before I go.

Wash on
Tumble dry sheets

Tidy sitting room
Set fire
Dust
Hoover

Shower

Right. Im back.

Please motivate me. But be kind i was up at 4am...

Been up since half 5 with the baby. Managed to sterilise bottles, put a wash load on and one in tumble, dishwasher on...

Now for the rest of the house to wake up and ruin it all before I’ve even had time to start my list

Although this thread has given me serious motivation! I even managed to clear out our Kallax unit home for nothing that has a home and threw away a bin bags worth of stuff!

It was obviously the night for early wake ups. The baby woke me at 4:50. Sadly I couldn't do anything useful as he had a long feeding session. I've just made myself a strong coffee that I'm going to drink while I feed him again. Then I'm going to fold some washing & marzipan the cakes (it's square & is being halved).

Dh remembered to put the recycling bins out so at least they're empty for all the bits that can be recycled & because I did most of the wrapping yesterday all the boxes it came in are gone too.

AFresh you could try doing the bitty jobs first? I find once I've got those done it motivates me to get on with the rest.

I have decided we need to get out of house stuff done before lunch as i do not think 4 year old dd will be cooperative after then due to her and 1 year old ds being up at 4am. Unfortunatley she cannot be stuck in a pram.
Pottering so far....

I managed to clear off a few spaces last night (chair in my room, dining table, kitchen counter top), and sort the top shelf in the fridge (need to do 3 more but baby steps!).

I also set up the baby tree in the kitchen (as it's apparently tradition to have a real tree when we stay at home - I'd already bought a good fake this year).

Tonight, I need to hang the wreath, do the fridge and sort laundry. And see how much further I can get on the spare room!

Eurgh today has been a write-off. Everything has gone wrong. Back on it tomorrow though. So looking forward to 3:20 & the dc finishing school!

Hope everyone else had a better day!