Jobs between now and Christmas

[hardknocklifeforme]

Really dirty messy house and huge lack of motivation but I know I will be a massive state of panic by Christmas.

What jobs can I do today that won't need doing - or not as much - again before Christmas?

Thankyou

How about sort one room/area a day?

After that try and enforce “clean/tidy” as you go to prevent things getting out of control. E.g. DC drops crumbs on the sofa, it doesn’t matter if we need to go out, I’ll take two mins to hoover them up first.

Put a podcast series on and start by putting things away. There must be clutter lying around. Get rid of it all so that you have a clear shot as far as wiping surfaces and using the vacuum cleaner (which should be your next tasks).

If you have skirting boards, don't forget to vacuum the tops of those. I think it makes a huge difference to get rid of dust and marks in the nooks and crannies of corners and woodwork.

Oh. I have A List. 😁

I defrosted the fridge freezer a couple of weeks back. The shelves and salad drawer/ door compartments will need a wash before Christmas
Sorting out clothes. Getting the winter ones out and the summer ones back in the attic
Shampoo the hall and stairs carpet
I bought one of those rechargeable scrubbing brushes (1 brush head for the kitchen 2 for the bathroom or floors) it is really good for my nemesis ,the beige kitchen sink
Pantry needs sorted then I can have a Christmas Shelf

i have a week off end October so planning to get some done then

Get rid of as much clutter now before the rush in early December.

Get big things like ovens cleaned or broken/ wonky stuff fixed.

Otherwise just get on and do ANYTHING. It’s a tip because you don’t tackle it.

Windows
Oven
Declutter toys
Declutter shoe and coat rack
Piles of old papers
Kitchen cupboards, old sauces in fridge
Freezer (organise/use up/chuck out oddments)
Airing cupboard if you have one

I will also be washing the car. It has no relevance to Christmas except it always gets awful and bugs me by December.

Anything you've been putting off will probably take less time than you think.

Cleaning the windows in the main living spaces (living room, kitchen, study etc) while the weather is warm enough to air the room out at the same time

Air out the rugs (on a dry day)

Polish bookcases which may collect dust during the warmer indoor months

Sort out old books to be donated or swapped with friends (there is an exchange cupboard at the end of our road for books to be donated / exchanged)

Pack away summer clothes and donate outgrown kids items

First on my list ( a few firsts but they can go on simultaneously)

Wash the nets and windows. The net curtains can have a hefty dose of whitener in the water too

Clear everything off the kitchen worktops and clean. I have used Tippex to write an initial on the plugs ( T-toaster, K-Kitchenaid food processor, B-bread maker etc). ,makes it so much easier than trying plugs till you find the right one

Cutlery drawers need cleared and tidied

I did the utensils drawer recently

Cupboards need tidied

Change the sofa cover. Current one is beige but we have a dark green spare cover . Then wrestle the beige one to the laundrette and get it washed and at least part dried. It’ll need to hang over the bannister if it cannot go outside

These are brilliant - thank you! I will work through them all!

When the clocks change next week, I'll be cleaning all the lampshades. It makes a big difference to the brightness of the rooms on gloomy winter days.

How do you actually do this?

I will be waterproofing my footwear.

I take the shades and bulbs out of the light fittings. Glass shades are washed and dried. Dust is wiped off the bulbs with a slightly damp cloth. Fabric shades are vacuumed with the hoover attachment. All fittings (wall and ceiling) are wiped over to remove dust with a microfibre cloth. Then put everything back together.

I'm doing the same, so by the time December comes around the house should be sorted.
Strongly advise start with decluttering. So much easier to clean when you have space to put everything away. Get rid of books, clothes toys and books that kids have outgrown etc.
I have used the spare room as a holding area, with bags of stuff waiting to go to the tip and charity shop until I have a full load. (You could use the boot of the car instead)
I've then done a deep clean room by room, counting hall and stairs as one room. As I've gone along I've made a list of things that need fixing/replacing. I've left the kitchen until last as that's the biggest job. But can be broken down into small chunks.
Good luck!