It’s that time of year when the house is abuzz with festive activity. If you feel like haven’t had time to catch your breath in 2020, don’t fret, it’s easier than you think to get your house looking sparkly fresh and festive for guests and family to arrive. These easy will help to get your home spick and span in no time at all.
Tidy up fast
If guests are simply popping in for drinks or having a quick meal, don’t worry about tidying up every nook and cranny each time someone comes over. Just make sure the main areas that they’ll see and be moving around in, like the sitting room, kitchen and bathrooms for example, are clean and neat.
Declutter living spaces like the sitting room. Bookshelves are often times the messy-looking clutter culprits, housing all kinds of knick-knacks and photos which somehow found their way among the books. Next, turn your attention to any other shelves, windowsills or table tops that need a quick clear out, so that the room feels clean and comfortable.
A time hack if you’ve had little, to no advance notice that guests are unexpectedly about to arrive, is to do a quick whip-around and tidy up by popping anything you don’t want on show into a basket that you can hide in the cupboard or put out of sight. It may not be the most elegant solution, but it’s a fast one!
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Get things sparkling clean
During the year you may not have noticed the accumulation of kids’ fingerprints on the walls, pet stains on the carpet and stubborn grimy marks on the oven door. But, looking at your house through a guest’s eyes, the need to freshen things up suddenly takes top priority. Start off by making sure the area outside your front door is tidy and clean, by replacing old doormats with new. Create a bit of cheer with a special Christmas doormat with a festive message.
While it would be ideal to deep clean carpets with a steam machine and get curtains dry-cleaned before guests arrive, but if you don’t have the time, there are quick and easy tasks that you can do to create the impression of a spring-cleaned home. Dust off all hanging lights, like pendants and chandeliers, wipe light switches clean, and tidy up and dust all shelves. In the kitchen, throw out old food in your fridge, stack groceries neatly inside cupboards and wipe your oven interior down, just in case guests decide to come through to the kitchen to offer a helping hand.
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Décor hacks
Of course, décor can also go a long way to helping create a festive feeling. Try these quick decorating tips to create a magical feel fast:
Your entrance area: Make a decorative bowl by filling it with pretty decorative baubles in just one colour, and place it on a table at your front door entrance, to set the mood as guests walk in. Set the scene further with a scented candle that has warm notes to create a gorgeous Christmas aroma, like cinnamon, cloves and vanilla.
Sitting room: Dress up your home quickly with faux fur cushions and sumptuous fabric throws over backs of couches. Now find a corner where you can create a statement, and put a cake stand down and fill it with a few gorgeous decorations. Creative ideas include adding an array of snow globes with pretty crystals scattered inside the dome; pine cones with pretty flowers dotted in between; a pillar candle with ivy loosely wrapped around it; and lastly, smaller shiny baubles interspersed with tea light holders used as mini vases for white roses.
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