Christmas Cleaning Guide to Get Your Home Hosting-Ready

No matter how many people you're hosting this Christmas, it can be a mammoth undertaking getting the house clean – not to mention prepping all the food.

You only get one chance a year to get Christmas right, so make sure that you prepare your house in advance. Here are some important Christmas cleaning chores that you should remember.

Deep clean your bathroom

While it's not the most pleasant job, deep cleaning the bathroom is in everyone's interest. There's nothing worse than going to someone's house and feeling like using their bathroom leaves you dirty. Make sure you remember to clean the floor, not just the utilities, and stock up on toilet roll.

Clear out your fridge and cupboards

Before you cook on Christmas day, you'll need somewhere to store all of the food. Tidy cupboards will make it much easier to stay organised on the day. To make sure there's enough room, check the dates on all your existing food and throw out anything that has expired. If you have any long-life food that you're unlikely to eat, your local food bank will always appreciate donations.

Scrub your oven

When you're cooking for a large group, you want to have the best tools possible. Fully giving your oven a Christmas clean will make sure your turkey is cooked evenly and lowers the risk of a fire. The last thing you want is an old splash of fat setting the smoke alarm off.

Clean any extra furniture

If you're bringing down the spare chairs from the loft, they're probably covered in dust. Make sure you get them ready with enough time to wipe them down and clean any upholstery. You should also do this with any camp beds, sleeping bags or bedding that your guests will be using.

Organise your child's bedroom or playroom

With Santa on his way, it's time to prepare for an influx of toys. This will be much easier to handle if existing toys are all tidied away. Even if your children are likely to get everything back out within the hour, it's worth making sure that everything has an established home as part of your Christmas cleaning checklist.

Clean fireplace and mantelpiece

When you hang your stockings or leave food out for Father Christmas, you want it to be somewhere clean. Make sure you dust your fireplace in advance, especially if you don't do so often.

Clean your carpets and rugs

Increased traffic on your carpets will bring more dirt and drive old dirt further into your carpet. Especially if you have any babies or young children coming, deep cleaning your carpet will ensure the safety and comfort of your guests, while extending the life of your carpet.

Save time by calling on an expert

When you have so much else to do, outsourcing Christmas cleaning can make your life easier. The National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA) have a directory of accredited carpet cleaners throughout the UK. Simply tell us your postcode, and we'll show you local carpet cleaners who are up to our standards.

Start searching now or take a look at our FAQs.