Home for the Holidays:
Cleaning Guide
‘Tis the season! Between baked goods and scented candles, there’s nothing like being cozied up in your home for the holidays. At Stanley Steemer, cozy starts with clean. Get inspired on how to bring comfort and joy to any room of the house with cleaning tips!
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Kitchen Cleaning for the Holidays
With tons of baking and cooking this time of year, it’s no wonder the kitchen frequently needs to be cleaned. Knock out these chores and get your kitchen back to clean (at least until it’s time to decorate that next batch of cookies!)
- Clean Out Fridge and Pantry - It’s easy to forget to pitch expired food, snacks and seasonal spices. Reclaim the space by checking expiration dates and throwing away what’s no longer good. Afterward, reorganize to maximize space! For organizing made simple, go one shelf or drawer at a time and group like items together.
- Clean Your Coffee Pot - A cup of hot joe is a must during the wintry months! Be sure to regularly clean your coffee pot.
- Clean and Season Cast Iron Skillet - Reseasoning and cleaning your cast iron skillet is easier than it seems. Clean it out first with steel wool and some water. Next, cover with oil and bake for 1-2 hours.
- Handwash Delicate Holiday Kitchenware - For items like glazed cookie jars or antique dishes, the best way to clean is by hand. This ensures that items are cleaned as delicately as possible especially ones that can’t be emerged in water.
- Get Your Hardwood Floors Cleaned - Your hardwood floors may be in need of a clean. Our hardwood cleaning services remove up to 96% of allergens from floors and go beyond the surface to extract dirt. From solid wood, engineered wood, laminate, and more, we’ll leave your floors twinkling like the star on the tree.
- Clean Your Crockpot - It's easy for food to get caked onto crockpots. To get them nicely clean, fill your crockpot with water then add ½ cup of vinegar. Next, slowly add baking soda to the mix. Set to low for 1-4 hours. After, dump the water and scrub clean!
- Try a New Recipe - Once you have your pantry, cast iron skillet, and crockpot clean, reward yourself by trying a new recipe. Make the most out of the holiday with a treat of choice.
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Living Room Cleaning for the Holidays
From watching your favorite team or binging a show, the living room is always a source of cheer. This also means it's a source of messes. Get your room back in order with these cleaning to-dos!
- Clean Your Walls – Cleaning your walls is ideal before hanging up any holiday decorations. It can be as simple as grabbing some dish soap and water.
- Clean Your TV - Don’t let a dusty TV damper your show marathon! Lightly dampen a microfiber cloth for a safe clean.
- Dust and Vacuum - Give your room a refresh by dusting and vacuuming! Always dust from top to bottom in the room so you can vacuum up any missed dust. It’s also important to regularly vacuum around the tree to pick up any shavings.
- Clean and Polish Décor - After sitting in storage for some time, your décor could use some sprucing up! Have any silver or brass holiday decor? Try a microfiber cloth and warm water!
- Get Your Carpet and Couch Cleaned - Cleaning your carpet and furniture is much needed after frequent wear and tear. For spot cleaning, check out our Carpet Stain Remover Guide or get the ultimate deep clean with our carpet cleaning services.
For couches, always check the manufacturing tag first. This lets you
know what cleaning agents are safe to use on your couch. You can also schedule upholstery cleaning services to get your leather, microfiber, and other furniture deep cleaned.
We recommend having these areas cleaned once a year -- and what better time to enjoy clean carpet and upholstery than the holiday season when we’re nestled inside!
- Watch Your Favorite Holiday Movie - After getting your space fresh and tidy, embrace the clean and holiday spirit with a movie! Put on comfy pajamas, light a fire, and sip on something sweet for added fun.
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Bedroom Cleaning for the Holidays
A person’s bedroom is their own private oasis. Keeping it clean helps with the overall feel of the room and your comfort -- especially if you’re in need of a nap from too much eggnog!
- Wash All Linens - First things first, strip the bed and wash your linens! Nothing is better than fresh sheets and you can knock out other cleaning tasks while the washer and dryer run.
- Get Your Mattress Cleaned - Don’t just clean the sheets. Clean your mattress too! Vacuum with an upholstery attachment. Then, sprinkle baking soda over to help get rid of odors. After 10-15 minutes, vacuum up all the baking soda. You can also have Stanley Steemer professionally clean your mattress too!
- Organize & Give – The best time to give is during the holidays! Sort through clothes and give away anything you haven’t worn in over a year to charity! Organize the rest by season or color.
- Clean Your Humidifier - Breathe easier and clean your humidifier. First, empty the basin and rinse the filters. Then, wipe down the outside with equal parts of water and vinegar. Finally, fill the tank with equal parts of water and vinegar, let sit for several hours, and rinse the tank!
- Use an Oil Diffuser for Peaceful Slumbers - Now that your bedroom is freshened up, it’s the perfect spot for a cat nap. For a festive and peaceful slumber, use an essential oil diffuser that uses seasonal scents like peppermint or gingerbread!
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Bathroom Cleaning for the Holidays
Before you decorate the bathroom, it’s probably best to clean! Bring your bathroom the fresh feel it needs with our tips and tricks.
- DIY Toilet Freshener - For a fun way to freshen your toilet, make a DIY toilet freshener. Mix 1 cup baking soda with ¼ citric acid and 1 tablespoon of dish soap into ice trays. Pack them in and let them harden. Then drop into your toilet!
- Get Your Tile and Grout Floors Cleaned – Schedule tile and grout cleaning services with Stanley Steemer to make your floors sparkle like holiday lights! We can remove up to 96.5% of allergens from tile and grout and restore its lustrous beauty. Between professional cleaning, vacuum floors regularly and use a neutral tile cleaning product.
- Clean Soap Dispenser - To clean your soap dispenser with a metal pump, flush the pump with warm water and a little bit of vinegar. Toothpicks are also useful for wiggling out stubborn clogs. Now, it’s ready for you to add your favorite seasonal hand soap!
- Clean Shower and Tub - Spray mildew-fighting solutions onto shower and tub and let them sit while you clean other areas of the bathroom. This helps give the cleaner time to dissolve oils, soap scum, and mildew. You can also use old toothbrushes for smaller spaces.
- Keep the Room Festive and Fresh - Baskets filled with cinnamon pinecones or fragrant garlands are great accents to place in bathrooms for holiday fun and delightful scents.
- Take a Hot Bath - After scrubbing down the bathroom (and being sure all cleaning agents are amply rinsed off), warm up to a relaxing bubble bath! Set the holly, jolly mood with holiday tunes and scented candles.
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Cleaning Any Room for the Holidays
Of course, there’s more to a home than the rooms mentioned. For inspiration in other areas of the home, we got you covered with these suggestions!
- Make DIY Cleaning Products - Cleaning products don’t always have to be store bought. Use common household supplies to keep your home pristine.
- Get Your Air Ducts Cleaned - Get cleaner indoor air while you’re burrowed inside from the cold with professional air duct cleaning! Clean air ducts also help with HVAC efficiency while your heat regularly runs.
- Clean Your Washing Machine - While detergent is clean, it can leave a soap residue that can get locked inside your washing machine and create a thin film that traps bacteria. This bacteria can clog the machine and make for a lackluster clean. Run 1 cup of vinegar and run a hot cycle!
- Clean off Your Computer - Don’t let your computer go uncleaned! Use cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol to wipe down your keyboard. Then, use a microfiber cloth and rubbing alcohol to wipe down the monitor.
- Disinfect Light Switches, Handles, and Doorknobs - Say goodbye to germs and hello to clean! For a quick hitting task, go around the home and disinfect all light switches, handles, and doorknobs.
- Deck the Doors with Wreaths - Wreaths bring holiday flair to any part of the home! For an easy cleaning hack, use a hairdryer on a cool setting and hold 10-12 inches away from the wreath to gently blow off any dust.
- Spread Holiday Cheer - No matter how you plan to spend the holidays, always remember to spread cheer!