HO HO HO! It’s that jolly time of the year again for gift giving, party planning and Christmas decorating. With an almost never-ending list to tackle before the holiday season, the idea of preparing your home for Christmas might seem a little daunting. To get you started, here are 5 cleaning tips to prepare your home for Christmas, leaving you more time to relax with your loved ones on the special day and in the days to follow.

1. Declutter

Come December, it’s easy to look back and see how many unnecessary items have gathered over the past year. Piles of magazines, 12 months of kids’ schoolwork, not to mention the toys they have long outgrown. This Christmas create a clutter-free zone by Kondo-ing items that no longer spark joy to make additional space for your Christmas decorations and new deliveries from Santa. Remember to prioritise the areas where guests will gather, such as the living and dining rooms.

Britex tip: Try to involve the kids with decluttering for an extra pair of hands and a bit of fun. Encourage the kids to put away everything of a certain colour, repeat with all colours until everything is put away.

2. Polish silverware and glassware

We’ve all got that stash of fancy cutlery or dining sets that we can’t wait to bust out on special occasions. Now it’s time for these babies to shine – quite literally! Show your silverware and glassware some love by giving them a wipe down and a good polish. While you’re on a cleaning spree, don’t forget to also give your reflective surfaces and decors like mirrors a good polish too.

Britex tip: Use olive oil while cleaning silverware. Simply add a few drops of olive oil on a soft cloth and polish away!

3. Clean your kitchen

In preparation for all the gastronomic delights that are incoming this Christmas, give yourself a head start by cleaning out the kitchen pantry, fridge and most importantly the oven. There’s nothing worse than a grumpy in-law coming into your kitchen and judging your grimy oven! Ensure your kitchen is spick and span by giving everything in the kitchen a good wipe down from top-to-bottom. Got greasy stains that you simply can’t remove? Kitchen cleaning natural remedies such as using lemon and salt can be great at removing kitchen grease stains! Remember to clear out any forgotten leftovers and expired groceries from the fridge along the way!

4. Clean the guest bedroom

One of the greatest joys during Christmas is to welcome friends and relatives into your home. Make your guest’s stay a comfortable and relaxing one by ensuring the spare bedroom is visitor ready by the time they’ve arrived. Ensure all guest towels and beddings are washed and prepare adequate space in the wardrobe for your guest to hang their clothes. Stock up on some bathroom essentials such as shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Just remember to have your guests give you a 5-star review on Yelp once they’re gone!

Britex Tip: Remember those miniature toiletries you took from hotels during your holidays? This is the perfect time to use them!

5. Time for some carpet cleaning

Carpets are notorious for trapping all sorts of particles and over the cold winter months, all sorts of nasties, from pet dander to dirt and dust can gather under the surface. Apart from that, soiled and stained carpets are nothing to marvel over when guests arrive. This Christmas, kick start your Christmas cleaning with Britex DIY carpet cleaning. Not only will you save time and money by taking the DIY route, you’ll be in control of your own carpet cleaning schedule and standards. Got a specific spot you’d like extra clean for Nanna to see? Give it the attention it needs with Britex. And while you’re carpet cleaning, consider tackling one of the dirtiest part of your home as well – your couch upholstery. Fortunately, with the interchangeable wand system on the Britex Carpet Cleaning machine and Upholstery wand tool, it’s only a matter of seconds before you transition from carpet cleaning to upholstery cleaning, all with a simple switch of the wand head and cleaning solution.

And if you want to go the extra mile to impress your in-laws, ensure your home is odour-free and stain-free with the Britex Extra Finish Range of spot cleaners. The Britex Odour Blaster’s deep-penetrating, advanced enzyme formula is designed to attack foul odours on carpets and upholstery, neutralising odour from the source; while Britex Spot n’ Stain is specially formulated to remove stubborn stains from carpets, upholstery and hard-surfaces.

All Britex products are available at the Britex hire stand in Bunnings Warehouse, Woolworths, selected Coles, IGA, Mitre 10 and Home Hardware Stores.

Find your nearest store today!