Right now it is Christmas and New Years season so you are likely to have a number of guests and lots of mess to clean but the same is true for many holidays. Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July bring their special problems as do birthdays and other celebrations.
Getting your home back after the Holidays shouldn’t be a lot of work with some planing and just a few tips you can keep your home and have your cake too.
Dealing with Trash
You are bound to have a lot of stuff to clean up and dealing with it right will make your life easier.
Glass bottles should be recycled if you can but if you need to throw them out in a plastic garbage bag you might do better finding a heavy cardboard box. Plastic will tare under the weight of the glass and if tossed around a bit the glass will break inside.
Cardboard boxes are great to save for many uses including storage and mailing. Start by finding the largest box and then break down smaller boxes by unfolding them and removing packing tape. Store the smaller boxes in the large box and when you need one you have a whole bunch all in one place.
Packing materials are also good to keep for mailing you can place peanuts in a plastic bag and store it in your basement or attic out of the way. Wrapping paper can be used for craft projects to store it roll it into a tube don’t fold.
Food Waste will tend to go bad if you have a number of days between pickups. Double bag the food waste and don’t place it at the bottom of your garbage can or it could break open. Wait until you have everything else in and put it on top or leave it outside if animals are not a problem.
Cleaning Carpets and Floors
Its amazing how much damage a few friends or family can do but when you think of it your home probably gets a good cleaning once a week or month, if you double or triple the number of people walking on and dropping stuff on your carpet its as if you squeezed a month into a weekend or just a few hours.
When you see a spill hit it quick with a dry towel to absorb most of the liquid then apply mild soap quickly to reduce the chance of a permanent stain then blot until dry. A squirt of canned carpet shampoo will give you a few hours until you can hit it with your carpet cleaner.
For wood, tile and vinyl flooring remember to add throw rugs at doorways and a shoe brush is a good idea outside the door if you have a heavy snow and muddy pathway.
Wood Furniture and Stone Counters
It is best to apply sealer and polish before your guests arrive this will reduce the chance of permanent damage. Once your guests have left clean with a mild soap and reapply polish to wood.
If you have serious damage that mild soap will not remove then you should use professional cleaners and restoration products found at a stone supply center.
Final Note
Take your time cleaning and restoring any problems but always give spills and other major problems attention when they happen. Sure its no fun to deal with when you are celebrating but it is even worse to have damaged rugs, furniture and other items that will last long after everyone is gone.
Remember mistakes happen.
The YouRepair Store sells a full line of cleaning and Restoration products.
Glass Cleaners
Floor Cleaners
Carpet Cleaners
Bathroom Cleaners
Household Cleaners