The winter holidays are just around the corner, meaning that it is time to start thinking about cleaning. Clearing out some of the storage areas around your home is a great way to prepare for upcoming holiday parties or overnight visitors.

Clear out your cabinets. This is the perfect time to go through your canned foods and dry goods to see what needs to be thrown out. Even though shelf-stable foods like these last for a long time, they do eventually expire. Any items that are past their expiration date should be tossed. If you have any food that has been sitting untouched for a long time, you should think about donating it to a food bank in your area.

Thoroughly clean your refrigerator and freezer. Tasks like cooking and cleaning up after a holiday meal are a lot easier when you have enough space in your refrigerator and freezer. Go through all of the food in both locations, throwing away anything old or past its usable date.

Organize your dishes and silverware. During the holidays, people who are dining or staying with you will usually want to help with the meal. A lot of times, that means setting the table or cleaning up afterward. Organizing your dishes and silverware ahead of time will make it easier for them to find what they need. This includes any serving utensils, special platters, dishes, drinking glasses, napkins, and other table accessories.

Plan how you will store leftover food. Make sure you have enough storage containers for leftover food. Go through the containers, looking for any problems like missing lids. Having these items neatly organized will make cleaning up after dinner a lot easier. Consider having some disposable containers, as well, so that you can send leftovers home with your guests.

Clean out your guest quarters. If you have a guest room or a guest bathroom, now is the perfect time to clean them. Rooms like these often become cluttered since they make the perfect storage space for items that you don’t have enough room for. Clear out any unnecessary items to make space for your guests. Clean the rooms from top to bottom, changing the sheets, as well. Getting these tasks done early will allow you to relax and focus on putting together a menu, decorating, and other fun holiday activities.

Clear out old holiday decorations. Decorating for the holidays is a lot of fun. Over the years, however, it is easy to accumulate a lot of decorations that you no longer use or like. Go through all of your decorations, keeping the items that you love and donating the items that you don’t.

Clean your closets and storage areas. During the holidays, most people get a lot of gifts. Prepare in advance by going through your closets in getting rid of anything that you no longer use or wear. This is also the ideal time to get rid of old or unused toys to make space for new ones.

You can call professional house cleaners to help you with these tasks. Prep for the holidays the right way and call us.