The most wonderful time of the year is almost here, and if you’re anything like me, you’re not quite fully prepared. I may have gotten a jumpstart on the decorating, but my house is in no way ready for holiday guests. It’s a good thing majority of our family live in Louisiana and we’ll be going home for the holidays, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fully avoid hosting preparations. I always do a deep clean this time of year since you can never go wrong with a clean house. Here’s how I prep my home for the holidays and my cleaning checklist:
– Declutter all rooms
– Vacuum, sweep, and mop all floors
– Vacuum couch cushions
– Wash bedroom, bathroom, and living room linens
– Swap out decor for holiday specific items (prints, pillow covers, etc)
– Replace shower curtain liners
– Polish faucets
– Clean toilets
– Dust furniture, windows, and ceiling fans
– Deep clean carpets and rugs
I’ll admit, that last point on the to-do list doesn’t happen enough. It’s been over two years since my living room rug had a deep cleaning and when you have two dogs living in your home, that’s two years overdue. I had forgotten just how pretty and white my rug really is until I gave it a deep cleaning with the BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution. You can see the difference it made above! The white was to the point where it was looking grey until I used the BISSELL carpet cleaner on it. Now it’s looking new again!
This was something I knew needed to get done, but I had been putting it off for a while. The thought of deep cleaning the carpets seemed like a lot of work, but the BISSELL ProHeat Pet Cleaner 2X takes the hassle out of deep cleaning with its light weight design and express clean mode that dries in an hour. It has multiple cleaning modes with dual DirtLifter brushes and heated cleaning to lift dirt and stains deep down. If you have a pet or carpet in high traffic areas, I highly recommend this! It comes with BISSELL Deep Clean + Antibacterial formula, and there is also a full range of other formulas to choose from for a professional clean.
If you’re ready to prep your home for the holidays or just get started with a deep clean, BISSELL is actually giving away a BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet with the BISSELL Deep Clean + Antibacterial formula! Two winners will be chosen at random across all communities.
To enter the giveaway, simply go here, then leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite cleaning tips and how you’d like to use the BISSELL! Please leave your email address in the comments so I can contact you if you win!
Breakfast at Lillys says
I need to get to cleaning my apartment ASAP.
We are hosting Thanksgiving here so it needs to be in tip top shape.
xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys
Dara @ The Southern Thing says
There's still plenty of time! Enjoy hosting Thanksgiving. That sounds fun!
Elena says
My favorite tip is to clean a little bit every day
elena150980 at yahoo dot com
Lisa Brown says
My favorite cleaning tip is to use a slightly damp cloth to dust, so less dust ends up in the air instead of on the cloth, where it needed to be; I would use the Bissell, especially, in the family room where the pets and family congregate and spend most of the time, every day. Thanks for the chance!
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
Dara @ The Southern Thing says
I like the idea of the damp cloth. That's something I never used to do until recently, and it makes all the difference!
Tiara Wasner says
I could really use that carpet cleaner. My rugs are bad.
Tiara Wasner says
Oh and my email is tiarawasner[at]gmail[dot]com 😉
Danielle says
Ugh…I need to do everything on this list. I'm starting this weekend. This is a great guide 🙂
mmstarla says
What an awesome difference that made on your rug. I agree with you about the animals. Mine are very long overdue as well. I have a cat and an 80lb dog so he naturally loves the mud which doesn't always make me a happy dog mama. My tip is to start on one room and go from there. If I start too many projects it seems to take me longer to complete them! starla.batesATyahooDOTcom
Dara @ The Southern Thing says
I agree with starting one room at a time. I'm guilty of starting one task and then another before I finish what I started. It's easy to get off track!
Keating Bartlett says
Cleaning is always the worst part of the holidays! haha so much work has to be done. My husband will be coming home from being overseas just in time for Christmas so there's lots of work that has to be done!
Dara @ The Southern Thing says
What an exciting return!! Cleaning is never fun, but I'm sure he'd love to arrive to a clean home 😉
rainesmom says
The difference in the 2 pictures of your rug is amazing. We have 2 dogs & I absolutely dread winter just because of their wet paws! I always dry their feet when they come in from outside, but it's still a struggle to keep the floors clean!
I usually try to spend 20mins cleaning each day, so I don't end up with hours of cleaning each weekend. Spot cleaning floors & wiping surfaces each day makes a huge difference!
~ Kim Pincombe Cole
kimpcole{at}att{dot}net
Ashley Perez says
I love to clean with music on.
perezashley60@hotmail.com
The Gastronom says
Oh dear, so much to do before Christmas! Thanks for the inspiration!
Caroline @ In Due Time says
I use thieves cleaner! It is THE best!
Trustinginduetime@gmail.com
Natalie B. says
My favorite cleaning tip is to keep up on dishes/straightening daily and clean each room on a different day instead of trying to do it all at once. It helps to not be so overwhelming. I'd use this awesome vacuum to clean-up dog hair and parakeet feathers daily! Thank-you. 🙂 (natorama99@yahoo.com)
Victoria K says
I find
i have to clean daily. Always working at it to keep up.. I need this Bissell to clean up after 4 kids and a cocker spaniel. vickikondovski@yahoo.com.
Ashley Lauckner says
Awesome post! It's so nice having a clean home for the holidays. Makes it extra welcoming and ready for the last minute holiday party.
Jaclyn Rose says
We need to freshen up the carpets, daily messes with 4 kids! Thank you for the chance!! firstrosegrrl at yahoo.com
SHANNA ELIZABETH says
I clean my glassware with potato skins. Yes I am serious! It works, my glasses always get so gross and this makes them look sparkly new!!!
I have a cat who sheds EVERYWHERE and a mother who watches my children while I work who is allergic. This would be so wonderful !
Kelly Minyard says
I am a vinegar fanatic… It's the best multi-purpose cleaner ever! I would definitely use the Bissel to clean up after my dogs!
Mercedes Lyne says
I would use it to clean up after my cats!! Cleaning tip: do a little every day.
Tiffani says
This would seriously help with all the hair my German Shepherd, Sophie, sheds every day! We are constantly vacuuming, but our current vacuum just isn't doing the job!
Tiffanigrosser@yahoo.com
Thefoxydog says
This post is motivating me to clean!
Rachel Gault says
Such a great reminder/kick in the butt to get me cleaning!
sandyhills x says
I would have to say that my favorite is taking my shoes off before entering the home and placing them on a mat to collect dirt: I'd definitely use this to deep clean carpets
-thefiggtree@yahoo.com
Branson Merrill says
My favorite cleaning tip is to double sheet the toddler bed. When I am done washing Aiden's sheets I put a fitted sheet on his mattress like normal, but then I flip the mattress and put a fitted sheet on the OTHER side as well. This way if there is a midnight accident I can just take off the wet sheet and flip the bed! No fumbling around for a sheet! 🙂 mattandbranson @ gmail.com