Fall Cleaning

"Hospitality is making your guest feel at home, even if you wish they were."

- Author Unknown

I never understood why spring cleaning became so popular. If you really think about it fall should be the season where you pull out all the stops and prepare your home for the holidays. In the spring most people are outside enjoying the weather or vacationing. Ask yourself when do you do most of your entertaining? I am guessing it is during the fall and winter months. With this being said why not get a head start on your home before you are consumed with other responsibilities that go along with the holidays (cooking, decorating,socializing etc...).

Before you become overwhelmed with all of the things that need to be done, I would first make a priority list of the things you can and should do and follow them accordingly. The last thing you want to do is begin several projects and never complete any of them. Although every home differs in size and design there is typically a room where you entertain your guests. I call this the "hospitality room." This room should be the room where you should be most concerned with. I would first begin by dusting the room. There is no point in cleaning a space only to have to clean it once more after you have dust flying all over the place. Next, I would do the basic cleaning and organizing. Once you are finished with your core cleaning I would begin to focus on the details which would include: cleaning your windows, furniture, picture frames, lighting fixtures, etc... The other room that should be cleaned is the guest room or the location where your guests will be sleeping. I would follow the same routine as you did in the entertaining room, but I would focus more on organization. You want your guest to feel like they are at home and have a place to set their belongings. Regardless if you have a closet or a dresser I would try to empty the spaces so that your guest can hang their clothing or put away their items. I would also make sure that you have a set of clean towels,wash clothes, and an unused bar of soap readily available for them to use.
The last room but one of the most important is the kitchen. Somehow everyone congregates to the kitchen for some reason or another (often to the dismay of the hostess). Instead of becoming engulfed with dirty dishes overwhelming your cooking space, try to keep everything organized and timely so you can enjoy the process of entertaining. The best thing to do in your kitchen is to clean out your fridge and cabinets of expired food. This will allow you to shop ahead for your food and have a spot for it. If you are lucky you could always cook your food ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until it's time to bake or cook it. The next suggestion I would make is to clean out your kitchen drawers. There is nothing more embarrassing than when someone offers to help in the kitchen and they happen to find your secret miscellaneous drawer(s) where you throw everything into. The last and most important thing to do in regards to the kitchen is to take out all of your table linens and have them washed and pressed before your company arrives. This will save you both time and stress when the festivities start and it might also inspire you to decorate your table.
So, instead of waiting to clean your home until spring why not start now when it will be most enjoyed!
Have a lovely week!
Love, Lili