Even though you may not be preparing for a household full of visitors, Christmas is still coming, and cleaning must be done! Here are our best tips for special cleaning around the holidays.
Cleaning Your Artificial Christmas Tree
A good cleaning can make a huge difference in the finished look of your Christmas tree. Use a bristle brush to loosen dirt can grime from the branches, then use the hand attachments from your vacuum to suck away the dust. You can brighten your tree by spraying it with a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide and then wipe the branches with a soft cloth. For an extra dull and dirty tree, use warm water with a few drops of dishwashing soap in a spray bottle and wipe with a cloth. Make sure and let the tree dry before decorating!
Cleaning Your Real Christmas Tree
Real trees bring in a beautiful pine smell but can also bring in mold and pollen! Once you get your tree home, use a leaf blower to blow off all the pollen and mold spores outside. Spray the tree with a mixture of 1-part bleach and 20 parts water, then use a garden hose to rinse the tree off. You can use the leaf blower again to dry the tree.
Glitter Everywhere!
Glitter – it gets everywhere around the holidays. For a large quantity of glitter, a wet paper towel can sweep glitter into one place and then use a vacuum extension to suck up the pile. For glitter sprinkles, I love to use a lint roller to pick up all those pesky particles.
Candy Making
If you are making candy treats for your family this holiday, then you might be stuck with pots that are covered in caramel, fudge, toffee, peanut brittle, or butterscotch. To clean off that sticky mess, fill the dirty dish with water and bring it to a boil. By the time the water bubbles, the hardened candy will be mostly removed and can be scraped off with a spook or spatula.