Cleaning Hacks for a Merry Jamaican Christmas (Blogmas Day 6)
A big part of Jamaican Christmas is ensuring that your home is spanking clean on Christmas morning. New curtains? Check. New bed set? Check. Spotless floors? Check. And the list goes on and on. There is nothing about Christmas in Ja that involves clutter and disorganization.
In fact, it is probably the single most important cleaning period for Jamaicans. The house gets a proper scour and facelift that tides over into the New Year… new beginnings or whatever.
So as the countdown to Christmas continues and we all scurry to have everything ready. The Village Ja shares with you some cleaning hacks that’ll certainly make this year’s cleaning much, much more efficient, and easier for you.
Hang on to your mops and brooms and let’s get started with some cleaning tips for the holiday season:
1. Do an audit
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Before you perform any cleaning, go around the house with your notepad (or whatever you can make a list with) and jot down every and anything you see that needs to be done in each room. This will eliminate your need to guess and can also make things abundantly clear if you have someone to help you clean.
2. Organise the new items by room
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Before you get started on each room, organise what you will be changing out (curtains, sheet sets, comforters) and store them in an easily accessible place until you’re ready. Also, keep all your necessary cleaning products and equipment in the same place for ease of access.
3. Declutter
Before you get the broom, remove and replace everything in its rightful place. A huge part of having a messy place is seeing unfitting items strewn about the place that infringes on tidiness. So just before you start the sweeping and really get into the cleaning, remove things that are out of place.
4. Start small
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You can’t possibly do everything in one day; start small and tackle each room little by little. Ideally, you can create a schedule of rooms to be cleaned daily or use your previously created list (see point 1) and set a target for each day. Be realistic with those targets.
5. Do a touch up before Christmas
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If you’re hosting this Christmas, the pressure to ensure your house is spotless can become overwhelming. Don’t buckle under that pressure. Once you’ve cleaned for the season (especially if this is days before Christmas) do a light clean of surfaces every two days possibly to eliminate the dust that may gather on the floors and surfaces.
Wrap Up
As you prepare for the big day, keep in mind its true meaning — whether it be commemorating the birth of Christ or being with family and loved ones — and try not to stress about the small things. All in all, cleaning is not the real reason for Christmas.
Focus your heart on what matters for you and try not to sweat the small things. This is especially important if, like me, you have a child who, despite your many efforts to keep a tidy house, will have toys strewn across the place 2.5 seconds after you’ve finished. Just accept that things may not be perfect and keep it moving.
I hope you’ve found this list helpful and that after reading it, you’re not as overwhelmed as I usually get when planning to clean for Christmas. Until next time Villagers, walk good. Tell me in the comments, what are some cleaning hacks that usually get you through this season?