STEP 1: Focus on High-Traffic Areas
While your attic might seem neglected, that specific area often goes unseen by guests. Since we’re just closing out the holiday season, it’s best to focus your cleaning energy on parts of the house that get the most activity: entryways, hallways, living areas, the dining room, kitchen, and maybe an outdoor patio. Once you map out these spaces, the hard part is over, and you can get down to dust-busting.

 

STEP 2: Cut Down Clutter
You had to know this part was coming! Cutting down on clutter is one of the best ways to almost instantly make your space seem fresher and ready for new décor. As mentioned before, start in a high-traffic area, like the entryway, and go through storage spaces and drop-zones that have housed any form of clutter over the holiday season. Look at each nook and cranny with a detective’s eye and contemplate if you truly need that extra vase there, or if it can be stowed away to make room for your favorite family photo. Organize each area using this approach and you’ll be on your way to a cleaner space in no time.

STEP 3: Deep Clean
Here’s where the fun truly begins. Start in a space that’s likely the center of your daily activities: the kitchen. Since you’ve already decluttered, you can probably see which corners have been neglected since your last bout of cleaning. Grab your duster, vacuum, mop, and cleaning products and tackle the space, working from one end of the room to the other. Pay special attention to appliances that are used over and over again for dinners and family gatherings. Start with deep cleaning the oven, wiping down the inside of the microwave, and work your way outward. Finish by wiping down the walls and light fixtures (forgotten but often grimy). Do this for each room in your house. Pro tip: Teamwork makes the dream work. Recruit other members of the household to help speed up the process.

 

STEP 4: Go Beyond the Basics
After the above, the last thing you want to do is continue scrubbing. However, once you’ve tackled the majority of the clutter and dust-busting, you’re nearly done. This last step is simply a reminder to check spaces and corners that we don’t often pay attention to or assume never get dirty, such as:

•    Light fixtures. Ceiling-mounted lighting and table lamps acquire dust over time and may go unnoticed when they’re not in use. A quick wipe down should do the trick.
•    Grout. This is especially important if you have any light-colored grout; scrubbing with your favorite kitchen cleaner will have it sparkling clean in no time.
•    Hidden bathroom spaces. Chances are your future guests will need to use the restroom once or twice during their visit. With this in mind, clean like you have a particularly nosey guest—checking inside drawers, dusting windowsills, and scrubbing the tub.

When’s the last time you’ve done a deep clean? What are some of your favorite ways to cut dust and grime and prepare for the new year?