Post-holiday cleaning checklist for a Philly house
Post-holiday cleaning goes fastest in this order: food and trash the night of, the kitchen the next morning, then the guest room and bathroom, then the living room, and the floors last.
If you host more than once between Thanksgiving and New Year's, this is the reset to run after each round.
What should you do the night of?
Four things, then bed:
- Put the food away. Leftovers into shallow containers and into the fridge. Platters don't sit out overnight.
- Start the dishwasher. Hand-wash what can't go in, and fill the roasting pan with hot water and dish soap to soak.
- Take out the trash and recycling. Food trash left in the kitchen is what the house smells like in the morning.
- Wipe the counters. Spills that dry overnight take far more scrubbing.
Leave the rest for daylight and coffee.
How do you reset the kitchen?
- Go through the fridge. Toss what nobody will eat in the next couple of days, wipe up drips on the shelves, and push what stays to the front. Our guide to cleaning a refrigerator covers the full clean-out.
- Scrub the roasting pan. After the overnight soak, a lot of it lifts with a non-scratch pad. For what's left, a paste of baking soda and water and some patience.
- Degrease the stovetop. Spray, let it sit five minutes, wipe. Lift the grates and burner caps and soak them in the sink.
- Leave oven spills for later. Once it's cool, spread a baking soda paste on the spill and leave it overnight. Don't run self-clean the day before more guests arrive; it smokes and smells up the whole house.
- Wipe the cabinet fronts and handles. Holiday cooking leaves greasy fingerprints at hand height on every door.
- Mop last.
How do you turn over the guest room and bathroom?
Strip the bed as soon as your guests leave and start the wash with the towels. Then:
- Vacuum the mattress along the seams with the upholstery tool.
- Empty the trash and the nightstand drawer.
- Dust the nightstand and dresser, and wipe the windowsill.
- In the bathroom: toilet, sink, counter, mirror, shower and floor, then fresh towels and a new roll of toilet paper.
- Make the bed with clean sheets so it's ready for the next round.
How do you get the living room back?
Pine needles and glitter
Use the vacuum's hose with the crevice tool for needles. The beater bar jams on them. For glitter on furniture, a lint roller works; on hard floors, a damp paper towel picks it up instead of spreading it around.
Candle wax
Harden it with an ice cube and scrape off what you can with a dull knife or an old gift card. Lay a paper towel over what's left and press with a warm iron. The towel pulls the wax out as it melts; move to a clean spot of towel as it soaks through.
Red wine, gravy and the rest
Blot, don't rub, working from the outside of the stain in. Our guide to getting stubborn stains out of carpet has the method for each type, from wine to grease.
Throws, pillows and the couch
Wash the throws, fluff and rotate the cushions, and vacuum under them. That's where the crumbs from the kids' table ended up.
What about the floors and the front door?
Floors go last, because everything above them drops something.
Late December is also when the sidewalks get salted. Salt tracked in on boots leaves a white film on hardwood and tile, and in a rowhome where the front door opens right into the living room, it goes straight onto the good floor. Vacuum the grit first, then damp-mop with warm water and a small splash of white vinegar, and dry it as you go. Check your floor's care guide before using vinegar on a waxed or oiled finish. A boot tray and a real doormat inside and out stop a lot of it at the door.
When does the tree go out?
Take the decorations down before the tree, vacuum the needles as you go, and wrap a sheet around the trunk to carry it out so you're not dropping needles down the stairs. The city's Streets Department posts its Christmas tree recycling and holiday trash schedules each season, so check the dates for your block before you drag the tree to the curb. In the suburbs, check your township's schedule. A tree on the sidewalk on the wrong day just sits there.
How do you put decorations away so next year is easier?
Wipe ornaments and decorations before they go into storage, so you're not unpacking a year's worth of dust. Pack by room and label the bins. Wrap lights around a piece of cardboard so they come out untangled. Vacuum the spot where the tree stood and check the base of the walls for stray needles.
Should you book a cleaning after the holidays?
Book the after-party clean when you plan the party, so the reset is already on the calendar. Choose House Cleaning or Deep Cleaning online, and put the rooms that need the most work in your booking notes.
FAQ
What should I clean first after hosting a holiday? Food and trash, the same night. Put the leftovers away, start the dishwasher, soak the roasting pan, and take the trash and recycling out. The rest can wait until morning.
How do I get candle wax off a tablecloth? Harden the wax with an ice cube and scrape off what you can with a dull knife. Lay a paper towel over the rest and press with a warm iron; the paper pulls the wax out as it melts.
How do I get pine needles out of a carpet? Use the vacuum's hose with the crevice tool, not the beater bar, which needles can jam. Go over the spot slowly from a few directions, and check along the baseboards where needles collect.
How do I get road salt stains off hardwood floors? Sweep or vacuum the grit first, then damp-mop with warm water and a small splash of white vinegar, and dry the floor as you go. Check your floor maker's care guide before using vinegar on a waxed or oiled finish.
Book your reset
Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.
