A clean house is tough to maintain with everyday stress and a long commute to work. Add the coming holidays and the impending visits from your out-of-town relatives, and there’s little time to clean. The Maids company, with four Chicago-area offices, has a solution and, over e-mail, offered these tips:
– Assign duties. “Start your home preparation early! Get the family involved by assigning one `holiday chore’ a day to each person.”
– Toss it. “Make sure to clean out the refrigerator, [removing] old or uneaten items to make room for holiday meal preparation and leftovers.”
– Clear the clutter. “Guests will congregate in the kitchen. Take the time to clear your counters of any daily-use items (i.e. pens, papers, notes, toys and so on) before your company arrives.”
– Impress with cleanliness: “Dust and polish the furniture for a shine good enough for pictures. . . . Vacuum high-traffic areas. Watch for fallen needles from the tree.”
– Neatly organize: “Store holiday wrappings (bows, ribbons, paper, etc.) in one bin to avoid excess clutter in various rooms throughout your home.”
– Do some purging: “Rid the front closet of old coats to make room for those belonging to any holiday guests. Donate unneeded items to charitable organizations.”
– Set the table: “Polish silverware and set your formal china on your table the night prior to your gathering.”
– Think outside the home: “Salt your driveway and other walks in preparation for the arrival of your guests. Keep a shovel in easy reach for any snow that has accumulated.”
– If time gets away, check themaids.com, which has offices in Arlington Heights, Oak Brook, Evanston and Oak Lawn.
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