How On Earth Do You Keep Your Home Clean Over Christmas?

Christmas is a time for you to laze around and see your extended family. Or at least most of them – McCrindle research does report that only 27 per cent of us spend the holiday season with our in-laws.

But the downside of having so many people in one space is that it makes keeping your home tidy nearly impossible. Ahead of this year’s silly season, we have some tips to help you keep a clean, attractive home and a sane mind once the holidays hit.

You don’t need the tinsel

While some people simply won’t budge on extensive holiday decorations, others find it to be a messy chore – but one they are obliged to do. We’re here to tell you that you don’t need to go overboard. In fact, McCrindle’s data says that nearly half of us (45 per cent) don’t even decorate with tinsel.

Do the supermarket shopping now

Some things are harder to avoid. After all, what’s Christmas without a tree? But if you cut back on some of the more, shall we say, annoying decorations, then you might find the Christmas cleanup a lot easier to handle.

According to the Australian Retailers Association, as a nation we spend $19 billion on food every Christmas. That’s a lot of people lining up to buy the festive ham. Last year, Victoria was also the state with the biggest increase in holiday spending.

Why not beat the rush? There are plenty of items you can buy now and put away for the big holiday. An organised kitchen means you’ll cut down on clutter and mess. If your family isn’t fussy, stock up on the paper plates and plastic cutlery too – you’ll be thanking yourself when the Christmas dishes need doing.

Organise a secret Santa

The thrill of opening presents on the 25th is often matched in intensity by only one thing – the internal horror as you realise your living area is now a wasteland of wrapping paper and ribbons. Further to this, McCrindle’s research shows that four in ten people find the pressure to buy presents one of the most irritating things about Christmas.

Why not kill two birds with one stone and organise a secret Santa? There are many apps that make it easy, or you can do it yourself as a fun activity. Each person only buys one present for another member of the family. The surprise remains, but the number of presents drops (while the quality often rises, thanks to suggestion boxes or careful hints).

It might not work for families that still have young kids, but for everyone else it could be the ticket to a cleaner, less stressful Christmas day. Having the family all under one roof for Christmas is so great – but that doesn’t mean you have to pull your hair out with the mess it creates. Make sure to be proactive and protect the wellbeing of your home.