Have you decked the halls, and now found yourself struggling to dust, spray and sanitize? Is your home now proving to be more of a cleaning nightmare than a winter wonderland?
Fear not, festive decorations can still be cleaned around, assure experts. All it takes is a little patience and know-how.
I spoke to professional cleaners to get their cleaning tips on keeping your seasonal space spic and span.
7 expert-approved tips for cleaning around holiday decor
1. Clean before getting started
Importantly, says Erin Zanelli, co-founder and CFO of Tranquil Home, put your best food forward ahead of festivities by cleaning before decorating. She advises, 'Start with a clean slate! Deep clean spaces before putting up decorations. Dust shelves, clean windows, vacuum carpets, and wipe down mantels to minimize the need for heavy cleaning once decor is in place.'
If you have carpets, use our best vacuum cleaner for carpets, with our top pick being the Shark® POWERDETECT™ Upright Vacuum with TruePet Upgrade available at Shark.
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Gather your cleaning supplies and get started – you'll thank yourself later.
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These microfiber cleaning cloths are ideal for cleaning all around the house, particularly if you like (or want to try) color-coded cleaning.
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Chiana Dickson, Solved content editor here at H&G recently tried this ingenious window cleaning tool and swears by it. She loved the ease of use and results.
2. Use a blow dryer for delicate baubles
There's nothing more beautiful than Christmas ornament ideas, but from the moment they're hung on your tree they'll be attracting dust. Enter: your hair dryer, says Julie Edelman, cleaning expert and author of The Accidental Housewife: How to Overcome Housekeeping Hysteria One Task at a Time available at Amazon, and new novel The Accidental Sisterhood.
'Give delicate baubles a spa day with cool air from your blow dryer or compressed air,' she recommends. You can also use compressed air, such as the Falcon Compressed Gas available at Amazon, to clean your computer keyboard in your home office ideas, making it handy to have around the home.
With a removable straw for pinpoint cleaning, this moisture-free compressed air is safe to use on almost all electronic equipment.
3. Use microfiber dusters on decor
Microfiber cloths are the soft and unsung hero of home cleaning, and they're brilliant for dusting around holiday decor too, says Galia Ivanova, professional cleaner and owner of Cleaning Estimate.
She says, 'Use a flexible microfiber duster to clean around decorations – it's gentle and grabs dust without knocking things over. I love the OXO Microfiber Extendable Duster (available at Amazon) for this.'
You can also use microfiber cloths, such as the HOMEXCEL Microfiber Cleaning Cloth available at Amazon for this. Just ensure to avoid any microfiber cloth mistakes by making sure they're clean before use, if re-using yours, to avoid spreading dust and dirt into delicate crevices.
If you're not sure how to wash a microfiber cloth, our expert-led guide reveals how to keep them soft and absorbent with ease. Simply ditch fabric softener and dry fully before use.
Or, as cleaning expert Varela recommends, a clean makeup brush is an unusual yet effective dusting companion, as 'it adapts to different shapes and curves.'
4. Try lint rollers to get rid of glitter
You might now that lint rollers, such as the Scotch-Brite Lint Roller available at Amazon, are great for removing pet hair from fabric, and removing lint from clothes, but they're even effective for banishing glitter, says cleaning expert Zanelli.
She says, 'Once all those shiny decorations are up, a lint roller works wonders to pick up scattered glitter from ornaments or decorations without spreading it everywhere.' Or, as cleaning expert Ivanova notes, 'Duct tape (such as The Original Duck Tape Brand Duct Tape available at Walmart) works in a pinch too,' and you probably have some lying around at home. After all, unlike most things, it is an essential household item to keep in your junk drawer.
And, if you prefer the easy route, 'Skip the tinsel and glitter unless you plan to find sparkly surprises until next Christmas,' says cleaning expert Edelman.
5. Vacuum hard to reach areas
As with most hard to reach areas around the home, your best handheld vacuum is the easiest way to bust dust and leave surfaces spotless.
Alex Varela, cleaning expert and team manager at Dallas Maids, says, 'I recommend a handheld vacuum cleaner with different nozzles to help you reach these areas. Two great options are the Shark UltraCyclone™ Pet Pro Cordless Handheld Vacuum available at Shark, or the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lithium Ion Cordless Hand Vacuum available at Amazon.
'They both have multiple crevice tools to reach difficult areas, and they are especially helpful if you have pets, because pet hair sticks everywhere.'
Our expert testers have deemed this the best handheld vacuum on the market, rating it for it's pivoting feature which helps clean up, down, and dig up deep dirt.
6. Sweep away pine needles
Pine needles are one of the most pesky parts of Christmas, but sometimes, stripping it back to basics is best.
As cleaning expert Ivanova says, 'Sweep them up with a handheld brush (such as the Dust pan Broom available at Amazon) first,' and pop them in a sturdy trash bag, such as the Hefty Ultra Strong Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags available at Target.
'Then, vacuum using a hose or hardwood attachment to avoid clogs,' she adds. 'The Shark® Clean & Empty Cordless Stick Vacuum (available at Shark) is my go-to for stubborn needles.'
And, if you're wondering why your Christmas tree is dropping needles already, cleaning expert Edelman recommends using hairspray to stop pine needles from dropping, even on faux Christmas tree ideas. 'Your artificial tree needs styling products, too,' she says.
If you have a real tree, Edelman also suggests using Bonide Wilt Stop, 40 oz Ready-to-Use Spray available at Amazon. 'Because nobody has time for a daily needle cleanup intervention,' she adds.
Sturdy and durable, this brush has a soft, flexible lip for easy and effective sweeping.
7. Schedule regular cleaning sessions
Finally, Zanelli recommends, don't let your cleaning routine fall to the wayside this festive season (or, at least not too much!)
'Schedule light cleaning sessions weekly during the holiday season to keep everything looking festive and tidy without overwhelming effort,' she advises. Avoiding cleaning when feeling overwhelmed will also let you enjoy the holiday season without mess and stress, leaving more time to spend with friends and family.
If you haven't perfected your Christmas decorating ideas quite yet, make your home merry and bright with our chic and unique ideas.
