Brits do twice as much cleaning in run-up to Christmas

Hosting Christmas is a big responsibility and many people feel the pressure to ensure their homes are clean and well-presented.

As well as doing all the Christmas shopping and creating a plan to make the perfect meal, people up and down the country are also readying their houses for the festive period. Having guests puts extra pressure on making sure everything is pristine and it seems that householders are feeling it.

A survey by Regina, the kitchen roll brand, found that 69 per cent of people are doing twice as much cleaning in the run-up to Christmas. Instead of keeping on top of things and completing their regular tasks, they’re scrubbing and mopping places that may have become a little neglected.

The same research found that many of those who will be hosting guests this year are foregoing time with family and friends to get their homes ready. Surely, this isn’t the spirit of Christmas and it may be better to call in a professional cleaning company like FastKlean to do the job in instead.

Ideal Home, which has reported the findings, also stated that 37 per cent of those surveyed will spend between 10 and 18 days pre-Christmas cleaning. Surely that can’t be full days? That’s a lot of time to not be wrapping presents, attending carol concerts or enjoying a festive tipple with friends.

Judy Reith, parenting coach and spokesperson for Regina, said:

“Christmas is a time for family, friends and fun! It makes me sad to see that so many people are getting caught up in the stress of cleaning. Dedicating so much time to the activity.

“While it’s understandable that people want to make a sparkling impression on guests during the festive season – with a clear plan in place, a positive attitude, the time and energy spent scrubbing and cleaning can be greatly reduced. We can instead focus on enjoying family time.”

Depressingly, after all the hard work, it doesn’t take long for homes to become messy once again. More than half of respondents said that the place was in disarray within an hour of their guests arriving. In all, 21 per cent named preparing the house for Christmas as one of their biggest worries at this time of the year.

If you’re going to tackle the Christmas cleaning yourself, then it’s best to be organised and work out which areas are a priority. Bedrooms that are not going to be used by guests only need a quick going over, while communal rooms will need more care and attention.

Here are the essential jobs to get done for your guests this Christmas:

• Washing bed linen and towels for the guest rooms
• Cleaning the guest bathroom and ensuring it’s fully stocked with toilet roll and soap
• Vacuuming soft furnishings
• Spot cleaning any marks on carpets
• Mopping the kitchen floor
• Cleaning the oven
• Clearing up fallen pine needles from the Christmas tree
• Dusting shelves, mantle pieces and windowsills
• Polish the crockery, cutlery and glassware ready for the big day

How do you get ready for Christmas in your house?

Let us know your top tips in the comments section below.