November kicks off the holiday season. It’s the time of year when friends and family gather from near and far. While hosting parties can be fun (think late-night eggnog and storytelling), preparing your home for said guests can also be stress-inducing.
There’s no need to fret—just yet—as there’s still plenty of time to get your home holiday-ready. We consulted expert cleaner and owner of Yankenfera Commerical and Residential Cleaning Services, Kevin Mullins, to give our readers some tips on preparing their homes for holiday guests.
At Yankenfera, cleaning is a family business. In fact, the company name is an acronym of the first names of family members who were involved in starting the business. The name eventually evolved to represent the core values of the business: You, Action, Notable, Kindness, Eager, Natural, Familiar, Efficient, Responsible, and Affordable.
Kevin first began cleaning in high school. While working for his mother's business, he cleaned at big-box realters like T.J.Maxx. Passionate about creating a clean and safe environment for customers, he eventually branched out and opened his own company. Kevin and his team now complete more than 1,000 cleaning jobs per year and work with both residential and commercial accounts.
"The best part of owning a cleaning service is I get to help families save time. I enjoy creating an inviting place and utilize custom and traditional solutions. I use eco-friendly, green products that are clean and safe for pets and families," Kevin says.
Utilizing Kevin’s cleanings tips will impress your guests this holiday season—even that hard to please mother-in-law. Don’t have time to do it yourself? Yankenfera can help take away the pressure and give you a jump start on the job.
Also, consider giving the gift of cleaning. A gift certificate for a house cleaning makes the perfect stocking stuffer. Who doesn’t want a clean house? Yankenfera also offers discounts to senior citizens and to families battling cancer.
Coat Closet:
Kevin advises that you start with the coat closet.
"Most people forget the number of guests that will be coming through the door. It's important to remove anything you don't regularly use, to leave plenty of space for your guest's coats."
Preparing the closet ahead of time prevents unnecessary foot traffic to other bedrooms to store coats and bags.
Living Room:
The decluttering theme continues with the living room, the most utilized gathering area during a party. Kevin suggests removing any throw blankets and excess pillows that guests tend to toss aside when the room gets crowded and typically end up on a well-traveled floor. When it comes to cleaning floors, Kevin recommends an easy cleaning solution.
"Simply mix 20% vinegar and 80% water. It not only cleans the floors really well but it is also chemical-free, which is great if you have kids or pets." Also, be sure to dust your light fixtures and switch out any burned out light bulbs; your observant guests will notice!
Kitchen:
The kitchen is where all the action happens! This is the time of year to give a little extra attention to the appliances, especially the refrigerator. Kevin recommends checking labels and removing all expired food and condiments. Then give the shelves a good wipe-down; people will be going in and don't need to see anything unsightly. Make your kitchen appear more spacious by putting away infrequently used appliances.
