The Big Christmas Clean: How to Get Your Home Organised Before the Festivities

Whether you’re reaching for the tinsel and fairy lights well before October ends or you’re strict on the no tree ‘til December15th rule, there’s one thing we can all agree should probably be done well ahead of Santa’s visit: The Big Christmas Clean. With gifts to squirrel away, extra dining space to find and the dust-seeking finger of your mother-in-law to fear, we know that you’ve got a job and a half ahead of you getting prepared for the big day.

For some people, the festive season is the ideal excuse for a good scrub ‘n’ sort out. Yet for others there are few things more dreadful than having to get the spare room ready for guests and make space in the fridge for the big day bird. Whichever side of the festive fence you might fall on, we’re here to help you get organised well ahead of the big day. Which means that when Christmas morning lands, all you need do is kick back with a bucks fizz and open all those lovely pressies with the family.

Storage Solutions and More: Getting Organised for Christmas

If only prepping for Christmas was as easy as buying a turkey and wrapping some gifts! Unfortunately getting a family home ready for the 25th usually means several weeks of panic as you make room for the looming visit from Auntie Jean.

Making space for festive guests

There’s no time quite like Christmas for cramming in family members and with often long lead times when it comes to buying furniture, getting space sorted as early as possible is a must. Not only will you need to make sure you have enough sofa space for those watching the King’s speech and enough elbow room at the table for every cracker pull but if you’ve got overnight guests a comfortable spare bedroom space needs to be created too. Don’t have a spare room? A sofa bed or a fold-out like this Jay-Be Supreme Folding Bed could just be a lifesaver.

Clearing away pre-Christmas clutter

Forget spring cleaning, there’s no better time to declutter than just before Christmas. With all those new toys, clothes and gadgets inevitably winging your way on the back of the big man’s sleigh, you’ll be glad you did it. If you haven’t already, now’s the time to pack away those summer clothes, making wardrobe space for gift hiding. And while you’re searching out those baubles and wreaths why not take the opportunity for a good clear out? Donate or sell the decent things that you know you haven’t used since last Christmas, there’s bound to be someone out there for whom your junk is their perfect present.

It might not seem like it now but when you’re clearing up after the chaos of the big day, finding that your cupboards are neatly organised will be the Christmas miracle you’ve been wishing for. You’ll also thank yourself when there’s room for all those new toys the kids were given (because there’s always more than you expect).

Preparing the kitchen for Chrimbogeddon

Nowhere needs a pre-Christmas spruce quite like the kitchen, because you’ll need all the space you can get for cooking the 32 courses you’ve got planned. In the weeks running up to December 25th,as well as cleaning the oven and giving the fridge a good spritz, take the opportunity to empty cupboards of expired cans and jars and cracked plates and mugs. Doing this gives you an opportunity to see just what you’ve already got (last year’s mincemeat or cranberry sauce could still be good!) and spot gaps in your essentials. Thank goodness that Uncle Bob won’t be left without a good knife for his sprouts and your Dad won’t have to drink the wrong brand of tea all day.

Getting started on tasks like these good and early means you can take your time. Dedicate an afternoon each weekend to clearing out a couple of cupboards and you’ll be spick and span by Christmas Eve.

Underbed Storage and Hidey Holes: Where to Stash Those Christmas Gifts

If you’re truly organised when it comes to Christmas you’ve probably got gift buying well under way by the time the end of November rolls ‘round. Which is great until you catch the kids (or your other half) head first in the hall cupboard trying to find out if they’ll be the proud owner of a PS5 come Christmas morning. So where are some of the best spots to present hide?

Keep gifts under wraps with in-bed and underbed storage

Where better to keep gifts away from prying eyes than right where you sleep? There’ll be no midnight scrunching to be done if those precious buys are stashed right beneath you. A bed with under bed storage, like a divan bed with inbuilt drawers is great but, in our opinion, even better are good old ottoman beds. The family will never think to look inside your bed’s storage and, even if they do, it’s so spacious in there that you can throw them off the scent with blankets and sheets placed on top of those well-hidden gifts.

Hide Presents High With Tall Wardrobes

Not in the market for a new bed frame with storage? Wardrobes with handy shelves above the hanging rail can be an ideal hidey hole for Christmas gifts, particularly if your snooping suspect is a small one. Without a step, little ones won’t be able to reach bags and boxes hidden away in the top of a closet like the spacious Ravenna sliding wardrobe or the huge Sicily five door wardrobe with its optional extra drawers ideal for holding socks and secrets.

Stow special things in ottomans and other small storage

They say that the best things come in small packages and that can be true of storage too. Drawers in bedside tables and dressing tables aren’t the most obvious spots for hiding Christmas presents, which makes them ideal for keeping those special somethings out of sight. One of our favourite places, however, for hiding things not quite in plain sight is the storage ottoman. Perfect for bedding, out of season clothes and everyday bric-a-brac, an end of bed ottoman, or blanket box, is the last place your family will think to go gift rustling.

Top Tips for Xmas Cleaning

Dread doing a big spruce up? If you’re furniture polish-phobic there are things you can do to make this Christmas clean more bearable:

• Crank up Mariah: first things first, you’ll want to soundtrack your cleaning sesh with your favourite festive tracks because everything’s better with music
• Make a plan: planning your cleaning and organising jobs before you start can help to keep you on track and gives you that unrivalled feeling of satisfaction with each chore you tick off
• Employ elves: it’s their Christmas too, so don’t keep all those lovely cleaning jobs to yourself. Get the whole family involved in jobs like wiping down shelves, watering plants and hoovering floors. How do you know they’ll do it right? Well, Father Christmas is watching…
• Clean before you decorate: tempting as it may be to bust out the deckies first, it’ll only make your job harder. Instead of working around tinsel and stockings you’ll be able to get into every nook and cranny. And when you’re done, trimming the tree makes for a great reward
• Clean windows for dazzling lights: it’s a job that’s easily forgotten but making sure your windows are sparkling will help make the most of your light show. Use a vinegar spray and newspaper for a perfect finish
• Think entranceway: the oft-neglected front door and hallway will be in more use than ever at this time of year so take the time to clean muddy runners, buff door handles and pack away discarded trainers
• Make cooking easier: clean your oven and hob thoroughly to help them to work at maximum efficiency and take the time to clean out the fridge, including that gunky drain, to make sure expensive festive food is safely stored
• Protect your belongings: if festive family fill you with fear protect furniture and carpets with appropriate sprays or, even better, take out insurance like our Bed Guard Care Plan, which protects new beds, mattresses and furniture against accidental damage, breakage and spills
• Focus on forgotten areas: if you have guests visiting for the big day be sure to give those neglected spaces like guest bedrooms and extra bathrooms a little love and attention
• Use Christmas themed products: an easy way to make cleaning more fun and give your home a welcoming holiday aroma, Christmas scented cleaning products are a fun investment. Look for cranberry, orange and clove for classic Xmas smells but give astringent pine the swerve

Last Minute Christmas Cleaning and Organisation

Whether you’re a clean queen or not we know you’ll want your house to look the part by the time Christmas rolls around (and we all know how fast it rolls!). If your time is limited there are a few things you can do to help create a clean, organised and welcoming home with plenty of Christmas spirit:

Make space for guests

Creating a lovely guest bedroom can be as simple as dressing a bed with fresh, clean bedding and popping a sprig of holly in a vase. A string of fairy lights and a little tinsel helps those forgotten spots like the spare room and the guest loo feel less neglected too. Small conveniences like adding cushions to your guest’s dining chairs and making space in the coat closet for your guests’ outdoor wear can help make a home more homely too.

Think like your visitors

Take a walk through your house with the eyes of your most demanding guest. Are there sad brown leaves on the poinsettia? Have you learnt to ignore that scuff mark in the hallway? Is that a stain on the rug? When we live in a place it’s easy to become blind to its faults but thinking like a guest can help you spot problems that are often easy to fix but make a huge difference.

Tidy up decorations

We’ve no doubt that your Christmas décor was absolute perfection on the day it was done but over the weeks things can start to look a bit sad. So give the tree a good glug of water (unless it’s plastic of course), straighten up the angel and rehang fallen baubles. Check live decorations like wreaths and garlands for dead and wilting bits – which can be trimmed – and straighten up higgledy piggledy Christmas cards.

Create a Christmas atmosphere

Your home may not be perfect (whose is?) but you can make it feel extra welcoming with a few festive flourishes. Light a scented candle or two, plump up the cushions and stick on some classic Bing Crosby. Hang mistletoe and put out little bowls of nuts and sweets for nibbling on. A pile of blankets invites guests to get cosy and a personalised stocking says ‘you’re part of the family’. Finally, there’s nothing that makes a home as perfectly festive as a mug of mulled wine and a warm-from-the-oven mince pie waiting for guests on their arrival.

The Big Christmas Clean: Get Festive Season Ready With Bensons for Beds

We know that Christmas is the most important time of year for many of our customers which is why our Christmas Elves are on hand to help you get ready. In addition to a wide range of beds and mattresses – including those with sneaky hidden storage space to help you keep gift snoopers on the hop –we’ve got you covered when it comes to bedroom storage too. And with reasonably priced delivery on a day of your choice, plus an optional assembly service for flat pack pieces, buying new furniture is as easy as mince pie. In addition, payment options like our 0% APR interest-free credit for up to 36 months help to make spreading the cost of Christmas simple.

Pay a visit to your local store or give us a call on 0808 144 6160 to find out how Bensons for Beds can help your Santa season go a little more smoothly.