A tidy home for the holidays – see our 6 top tips for a stress-free holiday cleaning
Elegant storage baskets help curb the chaos without compromising on style. Muuto's versatile Restore baskets are great for storing all sorts of household items. The wooden Blossom candle holders are by applicata and The Voice Within poster is by Paper Collective. Image: Kasia Rutkowiak
From chaotic to calm
If your morning routine includes an obstacle course made up of toy cars, stuffed animals, and building blocks, the first step of holiday cleaning is quite simple – declutter. Invest in stylish storage baskets, which you can simply leave on display or slip under the bed if there’s not enough closet space.
Pro tip: carry a basket with you and, moving forward one room at a time, collect all misplaced items in it – when you’re done, you can use the basket to transport the objects to their correct places without having to run back and forth.
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• Read also: Small, simple and fun storage ideas for decluttering your home >
With Iris Hantverk's computer brush you can clean excess gingerbread crumbs off the keyboard. The screen can also be swiftly swiped spotless with the naturally antistatic bristles.
Give your desk a break
Tidying up your workspace is a nice way to start the holidays – upon returning you’ll be able to start from a clean slate, quite literally. Tidy up any loose items and wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth. You can give your computer a holiday makeover with a clever computer brush and some purifying screen cleaner.
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• Read also: Everyday aesthetics – see 7 housekeeping supplies that are true design pieces >
Kinfill's biodegradable blend-at-home cleaning agents aim to reduce plastic waste – the stylish glass bottles can be refilled over and over again.
Bin the bunnies
Honestly, there’s no need to frantically clean every nook and cranny, but you might want to offer the most magnificent dust bunnies a new home in the bin. With the help of a dry floor wiper and a tightly wrung cleaning cloth you can clean both floors and skirting boards quickly and efficiently, even without vacuuming first – a squeegee can also work wonders on short-pile carpets, removing dust and hair.
When choosing a cleaning agent, opt for a more ecological one – biodegradable detergents made from natural ingredients are efficient but do not add to the household's chemical load. Kinfill's Full House starter kit contains four essential, eco-friendly detergents for cleaning the entire home.
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• Read also: Make everyday tasks a treat with beautiful and practical cleaning products >
The scent diffusers by Hetkinen use only pure, natural ingredients and therefore do not contain parabens, industrial fragrances or dyes, mineral oils, or plastics.
Scents create sensations
Scents are an important part of holiday magic – for example, the delightfully warm scents of cinnamon, cloves, and fir are seamlessly connected to holiday celebrations and memories for many people. Scents set the mood much more effectively than scrubbing: place a bowl of tangerines or gingerbreads on the table and fill your favorite vases with fir or pine branches.
A diffuser or a scented candle can work as an effortless express lane to relaxation and a merry mood. The Happy Holidays scent diffuser by Hetkinen is like Christmas in a bottle – the cheerful mix of mandarin, cinnamon, and vetiver grass is the perfect atmosphere creator for winter celebrations.
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High-quality sauna covers are the perfect finish for a freshly cleaned sauna. The Sade sauna cover and sauna pillow by Lapuan Kankurit are made of linen and organic cotton.
Winter warmer
A Christmas-eve sauna is an age-old Finnish tradition that is still quite a treat today. A clean sauna is the key to extra-enjoyable bathing – the sauna should be thoroughly cleansed from floor to ceiling at least twice a year, but sometimes a quick refresh makes all the difference. For quick upkeep, you only need cleaning spray with a pH over 7, clean water, and a good scrubbing brush with a sturdy handle.
How to quick-clean the sauna
Rinse the seats – and walls, if you wish – with warm water: the heat opens up the grain of the wood, allowing dirt to come off more easily.
Spray the seats with detergent (a lovely fragrance is always a bonus) and let it sit for about 15 minutes – take this time to enjoy some mulled wine.
Brush the boards going alongside the grain.
Rinse thoroughly first with warm and then with cold water – cold water will close the grain of the wood again.
Allow the sauna to air out and dry.
Add some beautiful, clean sauna covers and pillows, and get ready to relax.
Make yourself a steaming mug of mouth-watering rosemary blackcurrant glogg and take a breather. The glass mug is by HAY and the candle snuffer is by ferm LIVING. Image: Suvi Kesäläinen
Nevertheless, do less
To-do list unfinished and time is running out? Our final tip will definitely do the trick: dim the lights, put on some mood-boosting music, open a box of chocolates, and put your feet way up.
The Design Stories editorial team wishes everyone self-care-oriented holidays and a serotonin-packed new year!
• Read also: Festive drinks for the holidays – try our easy recipes >
See also:
• Read also: How can I prepare my home for the holidays with small changes? >
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Text: Mira Ahola Images: Kasia Rutkowiak, Suvi Kesäläinen, manufacturers
Published on 19 Dec, 2022
