Holiday & festival cleaning checklist

In the GTA, the calendar is full of reasons to welcome people home: Diwali in the fall, Hanukkah and Christmas in December, Lunar New Year in winter, Eid at the end of Ramadan, and Holi, Easter and Vaisakhi in spring. Each one brings guests, cooking and celebration, and each one starts with a clean home. Here is how to get there without losing a week to it.

Cleaning traditions across the year

For many families, cleaning before a festival is part of the celebration itself. Many Hindu, Sikh and Jain families clean and decorate the home before Diwali to welcome light and good fortune. Before Lunar New Year, many Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean families clean thoroughly to sweep away the old year, and avoid sweeping on New Year’s Day itself so as not to sweep away luck. Many Muslim families prepare the home for Eid at the end of Ramadan, and Christmas and Hanukkah bring long dinners and house guests. Whatever you celebrate, the job is the same: a home that is ready for people.

The timeline: spread it out

Three to four weeks before

• Book any professional help now. The weeks before Diwali, Christmas and Eid are the busiest of the year for cleaners.
• Declutter: donate, recycle and put away what you do not need. Clutter takes more time than dirt.
• Plan where guests will sleep, sit and leave their coats and shoes.

Two weeks before

• Deep clean the rooms guests will use most: kitchen, guest bathroom, living and dining rooms.
• Clean carpets and sofas, so they are dry and fresh well before the day.
• Wash windows and mirrors, especially in rooms with decorations and lights.

The week before

• Clean the fridge to make space for party food.
• Wash guest bedding and towels.
• Clean the entrance: mats, shoe racks, door, light fixture and floor.

The day before

• A quick clean of bathrooms, kitchen counters and floors.
• Empty every garbage bin and put out extra bins for guests.
• Stock guest bathrooms with soap, hand towels and toilet paper.

Room-by-room checklist

Kitchen

• Inside the oven and microwave, before the big cooking days
• Inside the fridge and freezer, with old food cleared out
• Stovetop and range hood filter degreased
• Cabinet fronts and handles wiped, especially near the stove
• Counters, backsplash and sink scrubbed and shined
• Floor mopped edge to edge, including under the table

Guest bathroom

• Toilet, sink, tub or shower and glass scrubbed and descaled
• Mirror and fixtures polished
• Fresh hand towels, soap and spare toilet paper in sight
• Floor washed, bin emptied, a candle or diffuser if you like

Living and dining rooms

• Dust shelves, frames, TV, light fixtures and ceiling fan blades
• Vacuum sofas and under cushions; clean upholstery stains
• Vacuum carpets and rugs; clean stains or book a carpet clean
• Polish glass tables, mirrors and windows
• Clean the dining table and chairs, including chair legs

Entrance

• Clean the front door, handle and light
• Wash or replace entrance mats; add a second mat for wet boots
• Clear and wipe the shoe rack or closet
• Mop the floor, especially in winter when salt is tracked in

Festival-specific tips

• Diwali: clean windows, sills and doorways where diyas and lights will go, and keep a fire extinguisher handy. Wax on floors and carpets can be lifted once cold: see our guide to getting stains out of carpet.
• Christmas and Hanukkah: clean the area where the tree or menorah will stand before it goes up, and protect the floor under the tree from water.
• Lunar New Year: finish cleaning before New Year’s Eve, so nothing needs sweeping on the first day of the new year.
• Eid: plan the deep clean in the last weeks of Ramadan, before the busiest days, so the celebration days are spent with family.

After the party

• Collect dishes and glasses room by room before you start washing.
• Blot spills on carpets and upholstery immediately, before they set.
• Take out garbage and recycling the same night, especially food waste.
• Air the home and run a quick vacuum the next morning.
• Book a post-party clean if you would rather sleep in.

Let us do the heavy lifting

MC Services offers deep cleaning before festivals, carpet and upholstery cleaning for the living room, and regular house cleaning to keep things fresh through the season, across Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Etobicoke and the GTA. Check our festival offers for Diwali, Black Friday, the holidays, Lunar New Year and Eid, and book early: these weeks fill up first. Call or WhatsApp 647-921-1060 for a free estimate.