Do you clean more thoroughly before decorating? There was a day when I did, but not any more. I've decided no one cares any way.

I do in the rooms that will be viewable to the public. Especially stuff that doesn't get cleaned every week, like light fixtures, windows, etc. I also check all the bathroom drawers and medicine cabinet to make sure they look okay.

Today I was putting decorations on the front porch and before I did, I had to sweep off the cobwebs, clean the glass on the front door, and refill the bird feeder. I also took a cloth and washed off the front door. No one WILL notice it but me, that's true, but I still like knowing it's clean.

Do you hire out?

I have a house husband.

Usually we do a fairly thorough house-cleaning before Christmas because the house is FULL of houseguests from the 23rd to the 30th. And then we have to do a thorough house-cleaning again after they leave. Makes you wonder why we bother with the first one.

This year, I don't know how much we're going to be able to do. We're both exhausted, and when we have any spare time we like to relax and recharge our batteries. I'll vacuum after we put the tree up tomorrow, but our houseguests this year might just have to accept us just the way we are because we may not be able to do much more than (as my Mom used to call it) "titivate".

We're cleaning here tomorrow. My husband did some straightening up today. Tomorrow he will wash the kitchen and dining room floors. I'll clean the guest bathroom and maybe put an "out of order" sign on the other one. We're having a Christening party here on Sunday for his grandson. About 15 people. The place is small. It will be so crowded, they won't notice much.

We'll just do the normal cleaning. And I like to
leave my decorations up until mid January LOL!
Cindy

We all chip in a do some cleaning, I love to clean out the kids wardrobes earlier on so I know what they need as presents. I like to vacuum before the tree goes up, and then of course afterwards as all the fake snow comes off while you are putting the baubles and decorations on. We do not buy lots of themed stuff every year, but reuse and throw too tacky stuff out. I have some decorations that I remember using when my brother was alive, etc, that is so nice. I enjoy a clean house myself so that is why I clean, not for other people but for my own satisfaction.

Plus there are 'practical' things you have to clean if you're expecting company - like make room in the coat closet, clean out the fridge to make room for extra food, clear junk off the spare room bed. Whenever I have a large party, I have to clean stuff off my laundry room counter so I can stash stuff from the kitchen in there so I can clean off THOSE counters to make room for the buffet. Which means I probably should clean the garage to make room for the stuff being stashed from the laundry room, ..... nah. That's carrying it TOO far!

I clean all the "visible" stuff, and close the doors on rooms that no one should be going into anyway.

Dejavu, that definitely sounds like our place - the ripple effect of cleaning! You move something off the spare room bed, and bingo, the one action causes an enormous chain reaction that inevitably ends with us putting all of the rolls, buns and loaves of bread in a large rubbermaid container outside in the shed...and then praying that we don't get a heat wave! (Although it's very inconvenient in the middle of one of our 3 big family Christmas dinners to have to go out to the shed in -30C for more bread!)

We had to clean this morning because we are having my husband's grandson's Christening here tomorrow. It wasn't real bad since we did a big cleaning for Thanksgiving and we decorated for Christmas already. The guest bathroom is all done. I did it this morning. He'll have to do the other one in the morning as he was opposed to me putting an "out of order" sign on the door. I was just trying to help.

Louisa

I need a maid BAD. I haven' even begun cleaning having just finished all those calendars and they are still sitting here in flats waiting to be picked up, what a mess.
Once they're gone I have some cleaning to do, but won't be home (no company coming) so it really doesn't matter much.

I like to be rather thorough and be able to really enjoy from the 24th on and see my clean home. My triplets and husband help of course and when my oldest returns form college, she'll pitch in as well. it is a family after all!

Blessings for the feast,
Cindy

I got my upstairs cleaned for bunko tonight; will get the downstairs cleaned early next week - and then a last minute touch up before Christmas.

The downstairs is a mess. I'm trying to build a cabinet to store my inventory for Rick and June so that I don't have boxes all over the place. I should have asked for help with it (why don't men offer??) and it tipped over and part of the screws ripped out. So now I really need help to get it finished.

Kathy

Bunco tonight, oh how fun, your 'scarlet lady' makes her debut tonight. Anxious to hear if they liked her.

Oh, Chatty, the ladies loved her! I put her on a plate and surrounded her with those red cherry kisses. I took a couple of pics and hope to post them tomorrow for all to see. They all thought she was too pretty to put outside for a bird feeder; not sure where she'll fit inside the house - most likely in my office where I can look at her and smile every day.

Thanks again!! Watch for pics this weekend...

Why don't men offer? Because they are obtuse. I washed heavy flannel sheets in the washing machine. For some reason, the machine was bucking itself, and actually moved itself askew in the laundry room. It had moved itself so much it was sticking out, in the way. The laundry room is the entry as we come into the house from the garage. You can't miss the askew washing machine. Imagine the number of times my husband comes in and out of the laundry room, in and out of the house. After 10 days, yesterday I said to him, "Will you do me a favor?" "Sure, what?" "It's in the laundry room." He said, "Oh, you mean move the washing machine back?" Yes, dumbell, move the washing machine. If you knew it needed moving, why didn't you move it without my having to ask? OBTUSE!

Well, I've put away all the Christmas decorations - at least, I've got them boxed up and in the garage, now DH and DS have to hoist them up the ladder to the attic. Everything is tidy again but oh, seems kinda colorless without Christmas lights...

Yes I'll put the Chrissy things away this weekend, but I am going to flaunt tradition and keep the lights up on the back deck, i love them so much!!

My next door neighbor leaves her Christmas decorations up year round. Her husband passed away just before Christmas about 4 or 5 years ago, so she has left them there. I can't decide if that's sweet or macabre. The woman is a very nice, very active-in-her-community 70-plus-year-old but it jars me to think of her Christmas tree being there all this time. I mean, obviously it's a fake tree, but you'd think it'd get dusty...

I'm with you dejavu. It must be a dust magnet. We have two of those fake ficas and they always need dusting. Might not if I chose to do something about it. Every now and them I'll get a wet rag and wipe a few leaves but that's the extent of it.