Things To Think About While Holiday Cleaning

Can I admit something?  Once I have a room put together the way I like, there’s not usually any reason for me to pull things out of their places.

Are you like that?

I have my kids’ playroom organized about as efficiently as I could manage.  You know, two kids keep me busy.  They can tear apart a room in 5 minutes, but it can take an hour or longer to get it cleaned and organized.  At the rate in which it gets destroyed, I don’t have the kind of time it takes to clean it thoroughly enough.

The bigger problem is that I certainly don’t think about what’s behind everything that has a permanent place in the room.  And that goes for everything in the house.

But, as I prepared for Christmas, I thought about it more because I was having to reorganize and remove things in anticipation of needing room for more stuff.  Moving things out of the playroom into our already overcrowded storage closet made me realize how much I’d neglected the deep clean beyond the stuff that was easy to move.  Even more so, I began to think about pest control because there were papers, lost toys, and dead bugs in the corners of the rooms that hadn’t been exposed in years.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Gecko Pest Control.

It’s kind of embarrassing to admit, really.  But that’s the thing, I don’t have the time, energy, or budget to maintain a Pinterest Perfect home.   My home will likely never look like one in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens and I’m willing to bet yours doesn’t either.   If it does and you have kids, please tell me how you do it!

I know it’s the holidays and we’re all busy making room for our latest gifts, but I want to give you a few things to think about while you ready your home for the abundance of things you’re receiving or the holiday traveling you or your loved ones will be doing.  These are a few ideas to help you get your cleaning and pest control under way to keep a clean and healthy home in the New Year.

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Busy Mom’s Holiday Cleaning Tips

Move and Clean

Move and clean behind larger items that you’re capable of moving.  If you find dead bugs, figure out what they are and spray to kill any bugs that may be breeding in the area.  We use roach and silverfish tablets when we begin seeing bugs.

Holiday Traveling

If you’re traveling for the holidays (or accepting travelers into your home), be aware of bed bugs.  It seems bed bug infestations are on the rise and there are many misconceptions about them.  Know the signs and understand the importance of hiring professional pest control to eliminate bed bugs.

Trash or Donate

Dirt and bugs are attractive to piles of things and dark spaces.  Eliminate or reduce it by trashing or donating items you haven’t used this year.  Reduce the amount of stuff you have laying around.  Even a storage closet should be sorted through at least once a year to reduce the accumulation of things you’ll likely never use again.

Don’t Be Ashamed

Even under best intentions, things can be overlooked.  As a mom, I know how our attention is constantly divided and we’re pulled away from a task for other things.  We miss or forget things. Give yourself grace.

 Tell me: How often do you move larger items or sort through your things to trash and donate?