Getting ready for a fabulous February the DIY way

You could say having all your loved ones around for the festive season is fun… but after all the guests have gone, you’re left with the aftermath of mess, chaos, clutter and laundry. You may feel a sense of panic kick in as you begin to face and tackle an overwhelming load of tasks in a desperate attempt to get your home looking somewhat ship shape. Well don’t despair – we’ve put together a quick and easy list of tips and tricks to get your home looking fit and fabulous for February in no time.

Let’s start with the fridge

Fridges are always pushed to their limit during the festive season, in terms of how much you can squeeze in and still get the door closed. So it’s always a good idea to go through everything in the fridge after all the guests have left, and throw out anything that’s gone off, expired or beginning to grow legs. Now your fridge is decluttered take the opportunity to give it a good wipe down and disinfect it.

Onto the dishwasher

Let’s face it, during the festive season your dishwasher becomes your new best friend, taking care of all the dirty work while you and your guests use more and more dishes. It’s done you a favour, so it’s time to return the good deed by giving your new bestie a good scrub down and get it looking as good as new! Luckily it’s quite an easy task. Simply start by hand-washing the removable filters if your dishwasher has any. Then add a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container on the upper rack of the machine. Run the dishwasher through a hot-water cycle. This will wash away grease and grime and remove musty odours, too. Lastly, sprinkle one cup of baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher. Run a short, hot water cycle. The dishwasher will be fresh-smelling and have a brightened, stain-free interior.

And now the floors, carpets & upholstery

Your floors, carpets and upholstery always tend to get the biggest beating when it comes to the festive season, whether it be from sandy or wet feet, food crumbs, spilt drinks or pet hair, you name it, they’ll be in desperate need of a good, deep clean once the guests have left. Head over to our easy, step-by-step ‘after party’ carpet cleaning tips and then check out our upholstery cleaning tips too. If that hasn’t quite done the job then give us, the carpet and upholstery cleaning professionals, a call.

Don’t forget the barbie

For those that love entertaining around the barbie over the holidays, I think it’s safe to say it’s probably looking a little grim, greasy and full of grime. Thankfully getting it back in good nick is fairly easy, and won’t take too long! All you need to do is half fill your kitchen sink, or alternatively a large container, with cold water, mixing in 30ml (2tbsp) of washing powder until it is completely dissolved. Place the barbecue grid in the water, ensuring it is covered, and leave it to soak for an hour. Lastly, put in some elbow grease by hand-scrubbing the grid clean before rinsing it well. Then dry it and rub it with cooking oil to prevent it from rusting, and you’re good to chuck another shrimp on the barbie next time around.

Christmas Décor

And lastly, if you still haven’t done the dreaded job of packing away those Christmas decorations don’t be tempted to throw them in a bag and stuff them into the back of the cupboard. Why not make life easier by making the pack-away process enjoyable, organised and creative. Get the kids involved in making a DIY ornament box to neatly and safely store all your Christmas decorations. All you need are plastic/paper cups and sheets of cardboard sized to your choice of storage bin. Simply arrange your plastic cups along the bottom of your storage bin, placing an ornament in each cup and then cover with a sheet of cardboard. Repeat this process until you have filled the storage bin with layers of cups and card. This will help you keep all your ornaments organised and easy to unpack the following festive season. Next you’ll also need to pack away the Christmas lights, but avoid scrunching them up into a ball: wrap them around a piece of cardboard to prevent them from getting tangled up. You could even go one step further by labelling the cardboard ‘front porch’ or ‘Christmas tree,’ to remind yourself where to hang them when they’re needed again. Now you’ve not only successfully and neatly packed away everything, but also got everything prepared and ready for next Christmas – how organised are you?

Cleaning the aftermath of all the festive season chaos doesn’t have to be chaotic, in fact, it’s actually fairly easy and stress free. So, If you haven’t already, why not start now by putting our easy DIY tips and tricks into action and getting your house looking fresh and fabulous, ready to kick start February with a bang! Happy cleaning, from Drytron.