The holidays can be a hectic time with visits from family and friends, shopping and cooking special meals. But cleaning doesn’t have to add to the stress, said Fuller Industries Inc. General Manager Joe Mann. 

“Before, during, and after the holidays, housekeeping can be quite a challenge,” he said. “Cooking, celebrating and entertaining take center stage, and all that fun can put these tasks on the back burner.”

So, Fuller, a Great Bend-based long-time maker of commercial cleaning products, offers this simple check list to help hosts to stop running themselves ragged. 

Also, to make things easier, Fuller offers a wide range of cleaning products available locally at Office Products Inc. in downtown Great Bend, or for a deeper clean, Magna-Dry of Central Kansas uses Fuller cleaners.

Here are some tips:

• In the weeks leading up to the season: Declutter room by room to get rid of unused or unwanted items and create a cleaning schedule.

• 1 week before: Perform a deep clean of priority areas like the guest room and bathrooms. Wash curtains, dust ceiling fans, and scrub toilets and sinks.

• 1 day before: Spot-check and refresh high-traffic areas. Put away unnecessary clutter, vacuum quickly, and perform a final wipe-down of surfaces.

• The day of: Do final, last-minute touches like fluffing pillows, lighting holiday candles, and organizing entryway areas for guests’ belongings. 

Key areas to focus on

• Kitchen: Deep clean your oven and stove top, purge the refrigerator of expired food to make space for holiday groceries, and wipe down countertops.

• Living and dining room: Vacuum carpets and furniture, dust all surfaces and decorations, and clean windows. Add coasters to tables to prevent water rings.

• Bathrooms: Restock toilet paper and hand soap, clean mirrors, and disinfect toilets and sinks.

• Entryway: Clear walkways, wipe down doors and doorknobs, and make room in the coat closet for guests’ items. 

Cleaning after the holidays

• Clean and store decorations: Clean and store your holiday items in clearly marked bins to prepare for the next year.

• Clean carpets: Vacuum up any fallen pine needles from real Christmas trees (don’t use the vacuum cleaner for this, as it can get clogged).

• Address sap: Use rubbing alcohol to remove any tree sap from washable clothing and rugs. Be sure all the sap is gone before putting the item in the dryer, as heat can set the stain.