Your Thanksgiving cleaning checklist

By Well Done Cleaning Services

Start by opening your fridge. Is there room for the roasting pan? With Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, you have time to clear a shelf, find the extra chairs and save the kitchen floors for after the cooking. Pick the stage that fits your week and check off each task as you go.

Early November

Make room for the people coming over

Walk from the front door to the table and on to the guest bathroom. Along the way, look for places someone can put down a bag, pull out a chair or hang a coat.

• Entryway. Free up a few hooks and move shoes out of the walkway.
• Dining room. Pull out the extra chairs, wipe their seats and vacuum under the table.
• Refrigerator. Wipe one shelf at a time and check that your largest dish fits.

One week before

Wash the linens and set aside the serving dishes

Unfold the tablecloth in daylight so you have time to deal with any spots. Put a serving spoon beside each platter while you can still find a spare.

• Launder the tablecloth, napkins and overnight guests’ bedding.
• Dust the reachable ledges around the table, then vacuum below them.
• Wipe cabinet fronts and the backsplash near the stove.

Tuesday & Wednesday · November 24–25

Get the guest bathroom and kitchen ready

Open the bathroom door as a guest would. Can you see a clean towel, hand soap and a spare roll without opening a cabinet?

• Clean the sink, faucet, mirror and toilet, then empty the wastebasket.
• Clear one counter for chopping and leave a separate landing spot for used dishes.
• Empty the dishwasher before the first cooking session.

Thanksgiving morning · November 26

Take one last pass from the front door

Leave the kitchen floor until the vegetables are chopped and the turkey is in the oven. A short sweep then will last until the first knock on the door.

• Shake out the doormat and hang a fresh hand towel.
• Wipe the sink, check the kitchen trash and sweep up the last scraps.
• Put the supplies away, pull up a chair and enjoy the company.

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