If you’re gearing up to be the hostess with the mostest this festive period, you’ve probably got a to-do list as long as your arm. So, I hope you’ll forgive me for adding more cleaning tasks to that list. But I have no doubts that you (and your guests) will thank me for it, as the things you’re forgetting to clean could make your house STINK.
Yes, there’s a high chance that you’ve already deep-cleaned your appliances before Christmas and have plans to tackle the bigger cleaning jobs that are impossible to ignore in the run-up to the big day. However, I’ve recently learned that we’re all noseblind to our own homes, which means that we don’t actually know what our house smells like – even when it smells awful.
In many cases, using candles and air fresheners won’t combat these bad odours either. That’s because these lingering smells are always caused by something, including dirty, germ-filled areas and items in your home that you’re not cleaning as much as you should. This even includes your Christmas tree.
1. Your fridge
It’s always worth cleaning a fridge in the run-up to Christmas, as it’s one of the best ways to take stock of what you have, remove anything that’s out of date or won’t be eaten, and free up space for festive foods. But it’s also worth ticking this task off your to-do list to prevent any nose-wrinkling odours.
That’s why Lynsey Crombie (AKA @lynsey_queenofclean), ITV This Morning‘s resident home expert, suggests focusing your attention on the drain hole and the shelves. She advises, ‘Remove drawers and wash in hot, soapy water and wipe the interior with white vinegar and warm water. Then, clean the drain hole using a cotton bud dipped in vinegar.’ You could even use a specific tool, like this Fridge Drain Hole Cleaning Tool, £6.99 at Amazon, to get the job done.
But cleaning a fridge alone won’t stop certain pongs. After all, there’s a high chance that you’re going to fill your fridge with foods that already have strong smells over the festive period – like cheeses and meats. Thankfully, there is something you can do about that.
Lynsey says, ‘Store strong cheeses in double-sealed containers, and pop an open jar of bicarbonate of soda inside to absorb odours. You could even store lemon peels or a vanilla pod in a small open dish for subtle freshness.’ And my advice would be to use something like this Medium Fridge Storage Box, £10.99 at M&S.
2. Your under-the-stairs cupboard
Let’s be honest; nobody likes the smell of cheesy shoes or musty coats. So, you should definitely add cleaning the under-the-stairs cupboard to your to-do list before the big day if you’re hosting this year – and if you’re not hosting, too!
Katie Jones, Founder of UK home fragrance brand Hunter and Walker, says, ‘One place people often forget about lingering smells is the under-stairs cupboard. Guests open the door to hang their coats, and the first thing that hits them is the smell of gym trainers or old boots. Store stinky shoes well out of the way and give the floor a good vacuum.’
You can use one of the best vacuum cleaners to do this, and you might want to take a moment to declutter your under-the-stairs cupboard as well, so you’re not holding onto anything you don’t need (or anything that could be adding horrible odours to your home).
Then, Katie suggests, ‘Use a gel pot air freshener for a lasting scent or a room spray for a quick last-minute spritz. Choose a fragrance with sharp citrus notes like lemongrass or grapefruit to cut through stale odours and give your cupboard an instant refresh.’ Something like this Glade Fragranced Gel Air Freshener, £2.30 at Amazon, would be ideal.
3. Your bins
You probably keep on top of emptying your bins regularly, but smelly bins aren’t always the result of the festive food you throw in your bin bags temporarily. Oftentimes, it’s also caused by more permanent aspects of the bin, like the bin lids, rims and foot pedals that aren’t cleaned nearly as much as they should be – especially over Christmas.
Lynsey says that guests will wrinkle their noses when they smell the ‘sweet-sour leftovers, even when the bin is empty,’ which is why it’s well worth adding a bin cleaning session to your to-do list before and during the Christmas period.
She says, ‘Wash the entire bin weekly with hot water and disinfectant, and wipe the lid and pedal daily during hosting season. Then, sprinkle bicarb or scented bin powder at the bottom, and use citrus-scented bin liners.’ This will not only combat odours, but also add new, fresh fragrances to your home at the same time.
These things don’t cost a lot, either. This Bin Buddy Fresh Pink Grapefruit 450g, Bin Deodoriser Powder (£4 at Amazon) comes very highly reviewed, and can be used in both indoor and outdoor bins.
4. Your extractor fan
It’s a no-brainer that you should clean an oven before Christmas (and you should make sure to clean this often-forgotten area of your oven, too). But if you want to ensure your guests don’t have to put up with awful smells in your home this hosting season, you should be cleaning your extractor fan, too.
Katie explains, ‘Festive cooking odours can cling to the kitchen for hours, especially if the extractor fan hasn’t been cleaned for a while. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and get the filter grease-free before the big day so it’s working properly.’
This doesn’t have to be a mammoth, time-intensive cleaning task, though. You can easily clean an extractor fan with soda crystals, and many of the filters are often dishwasher-safe. If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can simply soak in washing-up liquid and warm water. Doing this will prevent any horrible odours over Christmas, but Katie says you should also take extra steps to keep your home smelling amazing this festive season.
She says, ‘Cleanse the kitchen air after cooking by opening the window for five minutes, then use a scented candle or wax melt to reset the room without overpowering it. A scent like spiced orange works brilliantly this time of year. It has enough zestiness to cut through lingering smells, and the spices make it feel seasonal and warm.’
5. Your Christmas tree
If you’ve opted for a real Christmas tree over one of the best artificial Christmas trees this year, you’ll know that they require a fair bit of maintenance. But one thing you might not realise is that Christmas trees can stink up your house if you don’t keep on top of cleaning them. However, it’s not the tree itself that needs cleaning. Instead, it’s the water.
Lynsey explains, ‘Real tree water isn’t changed often enough, and warm rooms turn it swampy fast. Guests will smell a faint but mouldy, pond-like smell, especially near radiators or if the tree is standing on under-floor heating.’
In fact, underfloor heating is your real Christmas tree’s sworn enemy. As well as wafting a disgusting smell around the house, it can also drastically reduce the lifespan of your Christmas tree, which means it probably won’t look its best when the big day comes around.
That’s why Lynsey suggests, ‘Empty and refill water every 2–3 days and rinse the stand weekly. Add one teaspoon of sugar and one capful of white vinegar to keep the water fresher for longer, and keep the tree away from heat sources.’ You can use a heat mat like this Silicone Microwave Mat, £7.99 at Amazon, to do that.
6. Your cloths and tea towels
Although we all try to keep housework to a minimum when our guests are in the house, you often can’t avoid the mountain of washing-up and the gravy spills that need to be tackled during the festivities. But some things you’re forgetting to clean that’ll make your house stink this Christmas are your used cloths and tea towels.
Lynsey says we should be cleaning them way more than we do, and that ‘festive cooking = damp cloths hanging too long.’ In fact, she says that they’re some of the worst (and stinkiest) offenders over Christmas, as the musty, sour scent near the sink is subtle enough to be ignored when you’re noseblind in your own home, but noticeable enough for your guests to smell.
To combat this, she advises, ‘Change tea towels daily during hosting and microwave damp sponges for 60 seconds to kill bacteria. Then, wash cloths at 60°C with a splash of vinegar and dry fully – no draping over taps!’
Because of this, it might be worth stocking up on some extras so you won’t be without them this Christmas. This Set of 4 Cotton Rich Basket Weave Tea Towels, £8 at M&S, and these Marigold Let it Shine 4pk – Extra Thick Microfibre Cloths, £5.69 at Amazon, should tide you over.
Odour-busting Christmas essentials
2 x Dri Pak Clean & Natural Bicarbonate of Soda
Bicarbonate of soda is a must-have if you want to banish bad odours over Christmas. It’ll also tackle spills, so it’s handy to have when red wine, gravy and strong cheeses are in the home.
Blueair Blue Max 3250i Smart WiFi Air Purifier
Crowned the best overall in our best air purifiers guide, one thing you might not realise is that an air purifier like this can remove smells from a home. It’ll also keep your air quality high with so many people in the house.
Odour Neutralising Red Berries Candle
This is so much more than just a candle that smells nice. It also uses odour-neutralising technology, which means it effectively traps unwanted smells.
Bissell Steam Shot Handheld Steam Cleaner
If you don’t have one of the best steam cleaners, what are you doing?! These multi-purpose appliances use steam and high temperatures to clean everything from ovens to fridges, and are ideal for banishing smells.
Miniml Eco White Vinegar Sorrento Lemon Scented 5L
White vinegar is my must-have cleaning product. It’s odour-neutralising, and opting for a fragrances white vinegar like this one means it’ll leave a fresh scent in its wake, too.
If you don’t have time to clean everything on this list before Christmas, this room spray could be an effective alternative. It will mask odours with a delicious mulled wine scent, but just remember you’ll need to clean these things eventually.
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