The bells have stopped ringing and Santa’s sleigh has gone for another year. We’re now living in the space between Christmas and New Year where nobody knows the day or time. With nothing to do but enjoy each other’s company, many of us will start to clean up Christmas. But before you grab a mop bucket filled with water or fill the kitchen sink. Why not check out some of our tips for cleaning Christmas while using less water.
Eco-friendly ways to clean spills
Let’s face it, in the majority of households, there’s been a spill this festive season. Whether it came from the toddler who likes to splash about in the gravy or your elderly relative who fell asleep with a drink in their hand. We’ve all been guilty of them in the past and no doubt the future too. However, when a spill occurs, don’t reach for a bucket of hot soapy water. Try out some of these water-friendly ideas.
Cleaning hard surface floors
It can be tempting to clean up Christmas floor spills with a mop and bucket. The kitchen is the one area in the home that often needs a deep clean after lots of cooking. However, in the name of trying to clean up Christmas with less water, we encourage you to reach for a trigger spray bottle of soapy water and a cleaning cloth. It may require a little more elbow grease, but you’ll instantly save 10 litres by avoiding the mop bucket!
Top tip: Always have dirt-trap mats by the doors so no excess mud is carried into the home. It’ll mean there’s less scrubbing to do!
The dreaded carpet spill
It’s as simple as knocking a glass over. Complete dread. Miniature heart attacks left right and centre as someone makes the inevitable leap for the cleaning box. Desperately trying to save the cream carpet from a festive spill. There are a few home remedies that many of us will swear by, but in our home, we’re always prepared.
Top tip: Make this cleaning solution before anybody comes in your home so you’re ready as soon as the spill occurs.
Mix 1 part white vinegar with 3 parts water in a clean trigger spray. When the spill occurs, gently blot it with a reusable cleaning cloth, removing excess moisture. Then use the spray to lift the stain. If you have some sparkling water, this can help lift stains like coffee and red wine. We like to then sprinkle some baking soda over the top and wait 10 minutes before hoovering to remove any lingering smells.
A horrible spill on your new Christmas jumper
The difficulty with gravy is that it is a greasy stain. This means removing it can be a challenge for your regular laundry detergent. This year, tackle it immediately with lemon and white vinegar. Mix them in equal parts. The lemon will help lift and lighten the stain while the vinegar will cut through the grease and grime. You can even rub a little bit of baking soda on there to help lift the odour too.
How to clean up Christmas baking trays
There’s nothing worse than trying to clean up the mountains of dishes after all the Christmas cooking. Especially the trays. You know which one we’re talking about already. The tray that cooked the turkey, that’s filled with grease stains, the one that could have been brand new before you used it and now looks about 10 years old with plenty of neglect. But there’s no need to worry or buy a new tray. Here’s a water-friendly way to clean it.
After you have removed the majority of the grease and food scraps by hand. Sprinkle baking soda over your tray. Then douse it in white vinegar. You’ll want to pop on your marigolds for this part. Start rubbing the vinegar and the baking soda into the tray. It will create a paste that you can then use to fight the grime and any stains.
If you feel you need more paste, simply sprinkle some more baking soda and then put a dash of vinegar on top. Do not mix them in a separate bowl. Once the paste is evenly spread over the tray leave it for a couple of hours or overnight. When it dries, you’ll be able to wash and rinse the tray like normal ready for another day.
Deep cleaning the dishwasher
After all the cleaning at Christmas, your dishwasher is potentially extremely overworked. In some households, cleaning by hand can be more efficient, but at Christmas, with multiple plates and dishes, it’s time to bring out the water-friendly dishwasher.
Clean your dishwasher after a messy Christmas using our white vinegar tip. After you’ve pulled out the trays, detached the arms and cleared the filter by hand. Pop it all back together and then pop a dishwasher safe cup full of white vinegar on the top rack. Run the dishwasher on a cycle and all the grime and grease lurking in the inside of your dishwasher will be gone! If there’s an overpowering smell of vinegar afterwards, leave a pot of baking soda in there overnight to absorb the smell.
Cleaning up Christmas can be slightly overwhelming. It’s tempting to just reach for a few buckets of water and be done with it. But by bringing our water-saving tips on board, you’ll soon realise that it’s far easier to use less water and you can still have a squeaky-clean home for the new year. Share your natural cleaning remedies in the comment section below or head to the activities page in your member area for more cleaning insights.
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