DENVER — The first official days of fall are here, and while the holidays are still a couple of months away, it’s not too early to prepare your home for the crowd that will arrive on your doorstep come Thanksgiving Day. This year, get the dirty work done now so you can relax and enjoy the holidays without the stress. BrightNest (http://www.brightnest.com), a free online service that provides people with the tools, tips, and motivation to keep their home in great shape and save money, offers 10 simple to-dos with step-by-step instructions to prep your home for the holidays now – most of which take 30 minutes or less.
- Prevent Cold Showers – Make sure every guest enjoys a hot shower (even if they’re last in line) by flushing your water heater and performing some regular maintenance.
- Optimize Your Oven – Avoid a burned (or even worse, undercooked) turkey by calibrating your oven.
- Remove Embarrassing Stains – Get rid of those nasty carpet or pet stains you’ve been ignoring. With a few common household items, those stains will be long gone before your mother-in-law steps foot in your living room.
- Balance the Temperature – Is there a room in your house that’s always a little too cold? You don’t want your guests shivering through the holidays, and this can usually be fixed with a few simple adjustments.
- Detail Those Doors – When there are a lot of people going in and out of the house, nothing is more annoying than a door people can’t open. Repair any tricky doors by tightening loose screws, cleaning the dirt out of your locks and lubricating the moving parts.
- Give Windows and Shutters Some Wow – These are two of the first things your guests will see when they arrive, so give windows and shutters a quick clean by simply wiping them down with warm water and mild soap. If you’ve been neglecting your windows, it might be time for a more thorough cleaning job.
- Spruce Up the Guest Bathroom – If this room doesn’t get used frequently, it’s worth checking the toilet and making sure the shower has good pressure.
- Maintain the Mattresses – Give your guests the gift of good sleep by taking care of the mattresses in the guest bedrooms. This is especially important if they’re not used often.
- De-Clutter Your Kitchen – It’s hard to cook for 20 people when you can’t find the right pot or that perfect serving platter. Organize your kitchen with these seven simple steps.
- Purchase a Fire Extinguisher – A fire can certainly scorch a holiday celebration, so if you don’t have one, get a fire extinguisher. If you do, inspect it to make sure it works properly.
About BrightNest
BrightNest (http://www.brightnest.com) is a free online service that provides people with the tools, tips, and motivation they need to keep their home in great shape and save money. Sign up for personalized tips and weekly reminders and visit our blog for more ideas and inspiration on home decor, cleaning, organizing, DIY projects, and much more.