A professional cleaner has revealed six crucial tasks that should be tackled now to guarantee your home is « fresh » for Christmas. While the festive period brings plenty of cheer and anticipation, it also introduces additional stresses – from the cost of buying gifts and extra food, to ensuring the house is spotless so you can fully unwind when the big day finally arrives.
Numerous households have lengthy to-do lists as the countdown to December 25 continues, with tidying the property often featuring prominently. Many turn to social media seeking advice on the most effective methods to clean and organise their living spaces.
Enter Lynsey Crombie, known as Lynsey Queen of Clean, a professional cleaner celebrated for her practical tips and techniques that help households maintain pristine homes.
The cleaning expert is a familiar presence on popular daytime programme This Morning, serving as their resident cleaning expert, and is also a bestselling author with her own range of cleaning products.
In a recent TikTok video, she shared six cleaning tasks to complete around the home in preparation for Christmas Day.
Throughout the footage, she demonstrates cleaning different areas of her home while providing commentary through a voiceover. Lynsey structured her video around six cleaning recommendations.
She started: « Here are six of my top cleaning tips for a sparkly, fresh home this Christmas. »
1. Colour-code your cloths
Lynsey kicked off with a « simple » tip – colour coding your cleaning cloths.
While this might seem straightforward, it’s a technique many people overlook entirely.
She said: « Let’s start simple – colour code those cloths. Pink for sink, blue for loo – trust me, it makes life so much easier. »
2. Clear plugholes the right way
There’s plenty of advice circulating online about the most effective methods for cleaning plugholes, particularly when they’ve developed an unpleasant smell, but Lynsey insists there’s a « right » approach to tackle the task.
She revealed: « Next, when cleaning a smelly or sluggish plughole, don’t mix bicarbonate of soda with white vinegar, just use the bicarb with water.
« It helps flush away odours and tackles light blockages. »
3. Shine stainless steel with vinegar
While vinegar is frequently championed as a must-have component in any cleaning enthusiast’s toolkit, Lynsey recommended reserving it for particular areas around the home.
She said: « Save your vinegar for shining up stainless steel and giving high gloss cupboards that perfect, streak-free finish.
4. Dust high, vacuum low
Getting the order right when cleaning ensures you’re using your time efficiently and not wasting your efforts going over areas you’ve already completed. In the video, Lynsey can be seen dusting various parts of her home.
She continued: « And when you clean, always start high. Dust first because dust falls like snow and when you vacuum, go in all directions – north, south, east, west – as this gets right into the carpet fibres. »
Once she’d completed the vacuuming, she brought out a steamer to give her floors another thorough clean. She added: « I always love a good steam after vacuuming for that perfect freshness and polish. »
5. Two-step kitchen clean
Sticking with the efficiency theme, Lynsey suggested adopting a « two-step » method for the kitchen, frequently the most hectic space in the home.
She said: « In the kitchen, adopt a two-step cleaning routine. Clean with warm, soapy water to remove spills and grime, then disinfect with a clean cloth.
« That’s how you get a true, deep clean on your kitchen surfaces. »
6. Empty your vacuum at 2/3 full
Finally, Lynsey shared a straightforward tip for maximising your vacuum cleaner’s effectiveness.
She finished: « And, my final festive tip, for the best performance on your vacuum, empty the dust canister when it’s two thirds full, not overflowing. Your machine will thank you later. »
In the video’s caption, she added: « Small changes = big sparkle! »
