This post provides the best Thanksgiving cleaning checklist to get your home in tip-top shape!
Thanksgiving is a time for reflecting on your blessings, sharing laughter and conversation with family and friends, and eating delicious food. But if you are hosting the big meal this year, you may be more focused on how your house looks than counting your blessings. This ultimate Thanksgiving checklist will help you be prepared for your company, so you can truly enjoy them and not worry about forgetting anything.
Before you Get started with the Thanksgiving cleaning checklist
Undertaking Thanksgiving cleaning can be a big task, and this checklist is meant to help you get though it in one piece. Before you get started, here are a few popular questions to help you begin.
Who is this checklist for?
This checklist is for anyone with a home (or an apartment) whether or not you are hosting the main meal. If you are hosting, this checklist will help you get everything clean and ready to go. But even if you do not find yourself in that role, this list is a great tool to help you do a full house clean and get all those places you usually forget.
How long will it take?
Well, it depends! First, is your house relatively clean or dirty to start? Is your home large or small? And how many people (if any) do you need to prepare for? Do you have all day, or only evenings after work to get ready? All of your answers will play a role in how long it will take to clean.
For most people, you can expect to take anywhere between 1-3 days, although some will need upwards of a week.
Do I need to follow the checklist in order?
No! The great news is, you can do this checklist in any order. If you are very limited on time, then start at the top. I’ve placed the most common cleaning needs at the beginning of the list.
If you are starting a week early, you may want to jump around and even start at the bottom of the list. That way you can be sure the things everyone will see are fresh and clean for the big day.
Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist: The Kitchen
The kitchen will become a very busy place on Thanksgiving day (and even the day before), so making sure it is clean should be a top priority.
Floors and Counters
Before you begin tackling anything in the kitchen, take a look around. Is there anything on the floor that does not belong? Pick it up and put it away. You’ll be surprised at how much that simple act does for making your kitchen look clean.
The same thing applies to your countertops. Anything that does not belong needs to go. With the remaining appliances, ask yourself how many need to remain on the counters for Thanksgiving. You probably don’t need the toaster or the air fryer out, so put those in a cabinet to clear precious countertop space.
Clean stinky appliances
The oven is an appliance that most of us use every day, yet we rarely ever give it a deep clean. Most ovens have a self-cleaning cycle, so if you have that, go ahead and get it done. If not, you’ll have to use a little elbow grease. Scrub the inside until it shines (or doesn’t have burnt bits of food everywhere). Moving on to the outside of the oven, wipe down all the surfaces. Then take off the grates and give those a good scrub too.
Depending on your dishwasher, it also might need a good scrub. Living in an apartment, my dishwasher is probably older than I am, so I like to use a strong detergent and run it through a cycle. I also take a washcloth and wipe down its surfaces til they shine.
The sink always seems to accumulate gross smells. If you have a garbage disposal, you can throw in some ice cubes and lemon and turn it on. This freshens it up immediately. Otherwise baking soda and vinegar (or lemon juice) down the drain does the trick. Don’t forget to scrub the sink and surrounding surfaces.
The garbage can may not be an appliance, but boy does it tend to stink. Take a few minutes to clean it out. You may have to scrub the sides or let the bottom soak to get all the grime off it.
Extra dishes
If you plan on using dishes that you don’t regularly use, chances are they’ll need a good scrubbing. Go ahead and get those out and cleaned now so you’re not rushing to do it the day of.
Fridge and pantry
Because Thanksgiving deals with so much food, no cleaning checklist would be complete without a fridge and pantry makeover.
For the fridge, throw out any expired food or leftovers. You’ll have plenty of new delicacies to add after your tummy is full. It might also be a good ideas to group any ingredients you’ll need for a dish together. That way you won’t have to search for them when you’re preparing everything.
Organize your pantry so that you know what you have before you go shopping. This will save you money from buying duplicates and will also help you make sure you get everything on your list so you don’t have to go back to the store.
Floors
Once your kitchen is clean and put together, you’ll want to sweep and mop your floors. This should always be the final step so they don’t get dirty as soon as you finish.
Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist: The entryway
First impressions tend to be a big deal. That’s why making sure your entryway is in tip-top shape is important. If you have a shoe rack, could you make some room on it for your guests? If you have a coat closet, maybe room could be made there? Or maybe you have an entryway table. Does it need to be cleaned off? No matter how big or small your entryway may be, ensure that it is free of clutter and the floors are clean before your guests arrive.
Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist: The Dining Room
Other than the entryway and the kitchen, you can be sure the dining room will be the most popular room in the house come Thanksgiving.
Floors
Once again, start with the floors and pick up anything that doesn’t belong. You should ideally only have the table and chair legs touching the floor, and maybe a hutch if you have one. You will also want to end your dining room portion of the Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist by scrubbing the floors until they gleam.
Table and Chairs
Make sure all of your chairs are wiped down. This is especially important if you have tiny toddlers who love to through their food at every meal. You may want to have a decorative tablecloth on the table for the big day. Or you may even want to set out dishes early so you aren’t stressing the day of. Choose whatever works best for you and do it with confidence!
Hutch and extra storage
If you have a hutch or extra storage in your dining room, then you may want to clean them out and organize them before you have company. For most people, this step is unnecessary, but if you have the extra time, this is a good way to downsize.
Related Post: Christian Minimalism: How a Popular Concept Points to God
Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist: The Bathrooms
Chances are, if you’re having company, they’ll need to use the bathroom. And this space might need to be a priority since no one likes using a dirty bathroom.
Again, start by making sure there is nothing unnecessary on the floors or counters. Then, begin by going top to bottom. Start with the mirror and then the bathroom counter. Do you have soap for your guests to wash their hands and a hand towel to dry? Make sure you give the toilet a good scrub before moving on to the floors. If you have a bath or shower, clean that up. Before you are finished, double check your supply of anything your guests will use? Is there enough toilet paper? Will they be staying overnight and need towels for their shower? Make sure everything is visible so they don’t have to awkwardly search for it.
Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist: The Living Room
Most people like to continue the dinnertime conversation in the living room, or kick back and watch the game after the meal. If you are planning on using your living room to host, here is some more tasks to check off on your thanksgiving cleaning checklist.
Floors
The floors are a catch-all for random possessions, especially in the living room, so pick up anything that doesn’t belong. Then, you can give them a good vacuum or sweep and mop to get them ready for company.
Coffee Tables and Bookshelves
Clear off the top of your coffee table and wipe it down. Then be very intentional about what you put back on it. Take a look at your book selves. Do they need to be dusted and maybe even decluttered? Go ahead and get those looking fresh. Your T.V. may also benefit from a good dusting, and your entertainment center may thank you if you clean it off.
Couches
Couches tend to accumulate a lot of crumbs and pet hair. Take off the cushions and vacuum all around them. If your cushions themselves are looking a little worse for wear, consider giving them a good scrub to freshen them up as well.
Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist: The Bedrooms
While cleaning bedrooms may not be essential for everyone’s Thanksgiving cleaning checklist, you may consider it if you have guests spending the night or children playing in the kids rooms.
Bed and nightstands
Make sure the guest bed is all ready to go with clean sheets. The nightstands may need a good dusting if it’s been a while since you last had guests, and the inside drawers may need to be cleaned out.
Dresser and closets
It can be so easy to turn a guest room into extra storage. If this is the case, consider using this opportunity to declutter. Remove anything from the dresser and closets that your guest won’t need and decide if it is really worth keeping. With whatever remains, see if there is a better home for it. You’ll want your guest room to be cozy and inviting to make your company feel at home.
What do you need to do on your Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist?
Is there anything on the Thanksgiving Cleaning Checklist that I missed? Let me know in the comments below! Otherwise, what do you need to tackle to get your home in ready for the Holiday?
