Ah, Christmas. A time of festive cheer, presents and good food and merriment… and if you’re a host or parent, a whole lot of mess. A little bit of clutter here and there is no bad thing in itself (part and parcel of Christmas, really), but certain messes can be a lot more of a pain to clear up than others – such as a darkening stain on your sofas, for example. And since you probably don’t want to spend any of your free time on your knees scrubbing away at stains (after all, who does?), here are a couple of tips you might find useful for saving yourself some stress!
Give The Place A Quick Blitz Before Your Guests Arrive
It might not seem like that much fun, but honestly; getting some cleaning done in advance can give you a lot of peace of mind in the long run. For starters, when your house is cleaner, it generally means that any accidents or spills on the day will be a lot easier to spot, and therefore a lot easier to deal with.
Even more importantly though, it’ll also give you a valuable opportunity to re-evaluate your space, and prevent any potential accidents by pre-emptively moving or hiding anything you think might be in danger of being bumped or knocked over with more people around. Plant pots, vases, candles or tall ornaments are all prize candidates. And of course, when you put your cleaning products away, make sure to keep them easily accessible, so that you can react more quickly if an accident happens.
Watch Out For Problem Foods and Drinks
You probably know some of the foods and drinks that can most easily stain your teeth, such as wine, coffee and chocolate. That’s largely because they contain tannins, naturally occurring compounds that give them their darker colour, and bind easily to other surfaces. That makes them a major culprit for not just staining your teeth, but your furniture too – especially since there tends to be so many sweet and alcoholic drinks around at Christmas!
When it comes to children, a smart approach involves keeping treats limited to the kitchen or similarly designated room, like the playroom if you have one. It might not be a rule that’s always followed to the letter, but on the other hand, you’ll probably find that most kids will be quite happy to fetch themselves some sweets or chocolate and eat them then and there. You can similarly confine coffee-drinking adults to the kitchen or dining table, if you’re tactful enough about it.
When it comes to drinking wine around your sofas though… I’ll leave your approach to your discretion! Just remember that with wine spills, every second counts, so have your cleaning equipment close to hand – and don’t scrub at the stain, blot it instead. (White wine also works a treat. Even though it might seem like an old wives tale, the science does back it up; basically the enzyme in the white alcohol strips the dark pigment from the red wine, making the latter easier to remove.)
Protect Your Sofa With A New Sofa Cover
When it comes right down to it, the unfortunate fact is that accidents will sometimes happen. Children can get excited, adults can get merry (sometimes excessively merry, if you catch my drift). And if you’ve got a white or cream-coloured sofa, you can end up spending a lot of the festive season fretting about it. Happily, though, there’s an easy way to save yourself a lot of stress, and that’s with a sofa cover from a company like Cover My Furniture. Not only can it help you switch up your sofa’s style in the winter, but it can also give it excellent protection from stains or mess.
Any wine spills, chocolate stains or other types of mess will be absorbed by the sofa cover itself first, protecting the furniture underneath, and unlike your sofa, the cover is machine washable. That means all you have to do is toss it in the washing machine, give it a quick cycle, and re-lay it over your sofa, leaving it looking as pristine as ever. That way, you can enjoy a lot more peace of mind, and focus on the most important thing – enjoying some of the festive cheer yourself!