A tidy home for the holidays – see our 6 top tips for a stress-free holiday cleaning

For many, a hardcore holiday cleaning is more a concept we've inherited than actually excited about. We put together six tips to get your home in shape with less effort and without compromising on your merry mood – keep reading, we saved the most important tip for last.

From chaotic to calm

If your morning routine includes an obstacle course made up of toy cars, stuffed animals, and building blocks, the first step of holiday cleaning is quite simple – declutter. Invest in stylish storage baskets, which you can simply leave on display or slip under the bed if there’s not enough closet space.

Pro tip: carry a basket with you and, moving forward one room at a time, collect all misplaced items in it – when you’re done, you can use the basket to transport the objects to their correct places without having to run back and forth.

• All storage baskets >
• Read also: Small, simple and fun storage ideas for decluttering your home >

Give your desk a break

Tidying up your workspace is a nice way to start the holidays – upon returning you’ll be able to start from a clean slate, quite literally. Tidy up any loose items and wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth. You can give your computer a holiday makeover with a clever computer brush and some purifying screen cleaner.

• All products for the home office & office >
• Read also: Everyday aesthetics – see 7 housekeeping supplies that are true design pieces >

Bin the bunnies

Honestly, there’s no need to frantically clean every nook and cranny, but you might want to offer the most magnificent dust bunnies a new home in the bin. With the help of a dry floor wiper and a tightly wrung cleaning cloth you can clean both floors and skirting boards quickly and efficiently, even without vacuuming first – a squeegee can also work wonders on short-pile carpets, removing dust and hair.

When choosing a cleaning agent, opt for a more ecological one – biodegradable detergents made from natural ingredients are efficient but do not add to the household's chemical load. Kinfill's Full House starter kit contains four essential, eco-friendly detergents for cleaning the entire home.

• All products for housekeeping >
• Read also: Make everyday tasks a treat with beautiful and practical cleaning products >

Scents create sensations

Scents are an important part of holiday magic – for example, the delightfully warm scents of cinnamon, cloves, and fir are seamlessly connected to holiday celebrations and memories for many people. Scents set the mood much more effectively than scrubbing: place a bowl of tangerines or gingerbreads on the table and fill your favorite vases with fir or pine branches.

A diffuser or a scented candle can work as an effortless express lane to relaxation and a merry mood. The Happy Holidays scent diffuser by Hetkinen is like Christmas in a bottle – the cheerful mix of mandarin, cinnamon, and vetiver grass is the perfect atmosphere creator for winter celebrations.

• All scent diffusers >
• All scented candles >

Winter warmer

A Christmas-eve sauna is an age-old Finnish tradition that is still quite a treat today. A clean sauna is the key to extra-enjoyable bathing – the sauna should be thoroughly cleansed from floor to ceiling at least twice a year, but sometimes a quick refresh makes all the difference. For quick upkeep, you only need cleaning spray with a pH over 7, clean water, and a good scrubbing brush with a sturdy handle.

• All sauna accessories >

---

How to quick-clean the sauna

1. Rinse the seats – and walls, if you wish – with warm water: the heat opens up the grain of the wood, allowing dirt to come off more easily.
2. Spray the seats with detergent (a lovely fragrance is always a bonus) and let it sit for about 15 minutes – take this time to enjoy some mulled wine.
3. Brush the boards going alongside the grain.
4. Rinse thoroughly first with warm and then with cold water – cold water will close the grain of the wood again.
5. Allow the sauna to air out and dry.
6. Add some beautiful, clean sauna covers and pillows, and get ready to relax.

---

Nevertheless, do less

To-do list unfinished and time is running out? Our final tip will definitely do the trick: dim the lights, put on some mood-boosting music, open a box of chocolates, and put your feet way up.

The Design Stories editorial team wishes everyone self-care-oriented holidays and a serotonin-packed new year!

• Read also: Festive drinks for the holidays – try our easy recipes >

See also:

• Read also: How can I prepare my home for the holidays with small changes? >
• All products at Finnish Design Shop >

Text: Mira Ahola Images: Kasia Rutkowiak, Suvi Kesäläinen, manufacturers