Get Home Ready For Festivities

The festival season has begun. 

The first day of Chaitra month or Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of the new year according to lunar Hindu calendar, also known as Ugadi, Yugadi, Navreh, Cheti Chand and Samvatsar Padvo in other states. Each festival in India is primarily associated either with the transition of seasons or harvesting of crops and every celebration begins with house cleaning and decorating. How busy people may be but they take the time out to do all the cleaning before the commencement of the festivities. Why not! a clean home is a pivotal part of all the festivities.

Now that Chaitra Navratri is just around the corner let's talk about some house cleaning and decorating. During this festive season let your surroundings speak about your personality. Here are some tips and tricks to get the home ready for festivals:

Declutter:

Decluttering the place can make your home look spacious, clean, organized and full of positive energy. It is said that the things that are no longer in use and are broken or in a bad shape create a negative energy in and around the house. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly as hoarded junk not only takes up all the space but also make your home look cluttered and unorganized and this, in turn, affects your stress level.

Get rid of the clutter and make free space to move around easily. Once decluttered your space now needs some serious cleaning. So put on the gloves and let's make your space shine and sparkle. 

Clean:

Cleanliness is godliness. I love to see every nook and corner of my home shining and sparkling. No cobwebs, no dust, no spots and stains, no stinky smell in washrooms/toilets, no grease on the cabinet doors and chimney and no cockroaches in the kitchen that's how a home must be kept.

Cleaning the kitchen may seem the daunting task but I would suggest always start from the kitchen and from the right side of the stove and then go clockwise around the kitchen. Clean the stove and chimney in the last. This will ensure that you wouldn't be spreading dirt, grime and grease everywhere. 

Kitchen sink contains even more bacteria than a toilet seat and I always make sure that I disinfect, clean with mild soap, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar and buff my stainless steel sink after each dish wash. For buffing take a few drops of mineral oil on a soft cloth and wipe the sink and tape to make them sparkle. This prevents the growth of mold and calcium buildup.  

Now clean all the cabinet doors and handles using mild soap on a sponge and wipe them clean with a damp cloth. In the same way, you can clean all your kitchen appliances. Clean the stove and chimney in the last using detergent and scrubber.

Take special care of bathrooms. It's better to wipe the floor, walls, faucet and shower after each shower to prevent the water stains and calcium buildup. If you can't do it everyday then try to do it once in a week. You can rub few drops of lemon oil on glass shower doors once or twice in a month to make it look clean and shiny all the time. Wash the shower curtains once in a month to remove mold and mildews. To clean the toilet bowl put a teaspoon full of a drink that contains citric acid (drinks that have tangy taste) in the bowl and leave it for few minutes and then flush .
For all the other rooms, start from the ceiling and work your way down. Remove all the cobwebs, clean fans and light fixtures using a damp cloth (make sure you have turned off the power), clean all the windows and doors, dust all the furniture, clean the glass surfaces using a microfiber cloth and in the last mop the floor. There you have it, a neat, clean and sparkling my kind of home. 

Decorate:

After decluttering and cleaning the home, dress it up beautifully. Change the curtains, cushions and rug to give a completely new look to your home. If you wish to use old ones then give a nice wash and then use them.
Create a festive ambiance by placing some metal or wood figurines and surround them with fresh flowers, tealights/votives and candles to make the place look divine.

Add greenery by bringing in some indoor plants and place them in a place where they sit most comfortably. Add festive cheer by drawing rangoli at the entrance and placing an uruli full of flowers floating in it. Put on the soft lights to create a warm and welcoming ambiance.

I think I have shared all the important tips here and hope you will be creating the most beautiful, clean and welcoming home for the festivities. In case, you haven't checked my Insta account yet here is a link for you (Click Here) to get a daily dose of all things beautiful!!
Happy Decorating!!