Blog
The holidays are inching closer, and that means gathering with friends and family to celebrate—something that feels even sweeter this year after the separation of the past two years. But with the arrival of company comes the arrival of stress over making the house clean (and keeping it that way!). Here are our favorite ways to keep calm and clean on this holiday season—and not only are they super easy, but once you start doing them, you may wonder why you didn’t start earlier. Read on for more.
Engage in “habit stacking”
Our favorite way to keep calm and clean on is “habit stacking,” a term and concept used by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. This concept involves taking a current habit and “stacking” a new task on top of it to help make it a habit, too. For instance, if your current habit is brushing your teeth every morning, you might want to “stack” wiping down the sink, countertops, and toilet seat on top of it each day so this cleaning ritual becomes second nature.
We love this concept because it not only makes cleaning part of our daily routine—and helps avoid the ensuing cleaning madness when company is coming—but it’s something everyone in the house can get in on. If the kids have their own bathroom, great! Hand them their own pack of L’AVANT Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes and have them stack wiping down surfaces after they brush their teeth before school. Finished with your morning cup of coffee? Put your mug in the dishwasher or wash it by hand, then clear off countertops and clean them with L’AVANT Natural Multipurpose Cleaner. Once these practices become habit, you’ll wonder why you never habit stacked before—and you’ll be so happy you started during the craziness of the holidays.
Use L’AVANT products for double duty
If your cleaning caddy has a range of L’AVANT non-toxic home cleaning products, what more do you need? We created these plant-based cleaning formulas to be so effective, you wouldn’t miss your old conventional products—but we also made them effective enough to handle double duty.
If your floors need washing, add a few drops of L’AVANT eco-luxe dish soap (try Winter Fir if you’re feeling extra festive!) to your mop bucket, fill with hot water and voila! A gentle yet highly effective solution to use to mop your floors that cleans beautifully, smells amazing and is safe enough for bare feet and paws to walk on afterwards.
In need of a quick pick-me-up on bare floors? Spray your L’AVANT Natural Multipurpose Cleaner on your reusable microfiber mop pad to sweep and swiff heavy traffic areas free of pet hair, dust, and crumbs. No muss, no fuss, no waste. Just clean floors that smell like our proprietary Fresh Linen scent!
Never leave a room without putting something away
And finally, a tip so easy, it’s almost mind-boggling to see what a difference it can make in helping you keep calm and clean on during the holidays: Never leave a room without putting something away.
Not exactly rocket science, but in the hustle and bustle of daily living—especially when life is so busy this time of year—practicing this tip can fall by the wayside, only to be remembered when prepping for a houseful of company.
Again, this is a habit that the whole family can practice. Getting up to get a drink during the latest episode of “Succession”? Grab that stack of mail on the coffee table and recycle or throw out what you don’t need. Kids heading up to bed? Have them put away the toys or books that have accumulated in common areas. By clearing away clutter from surfaces on a daily basis, you may find your stress level drops—and you may find yourself being a little less harried this holiday season.
Now go ahead and reward yourself for all your hard work with a glass of your favorite something, enjoyed by the light of your L’AVANT Collective candle.
