Getting Ready For Christmas | What Kind of Cleaner Are You?

As the most magical time of year comes along, our houses begin by looking beautifully festive; fairy lights twinkling on the tree and mistletoe hanging from doorways. As the holidays continue and we get nearer to the big day, the hustle and bustle gets more evident, sometimes too evident. Our homes soon become busy with guests and our kitchens stocked up with food and drink to feed family and friends. This is what we love about Christmas, but this is also what has been known to cause a lot of stress around a time that should be relaxing.

Whether you’re hosting on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or over New Years, you may well have your folks coming your way.

Did you know that one in five UK adults worries about their parents’ opinions more than anyone else’s when welcoming them into our homes?

Apparently we are conscious that our parents will think highly of our homes, and our abilities to run them. I have had experience of this to be fair, as we’ve had comments in the past about why we should do something a certain way rather than another, so I’m surprised it is only a fifth or people to be honest!

However, it isn’t just our parents who get us tangled in our tinsel; 52% of us spend between one and two hours cleaning before guests arrive, and 28% of us admit to spending more than two hours rapidly cleaning in a domestic frenzy. This is literally me! I am generally pretty tidy and clean with our home, but with young children, it seems like I need to do a big blast of cleaning before anyone arrives.

Both men and women are most likely to reach for the vacuum cleaner ahead of any other household chore when expecting guests according to stats, but I personally hate the vacuum! If I can suggest the husband does it instead then I will most certainly try it. The next things that will get cleaned is jus general tidying up (45%), then cleaning the bathroom (39%), followed by dusting (the worst, in my opinion), and then washing up. After all this, surely the house will be looking ship shape and Christmas party ready?!

The thing is, how we appear to keep our homes and how we actually keep our homes might be two totally different things, and men and women have a different approach. While friends and family may be in awe of your spotless surfaces and living spaces that appear to be unlived in, is this really how we live on a day to day basis? Not really, but for some reason we want them to perceive our homes in a pinterest perfect light.

So, what happens if a guest turns up unannounced? Well, research commissioned by Vorwerk reveals that 46% of women will fly into a panic and begin emergency cleaning whilst 40% of men will remain cool and collected. Emergency shortcuts will include things like hiding clutter under beds, garage or in the cupboard of doom (we all have one) or lighting a scented candle in the hope that all bad smells will be disguised. Only 27% of women say they don’t worry about a bit of mess when caught off-guard, however a small amount will go as far as suggesting another meeting place to divert loved ones from witnessing the chaos. I am a bit of a clean freak, but for me, even that is going a little bit too far.

What are you like when it comes to Christmas and entertaining guests? Do any of these stats ring true for you too? Would be interested to hear what you think!

*collaborative post