Holiday Cleaning Checklist for Cape Cod Homes

This holiday cleaning checklist for Cape Cod homes is the one Sentinel Cleaning Company crews work from in December. It covers three moments: getting the house ready before Christmas, cleaning up after a party or New Year's Eve, and turning over a winter rental between holiday guests. Use the whole list, or pick the sections you need.

What should you clean before Christmas? The room by room checklist

Before Christmas, clean the rooms guests use in this order: guest rooms, living and dining areas, bathrooms, entry, and the kitchen last. Do glass, light fixtures and baseboards early in December, and leave kitchen surfaces and floors for the day before guests arrive.

Entry and mudroom

• Wash or shake out door mats, and add a boot tray for wet and sandy shoes.
• Clear hooks and the bench so guests have space for coats.
• Wipe the front door, the glass and the handle inside and out.
• Wash the floor, especially along the threshold where salt and sand collect.

Kitchen

• Clean the oven interior a week before any big meal.
• Clear and wipe the refrigerator to make room for holiday food.
• Degrease the stovetop, range hood and filter.
• Wipe cabinet fronts, handles, the backsplash and small appliances.
• Empty the dishwasher and run a cleaning cycle.
• Wash the floor last, including under the toe kick.

Living and dining rooms

• Dust from the top down: ceiling fans, light fixtures, picture frames, shelves, then furniture.
• Vacuum upholstery, including under cushions.
• Vacuum heating registers and wipe the wall around them.
• Clean the fireplace glass, clear ash and wipe the hearth and mantel.
• Wash interior glass on the windows guests will look through.
• Vacuum and wash floors, including under the dining table.

Bathrooms

• Scrub the toilet, including the base and behind it.
• Clean the shower or tub, the grout line and the caulk seam.
• Descale faucets and shower heads.
• Clean mirrors and wipe the vanity inside and out.
• Stock towels, toilet paper, soap and a spare hand towel.

Guest bedrooms

• Wash bedding and add an extra blanket. Cape Cod bedrooms on exterior walls run cold.
• Dust nightstands, headboard, lamps and window sills.
• Clear a drawer and some closet space, and air out the closet.
• Vacuum under the bed.

How do you clean around trees and decorations?

Vacuum needles daily with a hose attachment rather than the floor head, which clogs. Dust decorated mantels and shelves with a soft brush instead of a cloth. Put a tray or mat under the tree stand to protect the floor from water, and check it for spills every couple of days.

What is the post-party cleaning checklist?

After a holiday party, handle what can stain or smell first: dishes and glassware, spills on rugs and upholstery, and trash. Then wipe surfaces and finish with floors. Most hosts on Cape Cod book professional post party cleaning for the next morning.

1. Clear all glasses and plates from every room, including porches and the entry.
2. Blot spills on rugs and upholstery right away. Do not rub.
3. Bag trash and recycling, and take it outside.
4. Wash dishes and glassware, then wipe counters, the table and the stovetop.
5. Clean the guest bathroom.
6. Vacuum and wash floors in the kitchen, dining room and entry.

How do you turn over a holiday or winter rental on Cape Cod?

Holiday rental cleaning on Cape Cod follows the summer turnover checklist with winter additions: confirm the heat is working, dry every towel and linen fully before storage, clear wet entry mats, and check window sills for condensation. Towns like Chatham, Provincetown and Falmouth see strong holiday bookings, so turnovers between Christmas and New Year's are common.

Our vacation rental cleaning service covers winter turnovers, and our vacation rental cleaning checklist has the full room by room list.

What does a January reset include?

January is the best month for winter house cleaning on Cape Cod. Once decorations come down, a deep clean removes needles, wax, heating dust and the wear of the holidays. It is also a good time for carpet extraction, since rooms are less busy and carpets can dry fully.

See our deep cleaning service and carpet extraction. If you run a business, our year-end office cleaning checklist covers the commercial side.

Frequently Asked Questions