Hunnies, Thanksgiving is seven weeks away.
That sounds like plenty of time—until I remember I work full time and most of my bigger house projects happen on the weekends.
Seven weeks?
That could really mean seven good cleaning days.
Yikes.
And I do not want to spend the night before Thanksgiving washing baseboards and wondering why I suddenly care about the top of the refrigerator.
So we’re starting now.
If you’ve been following my Cleaning Menu experiment, that isn’t going anywhere. My regular Cleaning Menu keeps up with what the house needs week to week. I look around, make my list, and choose what to tackle based on the time and energy I actually have.
The regular Cleaning Menu keeps the house functioning. This Home for the Holidays Menu gets me ahead.
And we’re using the same rule for both:
Big jobs when I have big-job time. Small jobs when I have small-job time.
Before We Start: This Is MY List
Please don’t see “wash the blinds” on my list and suddenly decide your perfectly innocent blinds have committed some Thanksgiving offense.
This list is based on my house.
Walk through yours.
Where will guests spend time? Is anyone staying overnight? Will kids be coming? Which rooms already stay under control? Which one have you been walking past pretending not to see?
Add what your house needs. Cross off what it doesn’t.
The house gets a vote.
My living room, for example, is pretty clean. Regular resets should keep it that way.
My den?
Hunnies.
The den needs us.
The guest room needs very little decluttering. The kids’ room will take more.
So I’m starting where the need is—not giving every room the same amount of work just because they’re all on a checklist.
One more distinction before we start.
A declutter means dealing with the stuff—returning things to their homes, finding homes for things that need them, and removing what doesn’t belong.
A reset means the room already functions. We’re simply putting it back in order.
If I declutter the kids’ room now, I’ll probably reset it again before Thanksgiving.
I should not need another archaeological excavation.
At least that’s the dream.
The 7-Week Home for the Holidays Cleaning Menu
Week 1: Observe, Declutter & Start at the Top
This week, we’re going farther than my regular Cleaning Menu walk-through.
Instead of asking, What needs attention this week? I’m asking:
What needs to happen in this house sometime between now and Thanksgiving?
Walk through every room and make your own master list.
Then prioritize the spaces that need a real declutter.
A full room could easily take most of my Saturday, so I’m not pretending I’m going to declutter half the house before lunch.
If I get one big room done? Progress.
Two? Wonderful.
Three?
Somebody check on me.
During the week, I’ll start knocking out smaller top-down jobs:
- Cobwebs
- Ceiling fans
- Light fixtures and lamps
- Visible vent/air-return covers
- Light switches
- Walls where needed
- Top of the refrigerator
- Other high surfaces that need attention
Maybe Tuesday gets one ceiling fan.
Maybe Wednesday gets a wall.
Maybe Thursday Jane ain’t doing any of it.
That’s why it’s a menu.
Check the Towels Now, Too
I’m also doing my towel inventory during Week One.
I’m going through bath towels, hand towels and washcloths and deciding what’s still in good shape.
The worn-out ones that have reached the end of their respectable towel careers can become cleaning rags—which is awfully convenient considering what we’re about to do to these walls and baseboards.
Then I’ll count what’s left.
If I don’t have enough decent towels for guests, I have seven weeks to do something about it. Maybe I buy them now. Maybe I watch for a sale. Maybe I need to set aside a little money and purchase them closer to Thanksgiving.
Either way, I’m not discovering the towel shortage Thanksgiving week.
Observe. Make decisions. Start where the need is.
That’s Week One.
Week 2: Finish Up High, Then Head Down & Under
Anything important left up high can get finished this week.
Notice I said important.
We’re not dragging every unchecked box behind us until Thanksgiving.
Missed ≠ owed.
Then we’re heading down.
This week we’re looking at:
- Baseboards
- Inside couches and underneath cushions
- Under couches
- Under beds
- Under tables
- Inside tables/storage furniture if applicable
- Under entertainment stands
- Under accessible furniture
- Under décor
- Under area rugs
- Rugs themselves, if they need cleaning
Same rule as last week.
Moving a couch and rolling back a giant rug?
Weekend Jane’s problem.
Wiping the baseboards in one room after work?
I might reasonably manage that on a Tuesday.
And if I move a couch and discover something underneath it that appears to have developed its own government, we’ll address that when we get there.
Week 3: Details & Storage
Now we’re tackling the details:
Blinds. Doors. Doorframes. Handles. Kitchen cabinet fronts.
We’re also organizing the kitchen cabinets and going through the pantry, refrigerator and freezer.
Purge.
Clean.
Organize.
Inventory.
This isn’t just about making those spaces look nice.
Thanksgiving food is coming.
I want to know what I already own before I buy another one, and I’d like to know where exactly I’m planning to put a turkey and all those leftovers.
Make room before the food arrives.
Week 4: Let the Sunshine In… and See What It Reveals
This week is windows, glass doors, tracks and sills.
Then we’re moving toward the way company actually approaches the house:
- Front door
- Porch or guest entrance
- Walkway
- Driveway
- Landscaping
- Outdoor gathering spaces, if we’re using them
Pressure wash what actually needs pressure washing. Pull weeds. Tidy the areas people will see and use.
Landscaping is really an all-seven-weeks job for me. I’ll tend to it as needed rather than saving everything for one enormous yard day.
And weather gets a vote.
If Saturday is supposed to be Window Day and it pours?
Congratulations.
The windows have rescheduled themselves.
Pick something else off the menu.
Week 5: The Stuff That Needs a Good Scrub
This is our oven, upholstery and soft-stuff week.
Deep-clean the oven.
Clean curtains, rugs, couches and upholstered chairs as needed.
Dust appliances, TV, sound bar, shelves, furniture and décor.
The important words here remain:
As needed.
If your curtains are clean, leave the curtains alone.
If your couch looks wonderful, congratulations on whatever kind of life you’re living over there.
We’re preparing the house we actually have.
We’re not hunting for additional chores.
Week 6: Catch Up & Get Ready to Host
I intentionally want some breathing room here.
Something will happen during these seven weeks.
Somebody may get sick. I may work late. It may rain. I may spend Saturday doing something the house needed more.
Or I may simply wake up and think:
Nope.
So Week Six is a buffer—but not a debt-collection week.
If something important from the previous weeks still genuinely needs doing, here’s some room for it.
Then we’re shifting our attention from cleaning the house to making sure the house can actually handle company.
Do we have enough seating?
Guest bedding?
Toilet paper?
Hand soap?
Serving dishes and utensils?
Trivets?
Leftover containers?
Somewhere for everybody to put their coats and purses?
Do we have refrigerator and freezer space?
And remember those towels we inventoried in Week One?
Now we’re simply confirming they’re clean and ready.
I’d much rather discover a hosting problem now than while people are walking through the front door.
Week 7: Super Scrub & Reset
Hunnies.
We’re almost there.
Now we’re cleaning the things that wouldn’t have stayed Thanksgiving-fresh for seven weeks.
First:
THE BATHROOM SUPER SCRUB.
Showers.
Tubs.
Toilets.
Sinks.
Faucets.
Mirrors.
Cabinets.
Floors.
Bath mats.
Nothing left unscrubbed.
Guest linens get washed and beds get made.
Good towels get washed and ready.
The refrigerator gets one final purge so there’s room for Thanksgiving food.
Microwave, stovetop, sink and trash can get cleaned.
Floors get their final attention.
And then:
Every room gets a reset.
Not another declutter.
Not another deep clean.
Not a sudden decision to reorganize a closet.
A reset.
If we’ve spent six weeks doing this, we shouldn’t be rescuing the house anymore.
We’re getting her ready for company.
Jane’s Two Scents: Put the Special Things Away
When my son was younger, before other kids came over, I’d let him choose anything special that he wanted put somewhere safe.
Maybe it was breakable.
Maybe it was sentimental.
Maybe it had been passed down through our family for generations.
Or maybe it was simply something he wasn’t ready to share.
And that was okay.
Kids can be different ages, have different maturity levels and simply play differently. We’ve lost toys over the years without anybody necessarily doing anything wrong.
But if something has survived multiple generations of our family, Thanksgiving probably isn’t the day we’re going to test its durability.
So the special things went away before company arrived.
No hovering.
No worrying.
No having to take something away after another child had already picked it up.
And this isn’t just about children’s toys.
If something in your home is sentimental, fragile, irreplaceable or private—and you’d be heartbroken if something happened to it—put it somewhere safe before a big gathering.
That’s not being inhospitable.
Accidents happen, and our guests can’t possibly know the story behind every object in our homes.
There will be plenty for everybody to enjoy.
We’re getting the house ready for company, but we’re still allowed to protect the things that make it our home.
The Home for the Holidays Master Checklist
Before anybody looks at this next section and hyperventilates:
This is a MASTER list.
You are not being assigned every checkbox.
Take it around your house during Week One. Cross off anything that doesn’t apply. Add whatever your house needs.
A room that’s already in good shape may only need its regular reset and a couple of deeper-cleaning jobs.
Pay attention to your house. That’s the whole point.
Living Room / Den
☐ Declutter if needed
☐ Reset room
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Clean ceiling fan/light fixtures/vents
☐ Spot-clean walls
☐ Clean switches, doors, frames & handles
☐ Clean blinds
☐ Wash windows/tracks/sills
☐ Wash baseboards
☐ Clean inside & underneath couches
☐ Clean upholstery as needed
☐ Dust furniture, TV/electronics, shelves & décor
☐ Clean underneath furniture
☐ Clean underneath rugs
☐ Clean rugs as needed
☐ Vacuum/mop
☐ Final reset
Dining Room
☐ Declutter if needed
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Clean fan/light fixture/vents
☐ Spot-clean walls
☐ Clean switches, doors, frames & handles
☐ Clean blinds/windows
☐ Wash baseboards
☐ Clean table
☐ Clean chairs, including legs/rungs
☐ Dust furniture/décor
☐ Clean underneath furniture/rug
☐ Check/clean table linens
☐ Vacuum/mop
☐ Final reset
Kitchen
☐ Declutter counters
☐ Organize cabinets
☐ Wipe cabinet fronts/tops
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Clean lights/fan/vents
☐ Spot-clean walls
☐ Clean switches, doors, frames & handles
☐ Clean blinds/windows
☐ Wash baseboards
☐ Clean backsplash
☐ Deep-clean oven
☐ Clean stovetop
☐ Clean microwave
☐ Clean dishwasher as needed
☐ Wipe appliance exteriors
☐ Clean top of refrigerator
☐ Deep-clean sink/faucet
☐ Clean/sanitize trash can
☐ Clean under accessible appliances as needed
☐ Vacuum/mop
☐ Final reset
Pantry / Refrigerator / Freezer
☐ Toss expired/unwanted food
☐ Take inventory
☐ Wipe shelves/drawers
☐ Clean & organize
☐ Check Thanksgiving staples
☐ Make room for holiday groceries
☐ Make room for prepared food/leftovers
☐ Final refrigerator purge
Bathrooms
☐ Declutter counters/storage
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Clean fan/vent/lights
☐ Clean walls as needed
☐ Clean switches, doors, frames & handles
☐ Clean blinds/windows if applicable
☐ Wash baseboards
☐ Super-scrub shower/tub
☐ Clean shower door/curtain/liner
☐ Scrub toilet
☐ Scrub sink/faucet
☐ Clean mirror/cabinet fronts
☐ Wash bath mats
☐ Deep-clean floor
☐ Restock supplies
☐ Put out fresh towels
☐ Final reset
Week 1 Towel Inventory
☐ Check bath towels
☐ Check hand towels
☐ Check washcloths
☐ Separate worn/stained towels
☐ Turn suitable old towels into cleaning rags
☐ Count guest-worthy towels
☐ Determine whether replacements are needed
☐ Buy now, watch for a sale or budget to purchase before Thanksgiving
Guest Bedroom(s)
☐ Declutter if needed
☐ Return misplaced items home
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Clean fan/lights/vents
☐ Spot-clean walls
☐ Clean switches, doors, frames & handles
☐ Clean blinds/windows
☐ Wash baseboards
☐ Dust bed frame/furniture
☐ Clean underneath bed/furniture
☐ Straighten closet
☐ Make room for guests’ belongings
☐ Check pillows/sheets/blankets
☐ Wash linens & make bed
☐ Vacuum/mop
☐ Final reset
Kids’ Bedroom(s)
☐ Quick toy organization
☐ Quick clothing organization
☐ Declutter if needed
☐ Find homes for belongings
☐ Straighten closet
☐ Clean underneath bed/furniture
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Clean fan/lights/vents
☐ Spot-clean walls
☐ Clean switches, doors, frames & handles
☐ Clean blinds/windows
☐ Wash baseboards
☐ Dust furniture
☐ Clean rugs as needed
☐ Vacuum/mop
☐ Wash bedding closer to Thanksgiving
☐ Final reset
☐ Put special/sentimental belongings safely away
Thanksgiving = organize.
Christmas = PURGE.
Master Bedroom
☐ Quick clothing organization
☐ Declutter surfaces if needed
☐ Straighten closet
☐ Clean underneath bed/furniture
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Clean fan/lights/vents
☐ Spot-clean walls
☐ Clean switches, doors, frames & handles
☐ Clean blinds/windows
☐ Wash baseboards
☐ Dust bed frame/furniture
☐ Clean rugs as needed
☐ Vacuum/mop
☐ Wash bedding closer to Thanksgiving
☐ Final reset
Entryway / Porch / Exterior
☐ Declutter entry
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Clean front door/glass
☐ Clean switches/handles
☐ Dust furniture/décor
☐ Clean/shake out doormat
☐ Sweep porch
☐ Pressure wash porch/walkway as needed
☐ Pressure wash driveway/house as needed
☐ Clean outdoor furniture
☐ Pull weeds/tidy landscaping
☐ Remove dead plants/debris
☐ Tidy guest-visible areas
☐ Final sweep
Hosting Readiness
☐ Confirm Week 1 towels are clean & ready
☐ Guest bedding
☐ Toilet paper
☐ Hand soap/tissues
☐ Trash bags
☐ Enough seating
☐ Table linens
☐ Serving dishes/utensils
☐ Trivets/hot pads
☐ Leftover containers/foil/bags
☐ Place for coats/purses
☐ Refrigerator/freezer space
☐ Special/fragile belongings safely stored
Hunnies, Take the List With You
If you’re anything like me, reading a list on a screen and actually walking around the house with a list in your hand are two entirely different things. 😂
I need the checkboxes.
I need somewhere to scribble in the margins.
I need to cross off the thing my house doesn’t need, add the thing I forgot, and get that tiny little bit of satisfaction from checking off something I actually finished.
So I made this whole thing into a free printable Thanksgiving Cleaning Menu for you and your home.
It includes the seven-week menu, room-by-room checklists, our Week One towel inventory, hosting-readiness list and room for the things your house needs.
Print it.
Walk through your house with it.
Cross things out with reckless abandon.
Add your own.
The house gets a vote.
And Then We Stop
November 23–25 are protected territory.
Those days are for cooking, food prep, dishes, wiping counters, taking out trash, quick bathroom resets and ordinary picking up.
They are not for Deep Cleaning: The Reckoning.
No baseboards.
No closets.
No pressure washer.
And absolutely no standing in the pantry at 9:47 Wednesday night deciding Thanksgiving will somehow be improved by reorganizing the canned goods.
Put the green beans down, Jane.
If something didn’t get finished?
Missed ≠ owed.
Because I’m not doing this so I can have the cleanest house anybody has ever seen.
I’m doing it because I want my house cared for, my guests comfortable, and enough energy left to enjoy the people I did all this work to welcome.
Will these seven weeks go exactly according to plan?
Hunnies.
Have we met?
Something will move. Something will get skipped. I’m almost certain my house will point out something I completely forgot.
And that’s okay.
I’ll be back in seven weeks to tell y’all what actually happened.
What worked.
What didn’t.
What I moved.
What I skipped.
What turned out to be completely unnecessary.
And whether this seven-week Cleaning Menu actually kept me from panic-cleaning the whole house the night before Thanksgiving.
Then we’re taking everything we learned and rolling right into the next experiment:
25 Days ‘Til Christmas: The Christmas Cleaning Menu
Because I’m not starting this whole house over again on November 27.
No, ma’am.
If this works the way I’m hoping, Thanksgiving will have already done a lot of the heavy lifting.
We’ll have 25 days to maintain what we’ve done, tackle the things that make more sense for Christmas—including that kids’ toy-and-clothes purge we’ve been saving—and get the house ready without spending December chasing our tails.
But first?
We’ve got seven weeks.
One house.
One Thanksgiving.
And a whole lot of checkboxes.
Let’s see what happens.
— Jane
Grace for the mess. Grit for the rest.
Leave a comment