Getting your home ready for Christmas guests in Spain

Start earlier than you think

In Spain the festive season stretches from Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) to Three Kings on 6 January, and many families and holiday-home owners arrive in the same few days. Cleaning everything in the last 48 hours is stressful and rarely thorough.

A simple plan works better: heavy jobs in early December, guest rooms two weeks before, and only a light refresh in the final days.

The kitchen is where the work happens

Christmas cooking is intensive, so give the oven, hob, extractor filter and fridge a proper clean before you start. A degreased extractor filter and a fridge cleared of old jars make the whole kitchen feel lighter.

Check that you have enough working space and clean cloths, and wipe down handles and light switches, which are touched constantly while cooking and hosting.

Guest rooms and bedding

Air each guest room with the windows open for a while, especially in a second home that has been closed since the autumn. Coastal damp can leave a stale smell, so wash even clean-looking linen and mattress protectors before they are used.

Leave a spare blanket, extra towels and a small bedside lamp. Evenings can be cool and houses without heating can feel colder than the forecast suggests.

Bathrooms, floors and entrances

Descale taps and shower screens, refresh grout where you can and put out fresh hand towels. With more people in the house, a second bathroom stocked with soap and spare toilet paper helps a lot.

Entrances take the most wear in wet weather. Place a good mat inside the door, and keep floors dry, particularly natural stone or marble, which can be slippery when wet.

Leave the heavy lifting to someone else

If your calendar is already full, a deep clean before guests arrive, and a tidy-up after they leave, can take a great deal of pressure off. Lavanda can prepare the home so you spend the holidays with your family rather than with a mop.