Countdown to the Holidays: How to Prepare your Home and Appliances

Genier's Appliances
2019-11-29T11:30:00-05:00

From getting a jumpstart on the festive baking to cleaning cook ranges and decluttering the fridge, there are a lot of little jobs that can be completed well in advance.
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Everyone loves a bit of Holiday cheer! But don’t forget to give yourself ample time to prepare so everything goes smoothly!

With the winter holidays coming up, it’s never too early to start preparing for the madness that comes along with the season. From getting a jumpstart on the festive baking to cleaning cook ranges and decluttering the fridge, there are a lot of little jobs that can be completed well in advance.

November

Ease your December workload by preparing in advance! Here’s what you can start doing today:

1. Clear Countertop Clutter

To get yourself prepared for the onslaught of holiday baking and cooking, start off on the right foot with clean, uncluttered kitchen countertops. You’ll not only love the extra space for cookie decorating and meal prep, you’ll probably need it too.

2. Free Up the Fridge

Before packing the fridge full of holiday feast food items, give it a really good clean. Start by removing old forgotten leftovers and expired condiments, then give it a good scrubbing. This is also an excellent time to check seals, replace burnt out lights and water filters, and clean the cold air vents.

3. Stock Up on Spices

With the amount of baking and cooking you’ll most likely be doing, it’s important to check the levels of your spice rack. There’s nothing worse than running out of ginger, cinnamon, or cloves while preparing your famous gingerbread man cookie recipe.

4. Get the Shopping Out of The Way

Besides drawing up a shopping list and planning out where to go, now is a great time to finish the shopping too. If you finish the shopping in November, you’ll most likely avoid the holiday crowds and line-ups, and you’ll be less likely to miss the hard-to-get items on your list.

Need some gift ideas for those hard-to-shop-for friends and family members? Check out our showroom for some apt appliance recommendations!

5. Tackle the Christmas Baking

Almost all cookies, tarts, squares, and cakes can be baked now, frozen, and put out later. If you’re a stickler for fresh-baked treats, make the cookie dough now and freeze it until you’re ready to roll them out and start baking. You can even freeze the royal icing.

6. Don’t Forget to Place Your Online Gift Orders ASAP

If you plan on ordering the majority of your gifts online, you should definitely place your orders before December 1st rolls around. This will ensure the gifts arrive on time and you’ll still have time to wrap them up and get them under the tree before Christmas morning.

7. Start Decorating

Get yourself excited for the holidays and spend a little time decorating your home. You’ll love the festive feel, and it’s one less thing you need to do in December.

December

You’re in the home stretch! Now that the initial prep work is taken care of, it’s time to shift focus onto being prepared for when the company arrives.

1. Stock the Wine Fridge

Your decorations are up and you’ve laid the groundwork for a successful holiday celebration at home! You should have your guest list narrowed down, which means it’s time to get the wine stocked up. Not everyone has the same tastes, and if you want to get a bottle of something special to share, this is the time.

2. Finalize the Christmas Menu

Once you know exactly what dishes you’ll be preparing for Christmas dinner, you can start working towards the big day (and big grocery trips!) much more efficiently.

3. Get a Head Start on Christmas Dinner Groceries

Buy all your non-perishable items now. You’ll beat the sold-out grocery rush closer to the holiday and you can relax a bit without having to stress over finding one more can of green beans to make that perfect casserole.

4. Clean the Kitchen Appliances

Did you know having clean appliances makes them work more efficiently? Before you start the big baking and cooking rush, set a day aside to get your refrigerator, stove, and oven in tip-top shape for their best performance.

Refrigerator: Clear out those old, expired sauces and dressings! Take some time as well to make sure all the shelves are cleaned up and everything is in its proper place. Did you know that having proper organization keeps your food fresh longer? If your refrigerator has a water dispenser, now is also the time to replace the filter if you haven’t for a while. It’ll help improve the taste and make sure you’re drinking clean!

Stove and Ovens: Depending on if you have gas or electric or induction, there are different cleaning methods and cleaners designed for stovetops and ovens. Don’t start scrubbing until you know what will work best! You can check your manufacturer’s website for more information, and of course you can always ask Genier’s! Take a look at our kitchen cleanup blog: How to Make Your Kitchen Appliances Shine

Ventilation: Get the grease out of your air! Kitchen ventilation is an important part of staying healthy and keeping your air clean, but it does require some maintenance. Follow your manufacturer’s information for the proper way to maintain your kitchen ventilation.

Once your kitchen appliances are ready to go, take a break and relax. Everything will be ready for you once you start your baking and cooking!

5. Sharpen Kitchen Knives

The last thing you want to do is carve a turkey with a dull knife. Pull out that knife sharpener and get to work well before the holiday season rolls around. You’ll be so thankful you did when you’ve got a table full of hungry bellies waiting for you and your perfectly prepared turkey dinner.

6. Finalize the Christmas Menu

If you’ve got a specific set of tableware that you like to use for your epic holiday feast, pull it out of storage a week or two in advance. This will give you time to check for missing pieces, give it a quick clean, and get your table set up just the way you like

If you’re expecting a house full of guests this holiday season, talk to the appliance experts at Genier’s in Vernon instead of visiting a Kamloops appliances store. We’re home to the largest live showroom in the Interior, and we’ve been providing our customers with excellent products, advice, and service for the last 50 years.