Hosting this year? Here's a three-week timeline that spreads the cleaning out so the night before is about cooking, not scrubbing.
Hosting is the easy part. It's the three weeks of "should the house be clean by now?" that does people in. Here's the timeline I give my own family — and the one my crew works to every Thanksgiving week, when the phones don't stop.
Three weeks out
- Declutter counters, the entryway and the dining table.
- Wash guest bedding and air out the guest room.
- Book any professional cleaning now — Thanksgiving week fills up fast.
Two weeks out
- Clean the oven and empty the fridge to make room.
- Deep clean the guest bathroom.
- Dust fans, vents and baseboards in the rooms guests will use.
The week of
- Vacuum and mop all floors.
- Wipe the kitchen down and polish glass and mirrors.
- Take out trash and recycling the day before.
What you can skip
Guests don't open closets or look behind the couch. Focus on the kitchen, the dining room, one bathroom and the entry — the places people actually see.
Want it done for you?
We do pre-Thanksgiving cleans across Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill. See our fall cleaning service or get a quote.
P.S. If you only get one room done before the in-laws land, make it the guest bathroom. People forgive a cluttered dining room. They do not forgive a mystery in the shower grout.
Written by
Joseph Lindsay — Owner of Fancy Pants
I started Fancy Pants because I got tired of watching good cleaners get squeezed and good homeowners get surprised by a bill. I still work homes every week across Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill, so these posts come from the checklist in my head — not a content calendar. Ask anyone on my crew: I am the guy who keeps adding "while we're in there" items.
Have a question that isn't answered here? Call me at 984-300-4626 or read why the company is named after a guy who never cleaned a thing.