Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. That gives you three weeks, enough time to get the house ready in short sessions instead of one long Saturday with a mop.
The menu will take most of your planning energy. Your guests, though, will spend hours in your guest room, your bathroom and on your couch before anyone carves a turkey. This plan covers those rooms first, in the order you can finish them, so Thanksgiving week belongs to the cooking.
Your Thanksgiving zone map
| Zone | Main job | When | Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest room | Fresh bedding, cleared surfaces, a fresh mattress | 3 weeks out | Smart Sheets, Disinfectant |
| Guest bathroom | Deep clean, then a quick reset | 1 week out, then Wednesday | Disinfectant, Multi-Surface Cleaner |
| Living room | Cushions, throws, tables, remotes | The weekend before | Disinfectant, Multi-Surface Cleaner, Smart Sheets |
| Dining room | Linens out of storage, table and chairs wiped | 2 days out | Smart Sheets, Disinfectant |
| Kitchen | Counters, cutting boards, sink, produce | Thanksgiving week | Disinfectant, Eat Cleaner |
Stock up before you start
Check under the sink this week. Four products cover the whole map.
- Multi-Surface Botanical Disinfectant: EPA-registered and powered by thymol from the thyme plant. It kills 99.9% of germs1 on hard, non-porous surfaces and needs no rinse, even on food contact surfaces.
- Everyday Multi-Surface Cleaner: lifts dirt, grease and fingerprints from counters, tile, stainless steel, glass and natural stone. pH neutral, no rinse.
- Eat Cleaner Fruit & Veggie Wash: removes up to 99.9% of wax, dirt, and chemical and pesticide residues from produce, whilekeeping it fresh up to 5x longer when used as directed.
- Laundry Detergent Smart Sheets: pre-measured sheets for bedding, towels and table linens. No jug to lift, no cap to measure.
Order now and shipping has plenty of room before Thanksgiving week.
The guest room: finish it first and close the door
A guest room sits empty most of the year, so it collects dust and that closed-up smell. Finish it three weeks early. Nobody goes in until your guests arrive.
- Wash everything on the bed. Sheets, pillowcases, the mattress protector and the extra blanket from the closet. Use one Smart Sheet for a full load, half a sheet for a small one. They're hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested, a plus when you don't know a guest's skin. Pick Fresh Seaside or Soft Lavender.
- Freshen the mattress and pillows. Mist the mattress surface and pillows with the Disinfectant. It sanitizes soft surfaces in 2 minutes and eliminates odor-causing bacteria at the source. It also eliminates 99.9% of most allergens on contact, including dust mite debris and pet dander, worth knowing if a guest has allergies or you share the house with a dog. Let everything dry before you make the bed.
- Wipe the hard surfaces. Nightstand, dresser top, lamp base, closet shelf. The Multi-Surface Cleaner lifts dust and fingerprints without streaks.
- Make room. Empty one drawer and half the closet, and leave six hangers.
- Add the small comforts. A phone charger by the bed, a water carafe and glass, the Wi-Fi password on a card, and a set of towels folded at the foot of the bed.
Shut the door. You have one room done with 22 days to spare.
The guest bathroom: deep clean once, reset the day before
Your guest bathroom will see more traffic on Thanksgiving Day than in the rest of the month combined. Split the work in two.
One week out, deep clean it. Spray the tub, tile, grout, toilet seat and vanity with the Disinfectant. Leave it wet for the contact time on the label, then wipe. The formula is free from chlorine bleach and ammonia and carries zero warnings on its label, and the Fresh Thyme scent reads herbal and light. Finish the mirror, chrome faucet and glass shower door with the Multi-Surface Cleaner.
The day before, reset it. Give it ten minutes: faucet handles, flush handle, door lock and light switch with the Disinfectant. Then stock it:
- Two hand towels, so one can dry while the other gets used
- A spare roll of toilet paper where guests can see it
- A full bottle of hand soap
- An empty trash can with a fresh liner
The living room: the weekend before
The couch becomes the best seat in the house after dinner. Get it ready the weekend before Thanksgiving.
- Cushions and throw pillows: mist with the Disinfectant to deodorize the fabric. It sanitizes soft surfaces in 2 minutes. Spot test a hidden area first.
- Throw blankets: wash with a Smart Sheet so they come out soft and fresh.
- Coffee table, side tables, TV stand, window sills: Multi-Surface Cleaner and a dry cloth.
- Remotes and light switches: spray the Disinfectant onto a cloth, wipe, and let the surface air dry.
- Layout: bring in the extra chairs now and see how the room flows. Clear a path from the front door to the bathroom, and pick a spot for coats.
The dining room: two days out
Table linens come out of storage with fold lines and a faint closet smell. Wash the tablecloth and cloth napkins with a Smart Sheet two days ahead. If creases survive the dryer, a few sprays of WrinkleBoss and a snap of the fabric smooth them out without an iron.
Wipe the tabletop, chair backs and seats with the Disinfectant. Hands grab chair backs all night. It needs no rinse, even on food contact surfaces, so you can set the table as soon as it dries. Spot test finished wood first.
The kitchen: Thanksgiving week
You'll cook in here all week, so keep this zone simple.
- Counters, sink and cutting boards: the Disinfectant sanitizes food contact surfaces in 1 minute with no rinse. Plastic, silicone, sealed wood, bamboo and marble boards are all on the label.
- Stainless appliances, backsplash, cabinet fronts: Multi-Surface Cleaner.
- Produce: wash it with Eat Cleaner the day you shop. Spray, wait 2 minutes, rinse, dry thoroughly and store it sealed in the fridge. Produce washed this way keeps up to 5x longer, so you can prep sides days before Thursday. Our dish-by-dish produce guide walks through green beans, Brussels sprouts, potatoes and more.
- Fridge: clear one full shelf now for make-ahead dishes.
Thanksgiving hosting FAQ
How far ahead should I clean for Thanksgiving?
Start three weeks out with rooms nobody uses, like the guest room. Deep clean the guest bathroom one week out. Save the kitchen for Thanksgiving week, and leave a 10-minute reset of handles and faucets for Wednesday.
What should a guest room have for holiday guests?
Fresh bedding, an empty drawer, a few hangers, a phone charger, water, the Wi-Fi password and a set of towels.
How do I freshen a mattress before guests arrive?
Strip the bed and mist the mattress surface with the CleanBoss Multi-Surface Botanical Disinfectant. It sanitizes soft surfaces in 2 minutes and eliminates odor-causing bacteria. Let it dry fully before you make the bed.
Stock the four zone essentials
Get all four before the season starts, then work the map one zone at a time.
- Multi-Surface Botanical Disinfectant
- Everyday Multi-Surface Cleaner
- Eat Cleaner Fruit & Veggie Wash
- Laundry Detergent Smart Sheets
1Kills 99.9% of germs on hard, non-porous surfaces. Use as directed. See the product label for full directions and the list of organisms.
