Done and Dusted: Prep List for the Lunar New Year
Christmas was just a dress rehearsal for the biggie celebration, Chinese New Year. Get the details right and 'huat' on!
Are you and your home ready to welcome the Year of the Rat? The floors and wine glasses may be sparkling and the mandarins displayed (in even numbers only), but there could be areas you’ve overlooked. It’s understandable that in the ‘big picture’ spring cleaning, you’ve forgotten the ‘small picture’ nooks and crannies and the finer details a practiced entertainer would attend to. Our checklist below takes you through both so that you start your Lunar New Year on great footing.
Spot-check these hidden areas
- Crumbs, chilli flakes and broken toothpicks are the kind of things that accumulate at the bottom of kitchen drawers. Empty out drawers (and take the opportunity to toss out/donate gadgets you only use once or twice a year if ever!) and vacuum thoroughly.
- Knife blocks are another place that may harbour tiny food bits. Remove knives and turn yours upside down. Give it a couple of good whacks to loosen any crumbs.
- Get a an old toothbrush and some dental floss and have a good go at cleaning your taps, especially where it meets the countertop. Floss is great at getting to the grime buildup around the base of taps and tap heads.
- Machines that do the cleaning for us, don’t clean themselves. Run your dishwasher and washing machine on a self-cleaning mode if there is one or just run them empty with a bit of white vinegar.
- Before you stock up on those steamboat ingredients and packets of chrysanthemum tea, give your fridge a deep clean. Remove everything including shelves, dividers and drawers and give a good wipe down. Don’t forget to give attention to the shelf seams and gaskets.
Find out more about cleaning your fridge
Finishing Details - Residential Interior Design Sourcing
- Glass pendants are popular and need a good clean as they tend to turn cloudy especially if installed in or near the kitchen. Turn off the light and allow the bulb to cool down. Make a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar and use this to gently wipe the glass.
- Fabric lampshades are another thing we don’t often clean. Unplug the lamp, remove the bulb and vacuum the inside of the shade. Run a lint roller of the outside.
- Don’t let it be ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ when it comes to fixtures near the ceiling like recessed lights/track light, cove lights and ceiling fans. These areas could use with a good vacuum.
- Think about the places that you put your hands on multiple times a day and get busy with a can of disinfectant or cleaning wipes. We’re talking about door handles, switches, stove knobs, remote controls and cordless phones.
Don’t put it out there
- If you don’t want to field questions about your love life from nosy, old-fashioned elders, or get giggly side looks from your nephews, hide those very personal photos and scandalous artwork.
- Clear bills, grocery shopping lists, school consent forms etc. off the front of your fridge.
Bring in the auspicious colours
Even if your decor is minimalist, monochrome or Scandi, there is room for some red, pink or gold and it can be done tastefully.
A rug with a geometric design and a touch of red or orange is easy to incorporate into the living room or foyer…
Even if your decor is minimalist, monochrome or Scandi, there is room for some red, pink or gold and it can be done tastefully.
A rug with a geometric design and a touch of red or orange is easy to incorporate into the living room or foyer…
…and cushions are a no-brainer way to change the colour palette of the room.
Let the games begin
To limit mobile phone preoccupation and promote real interaction, put out board games, cards and even mahjong for guests. Even an old-fashioned game of charades will still draw the laughs.
To limit mobile phone preoccupation and promote real interaction, put out board games, cards and even mahjong for guests. Even an old-fashioned game of charades will still draw the laughs.
Don’t neglect your pet when guests come around! Bathe and groom them a day or two before guests are due, and usher them into a bedroom or study if they’re not good with strangers or with a crowd. A special treat or new toy should be in order here too.
Freshen up with flowers
The golden rule for decorating (and dressing) for Lunar New Year is no white or black so keep your flowers in the red, orange, yellow family and you’re safe.
The golden rule for decorating (and dressing) for Lunar New Year is no white or black so keep your flowers in the red, orange, yellow family and you’re safe.
Photo from Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium
TELL US
What CNY tips do you have to share with other Houzzers? Tell us in the Comments below.
TELL US
What CNY tips do you have to share with other Houzzers? Tell us in the Comments below.