How To Get Your Home Guest-Ready for Christmas

As the festive season approaches, our Product Training Manager, Sophie Lane offers advice on how to prepare your home for Christmas guests, as well as top tips on cleaning up after the festivities.

How to Clean a Mattress
“Mattresses should ideally be cleaned every six months. Start by stripping the bedding and washing it on a hot cycle for a really hygienic clean. Next, vacuum the mattress. Most are suitable for vacuuming but if in doubt, check the care label or manufacturer’s instructions. Give it the once over on a medium to high suction and sprinkle baking soda then leave for a few hours before vacuuming again to absorb moisture and eliminate odours. All Miele vacuums have variable power settings and you can use a standard upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle or specialist tool such as our Mattress Nozzle. Get into all areas including between the mattress and bed frame and vacuum the frame, too. Any stains can be removed with a diluted spray of washing-up liquid and water. Gently dab with a cloth or sponge but avoid making it too wet.”

How to Wash Pillows
“You want your guests to have lovely clean, fluffy pillows so pre-treat any stains or yellowing with a pre-wash stain remover or an equal part mix of water and liquid detergent. Gently rub the stain with a soft brush. If the pillow is machine washable, follow the care instructions. It’s best to wash two together rather than a single pillow to balance the load, so if you only have one for your guest, do yours at the same time. Down-filled pillows need a special down detergent to stop the feathers clumping and a dedicated wash cycle should be selected, if there is one. Otherwise, a gentle wash will be fine. Some Miele washing machines have a pillow programme. Use a bio detergent, as the enzymes will break down protein-based stains such as sweat and saliva. If the pillow can be tumble dried, add a tennis ball or two into the dryer to help them fluff back up. To finish, pop a pillow protector on before adding your best or Christmas-themed bedlinen.”

How to Soften Towels
“Revive hard and flat towels for your guests by using less detergent than you think you need and tumble drying. Miele’s TwinDos washing machines use around 30% less detergent and only the amount needed based on the absorbency of the fabric. An extra rinse or Miele’s Water Plus option will help prevent detergent residue build-up and you shouldn’t use fabric conditioner with every towel wash either, as this can reduce the absorbency of them. If you’re in a hurry with guests arriving any minute, pop towels into a Miele tumble dryer with the Warm Air programme and fluff them up in an instant.”

How to Avoid Cloudy Glassware
“When serving up the Christmas Dinner, you don’t want cloudy glasses to spoil your festive table setting. Always ensure that you use a lower temperature in the dishwasher or Miele’s Gentle programme. Make use of FlexLine baskets for careful loading and keep the salt and rinse aid topped up – not too high or too low. If you’ve run out of rinse aid on Christmas Day, you can use white vinegar instead. Using the right detergent will also help. Miele adds glassware additives to its dishwasher detergents to help protect glassware and prolong their shine. AutoDos models meanwhile will adjust the amount based on the cycle selected. If buying a new dishwasher in time for Christmas, set the water hardness level to match your local area before using it.”

How to Load the Dishwasher
“Christmas and Boxing Day usually means an endless cycle of dishwashing, so make sure you’re loading it effectively to not only clean crockery, cutlery and cookware properly but also to get as much in one load as possible without compromising on the results. For plates, face them towards the centre in the slots on the bottom rack and don’t be tempted to add more plates than there are slots. Cups, glasses and bowls should be on the top rack at an angle, facing downwards for best results when cleaning as well as draining and drying. Plastic items and Tupperware should always be on the top rack, as they could otherwise get too hot if placed on the bottom. Pots and pans should be facing down on the bottom section while cutlery should be handles down in the cutlery basket apart from sharp knives, which must always be sharp side down or laid flat on a cutlery tray, Never overload the dishwasher, make sure you’re not blocking the spray arms and wash baking trays separately in the sink.”

How to Deep Clean the Dishwasher
“Once all your guests have left, it’s time to tackle the deep clean. Run the Miele 75˚C intensive wash to prevent grease and odours from building up in the cabinet and pipes. You can also run a hot wash with a dishwasher cleaner added – Miele has a range of handy one-dose treatments including DishClean for light soiling and unpleasant odours and IntenseClean for tougher deposits and bacteria. Remove and clean the filter under a running tap to remove food deposits and wipe down the door and seals with a clean, damp cloth. You can also remove and clean the spray arms following manufacturer’s instructions.”

Four of the Best Miele Appliances for Christmas

Miele WEG365 Washing Machine
For washing everything from Christmas outfits to bedding and table linen, Miele’s W1 washing machine with QuickPowerWash (49 minutes) and SingleWash boasts an A energy rating and Eco Mode program. Its honeycomb drum ensures gentle laundry care for even cashmere and silks, while ironing is made easy with the pre-iron setting that reduces ironing time by 50%. With the innovative Miele@home system, it can be networked conveniently and securely, even integrating to existing Smart Home solutions such as Alexa.

Miele TEF765 WP 8kg Eco Speed Green Performance Tumble Dryer
With an outstanding energy rating of A+++ -10%, this model benefits from Miele’s new DryCare 40 setting, which allows any fabric that can be washed at 40 degrees to be tumble-dried even if label says not to, along with new HygieneDry to eliminate 99.99% of all bacteria. Wi-Fi enabled, other benefits include 12 versatile programmes including one specially for Bed Linen, as well as AddLoad for forgotten last minute items and FragranceDos2 for use with Miele’s fragranced flacons. As well as detecting moisture during the drying process, Miele tumble dryers with PerfectDry also detect the mineral content of the water and will adjust the programme duration accordingly. This means perfectly dried laundry as clothes are never damaged through over drying.

Miele G 7460 SCVi Fully Integrated Dishwasher
Miele’s fully integrated G 7000 series includes the G 7460 SCVi model. A rated for energy efficiency, it features AutoOpen Drying, 3D MultiFlex tray, acoustic signal and boasts a quiet 42dB noise level, so won’t disturb guests after Christmas dinner. Its 14 place settings ensures it can fit in all of the cookware and dishes used for the big day, while its 58 minute QuickWash is ideal for getting through multiple loads quickly. Featuring 12 specialist programmes from Express to ExtraClean, it also benefits from Miele’s AutoDos with PowerDisk for automatic detergent dispensing, helping to reduce waste and save time and money while keeping glasses streak free. AutoOpen drying at the end of all cycles ensures perfectly dried crockery, Tupperware and cutlery while saving energy. Miele excels in offering consumers the very latest in dishwashing technology, including hygienic automatic wash programmes which adjust temperature and the alignment of water jets accordingly. Dishwashers have been tested for the equivalent of 20 years use. What’s more, all Miele dishwashers can be connected to hot water at up to 60˚C, helping to save up to 50% electricity.

Miele Triflex HX2 Pro Cordless 3-in-1 Vacuum Cleaner
Ideal for cleaning floors, bedding, sofas and more, Miele’s Triflex HX2 Pro cordless vacuum cleaner combines exceptional cleaning performance and flexibility. Featuring a unique 3in1 design, it can be configured as a cordless handstick, cordless handheld and cordless upright vacuum cleaner. This pioneering system enables you to quickly and easily change the setup to suit your cleaning needs in a matter of seconds. In comparison to its predecessor, the Triflex HX1, its performance is 60% superior thanks to a new Digital Efficiency motor. In addition, it offers an extra wide, intelligent floorhead that covers more ground in less time. The replaceable Li-ion battery offers up to 60 minutes of continuous cleaning, with the Pro model including an additional spare battery to double the time, so you can clean your entire home and give the car a quick vacuum. The Pro’s model HEPA Lifetime filter holds back 99.999% of fine dust and 99.95% of allergens, viruses and bacteria.

The Triflex HX2 automatically detects floor surfaces and will increase the speed of the spinning brush for outstanding cleaning on carpets and surfaces of all types. The Triflex also proves highly flexible when it comes to storage, making the best of available space – and when not in use can either be stored on the included wall holder or stand upright in cordless upright mode.