By KARAN MINNIS, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter

There is no denying that Christmas is in the air, especially since all around us the temperatures have dropped, signaling that it's time to break out the ham and turkey. With all that excitement, one must not forget that the holiday rush also brings along the in-laws, the cousins and all those wonderful out-of-town guests who all plan to spend the holidays in your fabulously decorated home.

The problem is, however, after a year of living with the dog, the cat, the two kids and husband, your home has seen better days. You've got cluttered cabinets, a dusty refrigerator top, and an oven that smokes every time you bake -- not the components of an ideal kitchen. This is why home interior designer Natalie Appleyard of Wild Flowers Designs says you'll need a step-by-step guide on intensely cleaning to revive your home.

"With all the things that seem to go wrong during the holidays — decorating and cleaning up shouldn't be one of them," she says. "However while we may be doing an excellent job of maintaining our home, occasionally — especially around the holiday's — we need to do more than just maintenance.

"The only problem we have with that is time, and as a result decorating and general cleaning is saved for the last minute causing more stress than it needs too. This year would be a good year to try something new. It's called planning."

For starters, she says, instead of waiting to clean house, start now. However she adds that it's time to work smart, not hard by having a 6 - 10 week holiday clean-up plan.

"Imagine that after six weeks of planning and executing your plans, you come to the end of a very successful holiday season," she says. "By doing so, traditions were enhanced, love was exchanged and your sanity was kept with the progress you've made. And while some would call that a dream, it can happen with a plan.

"A six-week holiday plan breaks down all of the tasks that you have to do during the holiday season into weekly focus areas with specific tasks to complete during a week. So instead of trying to cram all of your decorating, cleaning, organizing, buying, and planning into the two weeks before a large holiday event, try doing a little at a time to truly transform your holiday season."

According to Appleyard the best place to start is actually with a pen.

"To start, sit down and write out what you have to do. Create a plan. Make sure it's a step-by-step plan and don't leave anything out. Make it as detailed as possible. Next set a budget. The budget should be for gifts, food and whatever else you need. This will help keep you in line. Too many people let the holidays leave them broke- don't be one of them. Next put you plan in action.

"In terms of cleaning I suggest starting with the supply shopping and then clear away the cluster. Use the first week to get organized. Get rid of all the things you don't need and the things that you don't want. Take this time to start over where needed, especially since for most people the holidays are the only time they throw things away, get to work. Next during week two tackle the living areas, and make sure you're decorating as you go. Start from the top to the bottom and do one room at a time. When you're done. Move on to the kitchen. This would be week three. I find that the kitchen and the bedroom are the most clustered areas in the homes — next to the TV room. So take your time.

"Once you start this process you will see that a pattern is forming and progress is being made, which is what you want. Each week you'll be focusing on a new area and in no time every room will be decorated, cleaned and organized to your liking. You won't be stressed, your medicine cabinet won't be overflowing and you'll be amazed at what color the carpet really is. Plus once you have a plan it will be must easier to understand how this Christmas having hope when it comes to your home is a good thing. And once you start your intense cleaning plan to get your bathroom and your home back into shape, you can be ready for whatever lies ahead this Christmas. All you have to do is get started. So get started."

Listed below is a condensed version of Appleyard's fool proof six-week cleaning plan that is sure to help you with all your household holiday preparations. She says the only issue you may have it getting started.

The Six-Week Holiday Cleaning Plan

Week 1: Planning, Shopping and Clearing Away Clutter

This week clear the way for an organized holiday season by getting rid of clutter and getting some early planning done.

Week 2: Clean-up all the Living Areas including the Dining Room

The living areas see a lot of use during the holiday season because of how much we tend to entertain. Therefore, having your living areas ready for unexpected guests or full parties is important. Also take the time to get all of your serving and dining areas ready for the holidays.

Start by dusting everything down. Clean all air vents, fans, doorknobs, and switch plates. Dust and clean all wall art. Take down draperies and curtains to wash or have cleaned according to the directions. Also dust down any blinds, and spot/deep clean rugs if needed. Dust and clean out the couches, chairs, storage and shelving. Dust tables and take the time to clean the doormats inside and outside your doorways. Then clean floors. Don't forget to put up the tree.

Week 3: Kitchen and Pantry

During the holiday's having the kitchen and pantry in tip top shape to pull of effortless cooking and entertaining is essential. So have your kitchen ready and stocked to help you make the holiday season tasty and memorable.

To start remove all clutter, dust and wipe down the ceiling and corners of walls. Spot wash or paint, remembering air vents, doorknobs, and doors. Take your time to clean the grease, grime, and spilled food from your walls, stove and other appliances. Sort through the freezer and refrigerator by throwing out any expired food and items that you bought and never used. Put the stuff to keep on the counter. Take out the refrigerator shelves and drawers. Wash them down, being careful with glass shelves. Also wipe down the entire inside of the refrigerator and freezer before replacing shelves and food. Remember to clean out kitchen cabinets - relining if needed. Wash rugs and curtains. Don't forget to reorganize and decorate rooms appropriately.

Week 4: Bathrooms and Guest Rooms

Bathrooms and guest rooms may be the more hidden areas of our homes, but people tend to spend a lot of time alone in both rooms. Therefore you want them to be clean, organized, and comfortable.

To start, get rid of trash and laundry. This will enable you to deeply clean the room. Dust down the ceiling and corners. Also consider if the walls in your home need to be washed or painted. Dust the vents and fans. Take down draperies, curtains, blinds, and rugs to be washed. Scrub both the shower and tub. Don't forget fixtures. Also launder or clean your shower curtain and replace the shower curtain liner. Also clean the shower doors. Scrub down the toilet. Wash the inside and outside of the medicine cabinets, linen cabinets. Take inventory of your linens and medicines. Throw out old outdated items and put them on a list to be purchased for replacement.

Next wash down the sink and fixtures. Don't forget mirrors. Lastly sweep and mop the floor. Now decorate.

Week 5: Bedrooms, Closets and Storage

Since you're nearly done cleaning all of the rooms of your home, and as a reward, spend this week turning your room and all the bedrooms in your home into the comfortable and inviting places they should be. Also since there are a lot of things that will be going back into storage in a few weeks, take the time now to clean up storage spaces and closets.

Make sure you take the time to organize and clean your master bedroom, especially since cleaning and organizing your master bedroom will give you back a peaceful night's rest.

Start by dusting everything down. Clean all air vents, fans, doorknobs and switch plates. Dust and clean all wall art. Take down draperies and curtains to wash or have cleaned according to the directions. Also dust down any blinds, and wash all bedding, comforters, mattress pads, and pillows. Flip all mattresses over to provide even wear. Clean out from under your bed. Replace bed with clean bedding and dust down and clean all accent lamps and knickknacks in the bedroom. Clean floors. Also don't forget to organize and clean out the closets.

Week 6: Quick Cleanups and Maintenance

Since you've managed to complete the bulk of your cleaning, this week you should just focus on cleaning things quickly so you can accomplish a lot of other tasks. With the days until Christmas numbered maintenance is key. You've already done the hardest work, so now just minutes a day will help you stay on track for an organized and beautiful holiday.

What You'll Need:

* Dust mop/cloth

* Step-ladder

* Cleaning cloths

* Small bucket with handle

* Sponges

* Vacuum with attachment

* All-purpose cleanser or cleaners of choice

* Oven Cleaner

* Shelf or cabinet liner and drawer dividers

* Broom and mop

* Storage containers

* Carpet machine

* Spot carpet cleaner

* Laundry products

* Mirror /window cleaner

* Trash Bags

General Cleaning Tips:

1. Gather all of your supplies together first — know what you need for each room.

2. Listen to music, an audio book, or a foreign language tape. The time will pass a lot more quickly if you have an enjoyable atmosphere.

3. Try to sort through the all items first, disposing of all unneeded items.

4. Take breaks but don't leave a room incomplete. Finish what you started.