Can you believe it’s nearly the end of 2023? We’re fast heading towards the time when we welcome guests into our homes, or spend time with loved ones. Or—perhaps through choice—we get to program a little solo restoration and relaxation for ourselves and take the opportunity quietly to reflect on and process the events of our year.

Whatever way we choose to spend the holiday season, having a clean, comfortable, welcoming space is a true investment in everyone’s, and our own, wellbeing. And it doesn’t matter if we’re heading towards winter or summer in our particular parts of the world, the principles for creating love and comfort in our homes are broadly similar.

First up, cleaning. Make it a sensory pleasure by making use of Koala Eco’s deliciously scented and naturally supercharged cleaners. Start from the top of your home with upstairs rooms first. Dust (and test) lights fixtures and ceiling fans. Run a soft cloth through the slats of blinds, or use the vacuum cleaner on curtains.  Dust all surfaces before attending to carpets and rugs. If you have wooden shelves or furniture, our Natural Floor Cleaner with Mandarin and Peppermint essential oils used direct on a wet cloth works to buff them up. Diluted in water, it’s brilliant for wooden or tiled floors, and it fills your home with the energising zest of mandarin and fresh peppermint.

Glass and mirrors: our Natural Glass Cleaner with Peppermint essential oil not only delivers a perfect finish, cutting through grease, peppermint is also a natural insect repellent. Give your bathrooms and kitchen a good clean with our Natural Multipurpose Cleaners: the bathroom version has the purifying and air-clearing power of Eucalyptus essential oil. At the same time, the kitchen cleaner has the uplifting scent of Lemon Myrtle and Mandarin, both also powerful antiseptics. Ditto the essential oils in our Natural Dish Soap, so make sure you have plenty in stock, to make doing any extra dishes an aromatic treat rather than a chore.

Still in the kitchen, think about your holiday menu. Have you all the baking and cooking essentials like salt, oil, flour and so on? What’s in the freezer, the pantry? And is everything working? The last thing you need is microwave or oven failure. Prep and freeze as many dishes as possible in advice, and stock up on drinks, mixers and snacks. If you have guests coming, don’t be caught out last minute by dietary preferences or food intolerances: check in advance. And remember, our Natural Fruit and Vege Wash with Mandarin essential oil is safe and effective for cleansing fresh produce.

On the subject of safety, do a bit of a maintenance check, especially if you have little ones coming to stay. Are all smoke detectors fully functioning? What about domestic fire extinguishers? Is the heating or cooling system serviced and in order? Think about sharp furniture corners, trip hazards and the positioning of electric appliances and wires.

Imagine you’re a guest in someone else’s home. What would you find extra welcoming, apart from clean linen and spare blankets and pillows? A basket of snacks and drinks? Beautiful soaps and toiletries in the bathroom?

If you’re into giving gifts, buy and wrap them in advance, use recycled wrapping paper and ribbons, and maybe try to avoid anything with excess packaging or plastic that will just go into landfill. Top tip: our Koala Eco gift sets are attractively presented in recyclable packaging, and all our bottles are made from 100 % recycled and recyclable rPet. We also have glass and refill options.

Finally, given that the end of the year is often an excuse for celebration—whatever your faith or belief—why not bring nature into your home? After all, in so many cultures, this time of year has traditionally been a key moment in the pagan calendar. Decorate rooms, thresholds, picture frames and dining tables with botanicals like branches and berries. Simmer a pot of orange peels, cinnamon sticks and cloves to create a warm and enticing festive scent, or mist one of our sprays around your rooms. Our invigorating Natural Room Spray with Pink Grapefruit and Peppermint essential oils, perhaps, or our soothing Natural Pillow and Linen Spray with essential oils from Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Rosalina.  

Don't forget, this is also a time for you to relax. What replenishes YOU? A leisurely walk to welcome the season of light? Hunkering down in the evening with a movie or a card game, with a playlist of your favourite tunes? The cool, still moments before daybreak, or a late-night tryst with the Milky Way?

Preparation—and delegation—is key. Let go of perfection, embrace the moment, and enjoy.