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Emma Roberts certainly has no shortage of projects to keep her busy these days. Between movies, being a mom to 10-month-old son Rhodes with partner Garrett Hedlund, running an online book club called Belletrist, and more, the actor and activist looks forward to the holidays, when she can enjoy some downtime with family. But preparing for some R&R and the seasonal festivities doesn’t come without more work. Like the rest of us, Roberts has to clean and get the house ready before welcoming guests. So how does the 30-year-old prep without getting stressed? AD chatted with her as part of her partnership with natural household and personal care item company Grove Collaborative. The Holidate star—who went plastic-free for a week over the summer to raise awareness around personal plastic use and its effect on the environment—shared the eco-friendly cleaning practices she’ll be doing before guests arrive. Here’s what she had to say.
Prepare the guest rooms
“With friends and family coming to town, I always make sure I’m dusting off my guest rooms. There’s nothing like a green all-purpose spray and a microfiber towel to make a space look and feel really clean quickly! Nothing is cozier than getting into a bed with fresh sheets, so I like to use a naturally scented detergent that leaves them smelling fresh without being overpowering.”
Focus on the bathrooms
“The one thing that makes the bathroom cleanup worthwhile is adding some extra holiday touches. I usually replace the hand towels and always change the soap dispenser to something more festive and add in scented soap.”
Break out the candles
“This is the time to make your entryway extra-inviting for when people come over. Having a cozy environment is all about the candles; they create such a warm space and make any room smell amazing. Let’s be honest, though. I have candles everywhere in my house, especially around the holidays. Anywhere that you want to add a bit more ambience, a candle or two goes a long way!”
Clean as you go
“Trust me: You will thank yourself later on for this. The holidays are already stressful enough, so taking the time to prepare yourself for the inevitable mess is key for me. I like to keep the caddies under my sink stocked with all of my essential supplies, like refillable glass bottles and a multipurpose cleaner for easy access. Making sure the products I’m using are full of ingredients that I trust is really important to me as a new mom—so that whether I’m personally cleaning up or someone else is cleaning the house while I’m at work, I feel good knowing that [my child is] not being exposed to anything potentially harmful.”
Organize the kitchen
“During the holidays, I tend to spend almost all of my time in the kitchen, whether I’m cooking, baking, or hanging with my family. Everyone always seems to flock to the kitchen! With all of the time spent there, I like to make sure it’s extra organized before anyone comes over and the chaos starts. One thing I love to do after a post-holiday food shopping trip is to put all of my produce into individual reusable mesh bags. That way, I can easily grab items out of an ultra-organized fridge and know how much of something I have or if I am running low on anything.”
