Post-holiday Cleanup – Are You Ready For It?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have this peaceful, clutter-free nook after the holidays? Featured here is the Console Estrelas from Fine Furniture Design’s Deco Collection.

A Happy New Year to everyone! Just like millions of others, you are now ready to catch up with work deadlines and the hustle and bustle of city life once more. But before you even go back do take a careful look around. There are lots of post-holiday clutter to take care of.

Get Organized

It’s time to bring out or buy additional organizing containers from your home depot. Your holiday stuff doesn’t need to become clutter. Those wrapping papers and holiday décor need to be kept out of sight in the next 11 months.

Getting organized means knowing where to get your stuff when you already need them.

You can begin in the kitchen. This is the most-used room apart from the dining area during the holiday season so it’s about right that you begin your cleanup there. Get rid of food wastes and make some room in your refrigerator.

This is also the time to deodorize your pots and pans. Use some salt with lemon then wipe clean with paper towels. Brighten those crystal glasses before you have them stored for yet another year.

After the kitchen and dining room cleanup, it’s time to head to the living room. Get rid of that pile of holiday cards. Take pictures of each (if you are feeling sentimental) then throw the cards away. Get rid of ornaments, any non-working lights, garlands, wreaths, etc. Organize these inside garbage bags and have them thrown away.

Post-holiday decluttering must also include editing your closet. Eliminate the clothes, bags, shoes, and accessories that you no longer use. Have them donated to other people who could still use them. Picture the image that you would want to project this year and if the items in your closet no longer represent who you are, then it’s time to throw those away.

Sort your off-season clothes and have them stored out-of-sight. Also, once and for all, if you’ve been holding on to a junk drawer or two, then this is the year to finally get rid of it.

Every Available Hand Should Help

Gather your family and have them work composed with you. If you enjoyed the holidays all together then you should also be together during this decluttering project.

Hold a family meeting to discuss the cleanup that is going to happen. Even small kids can help by storing or putting away their toys. Every little thing must have a place where it is supposed to go once it is not in use.

Use a family calendar to remind everyone where they should be and what they are supposed to do on a particular day.

Recycle

Save the bubble wraps and padded mailers inside Ziploc bags. These can be used throughout the year. Find out which gifts you want and keep them while making a new home for those that you don’t want. The giver, of course, doesn’t have to know.

Going back to those holiday cards, those are also recyclable. Some of the wrapping paper are non-recyclable, though, because of their dyes, plastics, and glitter. With this in mind, consider what you would wrap your gifts with next year. It is best to use newspaper or tissue so you can recycle afterward.

Taking down the Christmas tree is also another task that you need to take on. It is best to cut it up then put the pieces in your bin during the recycling day. Be sure to remove any plastic item on your tree before you dispose of it.

If you live in an apartment, be sure to check with your property manager regarding recycling instructions.

Tags: decluttering after the holidays, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, post-holiday cleanup, post-holiday decluttering

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Home Maintenance, Interior Design 101. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.