Five Tips To Keep Holiday Clutter At Bay

It’s the beginning of a new year, and it is now time to prepare yourself for that annual post-holiday de-cluttering ritual! Nothing is a bigger enemy for our organizational skills than the leftovers of the winter holiday season. Yet we do not even think about it while enjoying holiday parties and time well spent with friends and fam!

To be honest, even the thought of taking down the Christmas tree or cleaning the kitchen after a holiday party can be overwhelming. From the decorative ornaments to the scraps of wrapping paper, leftover food to empty bottles of wine and beer, there’s just way too much stuff.

But worry not, we’re here to save the day! We’ll share some holiday de-cluttering tips to help get rid of all the mess lurking behind doors, on top of tables, and under the bed!

• Vacuum the area under your Christmas tree

If you bought a fresh-cut Christmas tree instead of an artificial one this fall, you KNOW you’re in for a big mess!  The pine needles can be quite an annoyance. Once they fall on the floor, they tend to stick to your shoes or socks and end up traveling everywhere throughout your house. Not to mention, you’ve probably also left a mess under the tree after opening all those lovely presents. So come on, get up, and vacuum the entire area to get rid of all the trash lying on the floor. Once you’re done with that, we recommend disposing of the Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly way, of course. If it’s an artificial tree, you can always put it back in a rented storage unit with all your other seasonal belongings for use next year.

• Keep your holiday décor as minimalistic as possible

You’ve probably already had a big fat new year’s party at your place, but we’re still going to say this! Just because you have tons of holiday decorations with you, that does not mean you have to utilize all of them at once. Keep your holiday decorations as simple as possible, especially if you’ve invited a lot of people, children included. Why, you ask? Because it’s less stressful to clean up once everyone’s gone, duh!

Try not to stress yourself by dealing with over the top decoration in and outside your home. Keep your holiday decorations simple by sticking to a garland, a door wreath, and a single Christmas tree to make your house embrace the holiday spirit with less effort. It’s easier to clean up and saves a lot of time and money.

• Spend twenty minutes every day to pick up the clutter

Do you know what’s a better idea than lazing around all winter and then going all out spending an entire day cleaning weeks worth of clutter? Taking out time EVERY Day to get the job done more efficiently over the season!  It doesn’t take a lot of time, to be honest. Spend twenty minutes every day picking up your winter holiday mess to avoid tiredness. Fatigue will make you quit halfway through.

Utilize a large basket to store decorative items as you go from room to room.  Do the clothes one day, and the board games another. If you have friends and family over for a party, collect the leftovers as soon as everyone’s gone to avoid a towering mess the next day. Take the de-cluttering process step by step if you wish to accomplish tidiness. Saving everything for the season’s end can be quite a daunting ordeal, one that you’d definitely want to delay as much as possible.

• Keep all the surfaces inside your house neat and clean

Keeping every flat surface inside your house clean and tidy will result in a home that looks more organized and well kept. For example, wiping coffee tables and countertops will make everything appear less dirty. Avoid overstuffing surfaces with décor to create a spacious look. Like we said earlier, opt for a minimalistic approach. Limiting your small knick-knacks will keep the space free of clutter and other holiday mess.

• Let in some sunshine inside your house

People tend to close their windows and draw the curtains and blinds to keep their homes as warm as possible. But the truth is, the winter sun hits quite differently and is excellent for creating a cozy ambiance. So, open the curtains and blinds and allow the light to flood inside your house. Letting in some light will make your home look bright, spacious, and less cluttered and gloomy without putting in any effort at all. Clutter isn’t merely physical; it can also be a state of mind. And light creates the illusion of space. Think about it!

Conclusion

The winter holidays bring lots of happiness and joy to people everywhere. But it also involves dealing with festive and seasonal leftovers that can overwhelm us pretty fast. You will eventually have to put away things like winter clothes, linen, and decorations as soon as spring hits the calendar. Keeping things simple and sorting them out on the go is crucial if you want your post-holiday season to start without clutter. So, be smart, utilize these tips, and welcome the post-holiday season with a neat and tidy home.