Cleaning Up After Christmas

The completion of the holiday season can bring about lots of emotions: relief, sadness, or satisfaction. But most everyone feels one major feeling in common: the overwhelming dread of cleaning up after family leaves and taking down the decorations. Cleaning up after Christmas can be a daunting task, but you don’t have to do it alone! 

If you’re thinking “Where do I start? How can I stay organized?” then these tips are for you. In this blog post, we will give you 11 tips for cleaning up after the holidays so that when your guests come over in January they won’t be greeted with a messy living room.

11 Tips for Cleaning Up After Christmas You’ll Wish You Knew Earlier

1. Keep a “To Do” list: That’s right. The best projects always start with a list; an organization of your brain, of sorts. Whether you go all out when you deck the halls or just have a mess from family gatherings, a list will help you stay organized and on task. So before you get started on the rest of our Christmas cleaning tips, make a list and write it down! 
2. Put things away in the same location every year (i.e., Christmas boxes under the stairs). Cleaning after Christmas is hard enough. The last thing you want to do next year is to have to figure out where on earth you put all of your decorations. Make sure you have a designated space in your basement, garage, or storage location. 
3. Buy containers with lids. Putting away decorations is easiest when you have containers with lids. Not only does this help your decorations stay dry in storage, the next time you want to pull out all of your Christmas decor, but it’s also a simple process and not a massive headache! 
4. Donate unwanted items or sell them before cleanup day. We’ve all received gifts we have no idea what to do with. Post them online for sale, save them for next year (regifting really is okay), or better yet, donate them to your local charity. 
5. Organize by size. There are three different categories that need to be split into their own boxes: small ornaments, medium-sized ornaments (like big snowflakes), and larger items like lights. It will make setting up for each holiday much easier if they’re separated from one another during storage time!
   *Pro-tip: Many ornaments are delicate and require some extra care. Buy or create an ornament box; one with layers of honeycomb separators. Using this will make sure that every item has a place. For extra breakable items, wrap in acid-free tissue paper or bubble wrap, and try to keep them in their original boxes to avoid mix-ups. 
6. Avoid a tangled ball of Christmas lights. Keep lights from tangling by wrapping them around the empty tubes from your wrapping paper. Loop the cord around the roll, starting with the side opposite to the plug, then, insert the plug into the tube’s opening. If you’ve already thrown away your gift-wrap tubes, paper towel tubes work too. 
7. Put away the tree. Though it’s a main staple in your living room during the holidays, it’s also a huge space occupied when you’re trying to clean and organize after Christmas. If you have an artificial tree, gently wipe the branches with a slightly damp, microfiber cloth. Let the branches dry completely before storing. If you’ve decorated with a real tree, do a quick online search to find a location in your area that collects trees for compost. It’s a useful and environmentally friendly option.
   *Pro-tip: If you have a storage space large enough and an artificial tree, another tip as old as time is to simply cover your tree with a large storage bag. With a quick search online, you can find disposable upright storage bags or bags you can use again every year. 
8. Make use of extra bins/boxes/bags as needed. There may come a point in which you find yourself running low on containers – either because some got broken last year or maybe Santa brought something new this year! Reuse boxes that your gifts came in, grocery bags, or other storage bins that can help protect your decorations.
   *Pro-tip: You can use items you have around the house to protect your fragile decorations. Hang your wreaths on clothes hangers, cover them with a plastic bag, and hang them in your storage area. You can protect your fancy candles from scratches by first tucking them into an old pair of pantyhose. An empty egg carton makes a great storage container for small ornaments and other tiny knick-knacks. 
9. Organize your gifts in a closet or another room. If you’re like most people, there’s no way that you’ll be able to put all of the presents away immediately after Christmas is over – and yes, they do need to go somewhere! Store them until you can sort them appropriately. After all the decorations, gifts, and boxes are stored away, do a quick clean! 
10. Do a quick clean before New Year’s Eve: You can make sure everything sparkles by wiping down kitchen counters and sweeping/mopping floors if needed. This will keep things looking great through the first weeks of January when company might drop by unexpectedly! 
11. Call in the professionals. Between hosting family, cookie crumbs, snow boot prints, and stray pine needles, the floors and other surfaces have undoubtedly accumulated some unwanted mess. Give your home a nice, deep clean after Christmas with a call to The Maids. We’ll get your home the fresh start it needs to begin the new year.

An important detail to note is that the more thought and care you put into the cleaning and storage, the easier next year will be. So get a jump-start on your resolution to be more organized, and use our tips for an easier, less stressful Christmas cleanup.