Celebrating the holidays is always a wonderful time for everyone. But now that you’re done with shopping, decorating, and entertaining guests, you’re faced with the truth: time for cleanup. Here’s a simple guide on how to go about it wisely.
- Set the date. Scheduling your cleaning day keeps you focused as it pushes you to set aside other things.
- Check the trash pick-up schedule in your area. It’s best to schedule cleaning one or two days before the trash pick-up. This saves you from having to keep all the mess, while waiting for the garbage collector.
- Start with your storage. While this might sound unusual, I believe it’s important to have storage space ready before tending to other parts of the house. Otherwise, you end up with no room for decors and other objects you don’t really want to dispose. Worse, your valued ornaments might suffer from breakage.
- One room at a time. It will be easier if you concentrate on one room before moving on to the next. If you have a multi-level house, start from the top-most floor and work on your way down.
- Segregate your trash. It would be helpful to prepare bins or plastic bags where you can just throw in your garbage. If you’re using a real Christmas tree, dispose of it properly by placing it inside a plastic tree bag before bringing it out. If it’s an artificial tree, disassemble it, make sure it’s clean, and keep it in a storage bag.
- Clean your ornaments before storing them. Use a white cloth or soft cleaning rag to wipe the dust off the ornaments. This will help you save time when preparing for the next season.
- Wrap your lights securely to avoid damage. When wrapping lights, keep them away from dust and heavy objects. Wrap individual strings in separate plastic bags or newspaper to keep them from being entangled and place them in a hard or cardboard box.
- Label your containers. Proper labeling makes it easy for you to find decors for specific occasions. You might want to make a list of things you keep in the storage.
A systematic post-holiday cleanup will cut down your working time in half. It’s a practical approach to getting rid of things you won’t need for the next season.
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