Start Afresh with New Year Home Organizing
Once the rush of the holiday season has passed, we are left with memories of sharing good food, laughter, and joy with our loved ones. But we are also left with the dreaded post-holiday clutter to clean up.
The holidays are a busy time of year for many, making staying on top of organizing and decluttering difficult.
So, January is the best time for a New Year home organizing session! Being on the other side of the winter solstice means longer and brighter days and the promise of warmer weather. And, the best way to start the new year is with a fresh, decluttered, organized home.
Declutter and Swap out Duplicates
Consider donating any duplicates of gifts you received. Say you were given a beautiful new pair of mittens for Christmas. Before tossing them into the pile of mittens you already have, go through them and do a “swap”. Find the oldest/least worn ones that your new mittens will replace, and donate them.
Do this for any gifts you received that aren’t consumable or an experience – candles, slippers, sporting gear, clothes, pyjamas, bathrobe, etc.
Even small swaps like this will help keep the clutter down and help you stay organized.
Organize Gift Wrap and Bags
Go through your gift-wrapping bin and reorganize it, so it’s ready for next year. Reusing gift bags and tissue paper is not only cost-saving but also environmentally friendly. Neatly fold tissue paper and gift bags that can be reused and stored in a bin. Take stock of wrapping paper, tape, ribbons and tags and consider restocking your bin now, so you don’t need to worry about it later. After the holidays is a great time to stock up on these items, as stores will have them marked down for clearance.
Don’t have a gift-wrapping bin? Now’s the perfect time to get one! If you’re purchasing a new bin, ensure it is long enough to accommodate gift wrap tubes!
Put Away Decorations
If you’ve been adding to your Christmas decoration collection over the years, you may feel overwhelmed by the amount you’ve collected. This is the best time to clear out excess decoration clutter. Because you can see what you used and didn’t use, you won’t convince yourself to keep items you don’t need by thinking you’ll use them at some point.
Clean out your Kitchen
If you’re hosting family and friends over the holidays, your kitchen will get a LOT of use, so the post-holiday season is a great time to reorganize and deep-clean your kitchen.
- Clean out fridge/freezer – leftovers can be one of the best parts of the holidays! Unless, of course, they end up pushed to the back of your fridge, forgotten about until they become a 6th-grade science experiment!
- Reorganize bakeware – go through your bakeware and declutter any pans you haven’t used in the last year.
- Store seasonal ingredients properly – some holiday recipes call for certain ingredients you may not use for the rest of the year. Consider using them in the next few weeks if you can. For shelf-stable items (spices, for example), store and label them properly so you can easily find them next year.
- Give your appliances a deep clean – the oven and dishwasher will probably have gotten the most use, meaning they may have buildup. Run a self-cleaning cycle in each and remember to empty the filter at the bottom of your dishwasher too!
Clean out your Closets
Before putting away your holiday dresses and outfits, consider donating excess or ill-fitting items. If you have small children, you know they will not fit their holiday outfits or shoes by next year, so save yourself the hassle of storing them and having to deal with it next year, and donate the items now.
Give the Gift of an Organized Space
Everyone deserves to live in a clutter-free, organized space, and we’re here to help make that happen!
If you’re struggling with gift ideas for that special someone, consider gifting a New Year home organizing session to help them with holiday clutter! (Or…put it on your own wish list!).
Contact us today for a free phone or video call consultation or a 30-minute in-person consultation for $50+tax.
You can also send us videos of the areas you need help with via WhatsApp at 604-446-3939, and we would be happy to provide you with an estimate.
