You want to enjoy your home for the holidays — and that means making sure it’s clean and organized. Not only are you likely to be hosting guests over the holiday season, but you’ll also want to be able to relax and spend time with your friends and family.
Here are some tips for getting a clean and organized home — or, more specifically, the mistakes you should avoid.
1. Don’t Keep Things You Don’t Need
If your house is over-filled with clutter, it’s likely that you have things that you don’t need. Do you own 20 different frying pans? Do you have clothes that you last wore eight years ago? No one needs that much stuff; pack it all in bags and boxes and head to the local donation center.
2. Don’t Pile Everything Into Storage Bins and Closets
Everyone’s been there: guests are set to arrive in 20 minutes and you haven’t cleaned. It’s time to pile everything into storage bins and shove them in the closet. Out of sight is out of mind, right? But the problem with this tactic is that things put in storage bins and closets stay there. Take the time to do it right, or you’ll be cursing your former self.
3. Don’t Do Everything Last Minute
And while we’re at it, don’t procrastinate to begin with. Doing things last-minute is exactly how you end up shoving your old shoes under the couch and hoping no one notices. Schedule time for your cleaning before you have other things you need to do.
4. Don’t Purchase Large Amounts of New Decor
Once you’ve emptied out your home, the last thing you want to do is fill it with new things again. Purchasing holiday decor may seem like a welcoming, festive thing to do, but it really just gives you more clutter. Think carefully before adding anything new.
5. Don’t Do the Entire House at Once
It can be overwhelming to try doing your whole house — in fact, it’s likely to just distract you. Instead, go room by room and separate larger rooms into sections. You’ll find it far easier and less taxing.
6. Don’t Waste Time on a Single Item
If you find yourself holding onto objects for minutes at a time and trying to figure out where they go, start a pile. Everything else should be easily placed within a few seconds, and items that you can’t figure out can be sorted through later.
7. Don’t Multitask
Multitasking is difficult for everyone. If you’re switching between dishes, laundry, sweeping, and organizing, it’s likely that you’re going to let some things slide. You may completely forget that you need to put the laundry in the dryer or you may misplace items that you’re organizing. Focusing on one task at a time makes it more likely each task will be completed correctly.
8. Don’t Go It Alone
It can feel frustrating to delegate, but if no one in your household ever learns to organize, you’ll always be the one responsible for organization. Enlist other members of the family to take control over certain items of the home, so you don’t need to handle absolutely everything yourself.
9. Don’t Forget About the Future
One of the most common mistakes people make is packing away things that they’re going to need shortly. Make sure you think about all the items you’re going to need through the holidays and put them in an accessible place. Otherwise you’ll find yourself tearing through boxes.
10. Don’t Forget to Label
Labeling your items makes everything much easier. In fact, you may even want to invest in a label maker. Keeping a complete inventory of your items (especially those stored in a garage or storage unit) will make finding things when you need them faster… and make it less likely you’ll make a mess when trying to find things.
By avoiding the above mistakes, you can enjoy a happy, healthy home throughout the holiday season. If you need some additional help to clear through the clutter, check out more suggestions at Get Organized Wizard.
great article.
Great tips. I seem to do most of these and wonder why I’m overwhelmed all the time.