Having a busy schedule this holiday season doesn’t give you permission to neglect your home. Trust me when I say there are ways to keep your home clean despite your busy holiday schedule this year. Follow my advice and use these eight ways to keep your home clean through the holidays.
Holiday parties, Christmas pageants, overnight guests…I know the holidays can be the busiest time of year for many of us. Do you ever struggle with keeping your home clean during the holidays? I think this is something we’ve all battled with at some point in our lives. That’s why today I’m sharing a list of tips to help you keep your home clean during the holidays. Check them out!
#1 – Start with a clean slate.
Spend some time cleaning your home before your holiday events start happening. Starting the holidays off right with a clean home will make it easier to keep clean. It will also help motivate you to keep it that way, despite the busyness of the holiday season. You can use my speed cleaning guide as a reference to get it all done in just one day.
#2 – Declutter your home prior to holiday decorating.
Some people wait until the new year to start getting organized, but try doing it before you start decorating your home for the holidays this year. When going through your holiday decorations, toss anything that no longer works. Designate a donation box for unwanted items or items that you decide not to decorate with this year. Go ahead and take those holiday decorations to the thrift store so people will have the chance to purchase and use them for the holidays this year. Don’t limit your donations to just holiday items and as you’re decorating go ahead and get rid of anything you no longer need that’s taking up necessary space. Your home will be less cluttered and look more inviting to your holiday guests.
#3 – Keep decorating to a minimum.
Just because your attic is packed with holiday decorations doesn’t mean you have to use them all. It’s OK to keep it simple this year if you’re expecting a lot of holiday guests. Chances are the days following their visit you’ll have plenty of work to do just cleaning the house, so don’t add extra stress with boxes and boxes of holiday decor to put away. Stick to a Christmas tree, garland, door wreath and a few holiday throws and pillows to make your home look festive and comfy with minimal effort.
#4 – Keep everything in its place.
It will be tempting to save a few steps and not put items back into place when you’re cooking, crafting, decorating or celebrating this holiday season. Just say no! Taking time to properly put items back into place after use will save you both time and energy in the long run. Not only will your home look cleaner with everything in its place, but keeping your home organized prevents stress later because you’ll know exactly where items are when you need them. No one needs added stress during the holidays!
#5 – Spend 10 minutes each day picking up the clutter.
Even if you commit to putting items back into place, chances are your family or guests won’t always comply. Spend 10 minutes a day picking up the clutter in your house will help you keep your home organized. Take a large basket with you as you travel room to room so you’ll have an easy way to transport items to other rooms if needed. Choose to do this either the first or last 10 minutes of your day and it will become an easy habit to keep even after the holidays are gone.
#6 – Keep surfaces clear.
This is a trick I learned last year and I haven’t looked back since. Keeping the surfaces in your home (think coffee and side tables, countertops, etc.) clear will make your home appear less cluttered and much more organized. Use a tray or basket on tables to keep necessary items in one place and limiting your knick-knacks to just one or two per table are easy ways to keep surfaces clear of clutter.
#7 – Let the light in.
Pull back the curtains and blinds and let the sunshine flood into your home. Yes, simply letting the sunlight in can take your home from looking dark, cluttered and drab to looking bright, spacious and fabulous.
#8 – Follow a cleaning schedule.
It’s OK to let some things go when you’re busy with holiday parties and events, but there are some cleaning tasks that have to be done. Like laundry and washing dishes, for example. Falling behind on these important tasks will only make you stressed. Create a weekly cleaning schedule to follow throughout the holiday season to keep you on task.
I hope these tips come in handy for you during the holiday season this year. What is your favorite tip that helps you keep your home clean through the holidays? Share it with me!
Thank you so much for sharing! I know how quickly a house can turn upside down during the holidays 🙂
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