Joyful as they may be, holidays often have our homes look like an explosion site, even though there is glitter and shine everywhere. Holidays are busy, and even if it’s the kind of busy we enjoy, keeping your home clean can be a real challenge, what with all the decorations, craft materials, guests, parties, etc. Well, here are some hacks that could keep your stress levels much lower this holiday season!
A clean slate first
If you start the season with a clean home, it’ll be a lot easier to keep your home looking tidy throughout. Not only that, it will serve you as a kind of motivation to keep things neat.
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Declutter before you decorate
Go through the decorations and get rid of anything that doesn’t work anymore. If there are decorations you haven’t recently used or you decide to skip this year, put them in a box and take them to a thrift store. While you’re at it, get rid of anything you don’t want anymore – how much stuff do you have that just takes up space and attracts dust? Throw or give them away and make your home more spacious and comfortable. You can see holidays as a time when you and your home are having a cleaning ritual to prepare for the coming year.
Keep decorations in check
What happens in most families is decorations pile up over the years. But just because you have a small mountain of decorations, it doesn’t mean you have to use them all (that takes us back to point 2). If you’re having guests this year, just think of the cleaning once they are gone. Don’t give yourself extra headaches before and after your guests come!
The most effective decorations are always a beautiful Christmas tree, a wreath, some garlands and a couple of throws and pillows to make things cozy. Plus, they need least effort. However, if you like Craftmas, here is a video with some cute ideas.
Don’t be lazy – put things away
Cooking and decorating are especially tricky for putting things back into their place. If you manage to resist the urge to leave them where they are, you’ll save a lot of time and energy in the long run. Plus, you’ll always know where things are which will also lower the stress.
Ten minutes a day keep clutter away
Even when you adopt the previously mentioned principle, you may be alone in your efforts. To keep things under control with so many people around and things going on, you can introduce the habit of picking up clutter every day for 10 minutes. You could do it in the morning or right before you go to bed. An extra tip: take a large basket as you screen the rooms and you’ll be more efficient in putting things away. This is actually a useful tactic all year round.
Keep surfaces clear
Coffee tables, side tables and countertops are just magnets for knick-knacks. Try not to clutter these surfaces. You could put some trays or small baskets to keep the different small items in place if you really need them there – that way they’ll take up less space.
Don’t fall behind with the basics
There’s no way round doing the dishes and the laundry. When you keep those checked off your to-do list, your house will look, smell and feel clean.