The night of Christmas can often feel anticlimactic, as guests and family members depart, leaving behind remnants of wrapping paper and scattered bows. The stacks of gifts needing a designated place in my home evoke a sense of melancholy.
Interestingly, I used to dread the post-Christmas decluttering process. However, as the years went by, I discovered the importance of approaching it with composure. Moreover, I have learned that pre-organizing and decluttering before Christmas can significantly reduce the effort required for the post-holiday cleanup.
In light of my experience, I wanted to share some useful decluttering tips so that you, too, can realize that tidying up after the festivities is not an insurmountable task.
7 Easy Tips on How to Declutter After the Holidays
Extra Dishes
After the conclusion of the Christmas dinner, a diligent group of family members promptly convene to collectively tackle the task of dishwashing. This proactive approach enables us to promptly stow away the infrequently used dinnerware, thereby streamlining our post-holiday kitchen decluttering process.
Furthermore, we meticulously store our cherished China and other specialized serving dishes, reserved solely for the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities.
Wrapping Paper and Bows
To effectively declutter after Christmas, start by collecting all the discarded wrapping paper, ribbons, and used bows. This simple action not only eliminates waste but also provides clarity on further tasks.
As a helpful strategy implemented in our household for several years, we strategically place a few empty waste paper cans in the living room where gift unwrapping takes place.
This ensures that everyone can easily dispose of their wrapping materials and bows while unwrapping their gifts, significantly reducing the time spent cleaning up the resulting debris.
Prepare the Gifts You Need to Return or Exchange
When it comes to gifts, there often seems to be items that are either not useful to the recipient or new clothing that doesn’t quite fit or has the wrong color. Sometimes, it may even be something you already own.
In such instances, it is advisable to create a pile with these unwanted gifts and keep the receipts handy. This will allow you to promptly exchange or return the undesired items. Afterwards, make a point to visit the appropriate stores at your earliest convenience to process the necessary exchanges or returns.
Sort Through Your Christmas Decorations as You Take Them Down
As you prepare to wrap up the holiday season and carefully pack away your cherished Christmas decorations until next year, it’s important to allocate some time for organization and decision-making.
Firstly, I like to start by evaluating the ornaments and decorations that were not utilized during the current Christmas season. I carefully assess each item, considering its potential for future use. Anything that hasn’t been used for a year or two is then separated and categorized into a designated pile for disposal or donation.
Next, I methodically go through the old lights, garlands, and tinsels, making sure to discard anything that no longer meets the visual standards or specifications.
Finally, as I gradually dismantle the Christmas tree, I carefully assess each piece and add any worn out or unwanted decorations to either the disposal or donation pile. This approach ensures that everything within my decoration storage boxes is primed and ready for use in the following year.
Organize Unused Wrapping Paper and Ribbon
After organizing and storing the actual Christmas decorations, I proceed to arrange and put away the unused but still in good condition wrapping papers, ribbons, and bows.
For better preservation, if feasible, it is recommended to pack these items in durable plastic containers, ensuring their freshness is maintained for future use.
Sort Through Your Kids Broken Toys
If you have children, then it is likely that they will receive new toys for Christmas. However, it is common for children to already possess a substantial number of toys, some of which may no longer be used or may even be broken and unusable.
If your children are older, involving them in the process of sorting through their toys could be beneficial.
On the other hand, if your children are younger, it may be better to declutter their toy collection when they are not present. Young children often hesitate to part with any toy, even if they have lost interest in it.
When my sister’s kids were young, we would take the opportunity to declutter their toys during the week before Christmas break while the children were at school.
This decluttering process would take place before the new toys were unwrapped, allowing the kids to simply put them away once they had been opened and played with for a while.
Get Ready For New Clothes
In our family, receiving clothing as a gift has always been a cherished tradition. As individuals, each of us adults tends to indulge in shopping and treat ourselves to new clothes, making the surprise of receiving clothing we wouldn’t have chosen ourselves all the more exciting.
However, for some members of our family, this means making space for the new additions by decluttering our dresser drawers or closets. Decluttering your clothing collection is a simple yet effective process. Take the time to go through your dresser or closet, or both, and identify items that are worn, stained, or no longer worn.
If you have recently decluttered your closet and dresser to prepare for the fall and winter seasons, you may not need to repeat the process unless you have made new clothing purchases. However, for those who find themselves with a surplus of clothes that exceed their needs, decluttering becomes essential in order to make room for new clothing items.
Final Thoughts
Decluttering after the holidays may not be a favorite chore for everyone, but with the tips and tricks I’ve acquired over the years, I’ve managed to simplify and ease the process. By implementing these strategies, post-holiday decluttering can become less stressful and more manageable. I hope that you will find these tips helpful in your own decluttering endeavors.