8 Easy Ways to Declutter Your Home Before Christmas: Simplify Your Space for the Holidays
Christmas is right around the corner, and you know what that means…family, food, and holiday fun! But you look around your home and might feel a little overwhelmed by everything you see because that means you have a lot to do!
But don’t worry. Here are eight easy ways to declutter your home as you prepare for the holiday season.
#1 Kids’ Bedrooms
Decluttering the kid’s bedrooms is a must before Christmas. With all the new gifts flooding in, we have to get rid of all the stuff they got last year and no longer use. If your kids are younger, you will need to help them with this process. Older kids can usually do this on their own if you tell them what is expected.
Start by going through all of their clothes. Make sure you have a few trash bags handy. You will donate any items that no longer fit or can’t be used as hand-me-downs and throw away any items with holes or stains that won’t come out.
Next, start having them throw away all the trash in their rooms. Somehow, when I go through my kids’ rooms, I always end up with wrappers, papers, and weird small toys.
Lastly, go through the toys. This part is usually difficult for kids. I like to use it as a teaching moment to show my children that we don’t need to be attached to stuff. If they don’t play with an item, point out that they have the opportunity to share it with another boy or girl.
The reality is that if you are donating it, some other little child is probably getting it for Christmas! My kids always seemed excited when they realized it would be for someone else.
#2 Guest Bedding and Towels
Go through all your old bedding and towels and discard anything that may be worn out or dingy. Somehow, this always seems to slip my mind, and I find myself with guests who need pillowcases, and mine are all stained from over the years. Replace any sheet sets or towels, and your guests will definitely feel the love and hospitality.
#3 Eliminate Counter Clutter
We usually put the mail on the counter whenever we come home. Oh, here come the kids’ backpacks or school papers, and the husband walks in with all his work items, and now the Amazon packages enter the space. The kitchen is where life happens, which means stuff accumulates on the counters.
Go through all the mail that has piled up over the weeks and toss anything unimportant.
If you are an appliance junky like I am, then you might want to find a new home for the toaster, the ninja mixer, and the air fryer! Maybe store them in the garage for a few weeks or try to place them under the counter if you have the space.
When family and friends are over, they gather around the kitchen and chat about the last few months of their lives. You don’t want it to feel like there isn’t a place to set dishes they bring in or feel overwhelmed by the lack of counter space.
#4 The Drop Zone/Entryway
This area is of the utmost importance! The entryway or drop zone needs to be cleared out and available for guests, family, and friends who will be coming in and out of your house during the holidays.
Put all the shoes away by the front or back door.
Make sure all of your coats are pushed aside in the coat closet, or put them in your bedroom while guests are over. If you don’t have a spot for guests’ coats, offer to put them on your bed or in the nearest room.
You want your guests to walk in and feel like they can relax, not keep their stuff with them because there isn’t a space for them to take off their coats.
#5 Primary Bedroom
Since your room might be a place that people are going to come into, declutter the nightstands and tops of the dressers and put away all of the laundry beforehand. You want to walk into your room after a long night of hosting and feel relaxed, not stressed that you crammed everything in and shut the door.
Trust me, falling into a clean bed is way more peaceful after a long day than walking in and seeing all the junk you stacked on your bed to hide from your guests before they arrived!
#6 All Bathrooms
Go through all the bathrooms guests might use and get rid of old, unwanted hair scrunchies or soaps and shampoos you no longer need or use. Clear out all of the drawers and give them a good wipe-down.
Restock the bathrooms with towels, toilet paper, and hygiene products. That way, no one has to feel awkward and ask you for more TP.
#7 Vehicles
The holiday visits mean store runs, airport trips, and family outings. I don’t know about you, but we always end up with people in our car when the family visits for the holidays.
Clean out the trash under your seats.
Make sure you take in any clothes or shoes that kids have left behind and coffee mugs that were left in there the other morning.
If you have the time, take your car to the car wash and vacuum it out, and you’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief. There is nothing like Aunt Carl getting in the car and having to sit on chips left behind by one of the kids.
#8 Backyard and Garage
If you are anything like the families I know, we always make our way out to the backyard or garage during large family gatherings. Grab a trash bag and do a quick clean-up of the backyard. Put all the toys away, clear the trash, and tidy up any seating that you will be using during the holiday season.
Put away any summer toys or fans that won’t be used, and bring out the heaters! If you clean the yard early enough, you can pick up all the toys before the snow falls. Otherwise, it is always fun for the kids to uncover toys when the snow melts.
If you don’t live where it snows, you still shouldn’t procrastinate this step. 😉
If you have any toy bins outside, now is an excellent time to go through them and remove any broken toys or trash that may have gotten thrown in during the warm months.
Now, you are on your way to a decluttered home for the holiday season. Being with friends and family should be fun and relaxing! I hope it is for you, especially because you prepared yourself and your home.