Now that the holidays are over and family has left your home it is time for clean-up. You have managed to go around the house, clean up and get things back in order. The last thing you need to do now is gather all holiday decorations and trash what you do not need. Wrap up after holiday cleaning and organizing in a snap with the following tips:
Organizing Tips
- Storing Ornaments
If you kept the original box decorations came in, place them back in the box and place all ornaments in a larger container for storage. Place batting down on the bottom of the container and between the rows of boxes to protect ornaments from breaking. If you did not keep the ornament boxes purchase a plastic container, place a piece of batting between each row of ornaments.
- Storing Lights
To avoid frustration later on wrap up lights neatly instead of just throwing them in a box. A few options include:
- Use wrapping paper tubes to wrap lights around before storing. Cut a slight in each end, place the plug in one slit, wrap the lights and place the last string on the other slit to hold the lights in place.
- Recycle a few pieces of cardboard from shipping boxes to wrap lights around.
- Plastic hangers can be used to wrap lights around and store them.
- Storing Decorations
Prior to storing garland, wreaths and other decorations wrap them in tissue paper for additional protection use sturdy storage containers. Place artificial Christmas trees back in the box that it came in and natural one in a bag ready for curbside pickup. Make sure to label containers and place them facing outwards when storing them.
Cleaning Tips
- Do Not Discard Holiday Cards
Before throwing away holiday cards, go through them to check for names and addresses to add to your card list. You can use this list to send out thank-you cards or to start your Christmas list for next year. You could even use cutouts from the cards and recycle them as a gift tag for later.
- In With the New, Out With the Old
If you or your kids received a new pair of pajamas for Christmas, replace the new pair with the oldest. Same goes for clothing, footwear or other items received. Do not create more clutter. You can donate and pass on useful items to others instead of just throwing them away.
- What to Do with Unwanted Gifts
You do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings but you did not like the gift. What should you do if you do not want to keep it? There are a couple of ways you can handle unwanted gifts:
- Use the gift receipt attached or take gift back and get something you like or will use.
- You can always give the unwanted item to someone who could get better use or donate to charity.