The holidays are quickly approaching and if you’re planning on hosting festivities this year, now’s the perfect time to deep clean and organize your home. Even if you aren’t hosting a big shindig, these tips can also be helpful if you’re planning on selling your home or just want to add a little more organization to your life!
Prioritize what needs to be done first
We all have rooms in our houses that are more cluttered than others and although we may have the best intentions, there’s no way we can get to everything in a few short weeks! That is why you’ll want to prioritize what rooms need to be cleaned and organized first. It’s easier to manage your expectations that way.
Set a cleaning schedule
After prioritizing what needs to be done, you can then plan a cleaning schedule around it. THis will give you a timeline of what tasks need to be done first and how long you have to do it. We find that a schedule just helps us stay on track and not miss anything along the way.
Enlist the family for help
Cleaning and organizing isn’t a one man job - it takes a whole household to make the mess so it should take the whole household to clean it! Now understandably if you have young children, this isn’t going to be a walk in the park, but if you turn it into a game, they may be less inclined to complain.
Limited edition scents can add to the festive feel
You can make the whole house a little more festive by using limited edition holiday/seasonal scents to deodorize your home. There are air fresheners, soaps, and cleaning supplies that are themed around the holidays, but you can also use essential oils and an oil diffuser to achieve that seasonal fragrance, too.
Organize the entryway
Organizing the entryway is one of the best ways to keep your home tidy because that tends to be the place where everything is dropped and forgotten. When the kids come home from school, instead of leaving their jackets, backpacks and shoes by the door, have them take their belongings to their room. When it comes to guests, set up a space in your laundry room or hall closet where guests can hang their jackets, instead of leaving them on a coat rack near the door.
Declutter the guest room and bathrooms
If you plan on having guests stay over during the holidays, you’ll definitely want to take the time to declutter the guest room and bathrooms. The name of the game here is to give your guests a space that feels like a home away from home and they can’t really do that if the dresser or closet is filled with everything under the sun and there’s no space for their things!
Declutter and organize the children’s spaces
Cleaning the kids’ rooms and play areas is always something that feels like a monumental task, especially around the holidays! You have to make room for the new stuff they’re bound to get throughout the holidays and, let’s face it, there’s probably a lot of stuff your children don’t even use anymore! This is the perfect time to go through their stuff and donate items that have been all but forgotten. Not only will doing this teach your kids about charity and giving to the less fortunate, but it also teaches them how to clean and organize their toys as well.
Cleaning and organizing can be a daunting task even without the holidays coming up, but for new homeowners that are hosting their first gathering… It can be down-right overwhelming. Hopefully these organization and decluttering tips can help get the ball rolling!
