Tips and Tricks for an Easier Holiday Cleaning and Organizing Season

The holiday season can be a stressful time of year. With all the shopping, gift wrapping, cooking, cleaning, and organizing to do before the big day arrives, it’s challenging to know where to even start! To make your life a little easier, Gone For Good has compiled some tips and tricks to simplify your cleaning and organizing tasks during the busiest time of the year!

The most important tip we can give is to create a cleaning schedule. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the tasks that must be done in preparation for the holidays. Take some time upfront to map out what you need to do each day so you don’t miss any essential details.

By breaking down the tasks into manageable chunks, you’ll have more time to focus on other important things, such as spending time with family or attending holiday parties! Plus, there are many online resources to give you expert house cleaning advice and reviews on various cleaning projects. Click here to get started!

One way to declutter your home is to digitize all your documents and receipts. Doing so will help you avoid paper clutter and save space in your filing cabinet or storage area. Take a few minutes to explore the wealth of great apps available that make it easy to scan documents and receipts and store them securely in the cloud; that way, they’ll be easily accessible whenever you need them. Adobe Acrobat's suite of tools can help you get started (here’s a solution).

Setting up a designated gift-wrapping area will help keep your workspace tidy throughout your holiday gift-wrapping marathon. Find a spot near where you plan on doing most of your wrapping, whether it’s at the dining room table or in front of the TV, and stock it with everything you might need. HGTV lists a few items to consider for your wrapping station:

• Scissors
• Tape
• Cardstock paper
• Ribbons
• Bows
• Tissue paper

Having everything at arm’s reach will speed up your wrapping process immensely. And, of course, it will take a bit of stress out of a hectic-feeling season!

As much as we love decorating for the holidays every year, our decorations tend to pile up over time. If there are any items sitting around that you haven’t used in years (or ever!), Love to Know suggests getting rid of them before you start decorating this time around. You don’t want too much clutter intruding on your beautiful holiday display!

Hosting guests for the holidays can be a lot of fun and provide opportunities to create lifelong memories. But that’s not to say it doesn’t come with its own set of challenges — namely, food prep and cleanup! Before anyone arrives at your home, deep clean all surfaces, especially if anyone has food allergies. You’ll also want to store away unnecessary kitchen appliances or dishes during gatherings to minimize the clutter on your work surfaces while you prep meals and bake cookies.

The last thing on our list is preparing for potential overnight guests who might visit during the holidays. Make sure there are plenty of towels readily available for everyone to use and that your guest beds are ready with fresh sheets. It’s essential that your guests feel comfortable after their long journey to your home! Additionally, keep a selection of travel toiletries (e.g., shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, etc.) handy in case anyone forgets something while packing — trust us, they’ll appreciate it.

Taking time to prepare beforehand is the best way to make cleaning and organizing easier during the busy holiday season. Remember to develop a cleaning schedule, digitize your documents and receipts, find a home for unused decorations, prepare your home for guests, and implement the other tips above. That way, you can be confident that your home (and household) is prepared for the upcoming Christmas festivities!

Whether you have lots of things to get rid of or just a few, Gone For Good will take it off your hands. Give us a call today for more information! (720) 594-2292