House Cleaning After the Holidays

January 7, 2003

Whether house cleaning is part of your resolutions or not, it’s important to get the ball rolling after the holidays to start the year off fresh. Learn to dismantle your decorations for easy storage and access next year.

Get off to a clean start this new year by getting your house back in shape. The hectic holiday season may have caused a stir, but with a little effort, you'll be back on track before you know it. From degreasing your kitchen to safely storing your decorations, follow this guide for cleaning house after the holidays.

Decoration Dismantle

Taking down holiday decorations is a good starting place for your postholiday cleanup. That's right, even though these festive frills looked beautiful before the holidays arrived, it's time to perform a decoration dismantle. Here's a checklist for packing up the holiday trimming. jan05 cleanup image2

Carefully remove any outside lights without tangling the strings. Think this is easier said then done? Try wrapping each individual strand around a piece of cardboard. Lights will be much easier to unravel next year.

Store ornaments in a box filled with shredded newspaper to avoid wrapping each item individually, or take advantage of postholiday sales and purchase a storage container for your ornaments.

Place leftover wrapping paper in plastic tubs to avoid ripping. Store your tubs in the basement (or other storage area), and you'll know exactly where to find your wrapping paper next year. Some storage containers are even specifically tailored to house wrapping paper. jan05 cleanup image3

Break down leftover gift boxes and stow until needed. That way, if the stores run out before you're finished shopping next year, you'll have replacement boxes on hand.

Go from room to room removing holiday-specific accent pieces, such as decorative bath towels and holiday pot holders. Store these items together and clearly label the container to eliminate confusion next year.

Guest Bedroom Blitz

Did you have overnight visitors this season? Go through your guest bedroom and get it ready for its next occupant.

Change and wash any linens, such as sheets, blankets, and towels.

Dust and vacuum the room.

Refresh the mattress, pillows and window treatments with Febreze® Fabric Refresher™.

Living Room Lookout

After all the holiday entertaining has ended, this area is probably covered with hidden postholiday debris. The occasional snippet of wrapping paper hiding under the sofa, a piece of tape stuck to the carpet—you name it. Give this room a once-over, then perform your normal cleaning routine.

jan05 cleanup image4 Kitchen Cleanup

Possibly the busiest room during the holiday season, your kitchen could probably use some TLC. Give this room—and everything in it—a thorough cleaning.

Give your kitchen floor a clean sweep.

Wash any holiday dishware and return it to its usual storage space.

Free your fridge of all holiday leftovers.

Clean ground-in grime on your stovetop with Mr. Clean® Magic Eraser®.

Wash your holiday linens—from cloth napkins to tablecloths—and store until needed.

If your new year's resolution is to clean house, what better time than now to get the ball rolling? With these helpful tips, your space will be fresh and ready to start the year clean!

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