How to Get Your House Back in Shape After Christmas

Did Christmas leave your house with more stuff, more food, and more seasonal decor than you know what to do with? Having a plan to restore your home to normal will help you feel more in control.Growing up, it was my family’s tradition to use the weekend after Christmas or New Year’s day to put away all of the Christmas decor and presents. I guess I have adopted that tradition for my family, too. So, between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, we slowly bring the house back to “normal.” How do we do it?

1. Refrigerate the Leftovers

After a nice Christmas dinner, there are sure to be plenty of leftovers like ham and fixins or yummy desserts. Whether you like storing leftovers in bulk, as complete individual meals, or freezing them, make sure you put them away.

2. Put Away the Christmas Presents

I have my children put away all of their presents including clothing, toys, electronics, or books. Since Christmas is one of my favorite times of year (and I hate to let it go), I take pictures and/or video of the Christmas tree with gifts under the tree (in daylight and at night). Sometimes, I take pictures of gifts, by recipient.

3. Store Christmas Decor

I store wrapping paper, gift bags, and boxes on my screened-in porch with other seasonal items. We put the Christmas tree at the curb for our county’s pickup. Check your trash collection schedule for the week and the policy on removing bulk trash. Or, you could go green and replant your Christmas tree for next year.

We moved all of the furniture back into its original place, since we had to rearrange to accommodate the Christmas tree.  Put away the decorations, donations, recycling, and trash.

4. Plan for Next Year

A few years ago, I started sorting gifts by person under the Christmas tree, so the gift opening goes smoother and faster. I also started bringing a trash bag into the living room, so we could immediately gather wrapping paper, gift bags, and boxes. Decide when everything will be placed in the recipient’s room and clean up will take place and let everyone know. Put it on the calendar!

5. Clean Up the House

Depending on whether you had a party, overnight guests, or kids on Winter break, your kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas may have taken a hit.

My 15-year-old son’s chores are to empty the trash cans, take the trash can to the curb, clear and clean the dining room table, keep his room tidy and clean, and clean the bathroom. For 95% of those chores, he needs paper towels. One of my favorite cleaning tools is SCOTT® Paper Towels.

My son uses paper towels to clean our glass dining room table, line the kitchen trash can to catch an unexpected spill, and to clean the bathroom mirrors, sink, and exterior toilet surfaces.

Do have a target date when everything will be put away? Is it the weekend after Christmas, New Year’s Day, the weekend after New Year’s, or other?