Although many people find the Christmas period to be a time of festive cheer, relaxation, and togetherness, there is no denying that it comes with an element of chaos.
With Christmas decorations scattered around the house and an influx of gifts looking for a new home, sorting out your home post-Christmas can seem daunting. However, January presents a perfect opportunity to declutter your home and start your New Year with a tidy, organised space.
This blog will present you with 4 actionable top tips to help you start your Christmas decluttering, and give examples of the festive items you might choose to focus on.
4 Top Tips for Decluttering After Christmas
Whilst general tips for decluttering your home can also apply to your post-Christmas declutter, the following festive tips can guide you through sorting your decorations and finding homes for your new things.
1. Start With The Visible Areas
With Christmas comes a high volume of new items, and sorting through them can seem like a chore.
Consider starting with the visible areas of your home before digging into the back of your drawers. Pick up any empty chocolate wrappers, packaging, or runaway bits of wrapping paper and put them in the bin. Throwing away visible rubbish can make a big difference in cleaning up your surfaces and helps you focus on the individual items you need to put away.
You could also start taking Christmas decorations down and putting them back in storage. Old items and decorations that you already have an established home for are an easy place to start as you know where to put them away.
2. Assess Your New Gifts
When you declutter after Christmas, take time to assess your new gifts. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How much space will this gift take up?
- Where can the gift be stored or displayed?
- Can the gift be donated or rehomed?
- Can the gift replace anything I already own?
Asking yourself these questions can help you decide what to do with your presents and where to store them. If the gift can replace something you already own, you can plan to throw away, donate, or sell the old item.
Use a One-in-One-Out Approach
Adopting a one-in-one-out approach can help free up space for new items by getting rid of old and unwanted ones. For example, if your child got a new toy for Christmas, see if there is a toy they no longer play with and can be rehomed. If you received a new piece of clothing, sort through your wardrobe and see if there is anything you no longer like or wear.
A one-in-one-out approach helps you maintain a sensible number of items in your possession and avoids overcrowding your drawers and storage spaces.
4. Do a Full House Clean in January
Cleaning up after Christmas can help you start the New Year refreshed and stress-free. Once you have decluttered your space, doing a deep, January house clean might allow you to appreciate your newly tidied home more and reset you for the year ahead.
Examples of activities you might do include:
- Changing your bedding and guest room bedding if used
- Washing used linen and Christmas tablecloths
- Cleaning the kitchen and oven
- Wiping down surfaces
- Mopping floors
- Cleaning out the fridge of any leftovers that won’t be eaten
An after-Christmas cleaning can also uncover any items that you may have missed when decluttering. You can then put these items back in their places, throw them away, or decide to donate or sell them.
What Items Can I Declutter?
Christmas Decorations
It is easy for the number of Christmas decorations you own to steadily grow. Old decorations are kept for sentimental reasons, and some people add to their collection every year as a tradition. This is why it is important to take stock of the decorations you currently have.
Throw away any old, unwanted, or broken Christmas decorations and organise and store the others. This will help you declutter ready for the following year, and make room for any new decorations you might acquire.
Seasonal Items
Similarly to Christmas decorations, other seasonal items such as wrapping paper, special kitchenware, and festive tableware are used once a year and then forgotten about until the following Christmas. This means they can go years without being sorted and organised.
Take time to categorise and store any seasonal items that you want to keep and use for the following year. Any items that you have replaced, no longer want, or no longer have a use for can be donated or thrown away, depending on their condition.
Children’s Toys
Children may receive a lot of new toys from family members over the festive period, so you should consider going through your children’s toys and decluttering some of them.
Any toys that are broken, no longer played with, or have been outgrown can be thrown away or donated so that they can find a new home with another child, for them to enjoy.
Clothes and Shoes
Like toys, clothes and shoes are frequently gifted, so it is a good idea to go through your wardrobe and decide which clothes you still like and wear, and which items you no longer want.
New clothes you have been gifted can be put away, and decluttered clothing items can be donated or sold if they are still in good condition.
Electronics
Electronics like mobile phones, laptops, and games consoles are also commonly gifted at Christmas and often replace older models. The older models can be put to the side to be sold or donated.
Unwanted Gifts
Even with the best intentions behind them, not every gift will be destined to be kept by you long-term. Although it might seem ungrateful, you shouldn’t feel inclined to keep a gift that you don’t want when it could be better used by someone else.
Sort any gifts you are unlikely to keep long-term into piles: throw away, give to someone else, donate, or sell.
As gifts will likely be new and in good condition, selling them, donating them, or giving them to someone else will likely be the best choice.
How Worth Its Weight Can Help You with Cleaning Up After Christmas
At Worth Its Weight, our Cash for Clothes and Cash for Bric-a-brac services can help you declutter after Christmas and organise your home. We offer a hassle-free way for you to part ways with your unwanted items in bulk for cash.
As well as being paid cash for your items, you can be assured that they will be repurposed for good. Items will be upcycled and recirculated to communities most in need of them.
Declutter After Christmas FAQs
What is the 5-year rule for decluttering?
The 5-year rule for decluttering says that if you haven’t used an item in 5 years, then it is something you should consider throwing away or donating. However, it is worth noting that this may not always apply, for example with items that hold sentimental value.
This rule can be useful when you declutter for Christmas, as it can help you evaluate which of your festive items can be rehomed. For example, you might decide to get rid of the decorations that you now choose to leave off the Christmas tree.
When should you put your Christmas stuff away?
Traditionally, the last day of Christmas is considered to be January 6th. People believe this is when your festive items should be put away until next Christmas.
However, there is no hard or fast rule for this – you should put your Christmas stuff away when it best suits you!
Should you clean your house on January 1st?
Some people believe that cleaning your house on January 1st risks washing all the good luck of the New Year away. If you are superstitious, you might choose to clean your house before the New Year, or wait until January 2nd.
