The majority of people have removed all their decorations and holiday items by mid-January, but decluttering after the holidays involves more than just removing the Christmas tree and getting rid of the leftovers in the fridge. Even if you are done with cleaning and back to what you consider “normal”, it’s worth checking one more time to make sure everything is in order. Have you really holiday-decluttered your home or did you just randomly toss things into the back of your closet where you can’t see them?

Gifts
Getting presents for Christmas is big fun, but it happens too often that you or a family member gets three pairs of pajamas or slippers or way too many toys. After Christmas, you have to figure out where to put everything. Keep it or throw it out? There are several options, but hoarding is not one of them! If you like one of the new pj’s, you should get rid of some of your older ones. Don’t forget that you can always donate used clothing rather than tossing them into the garbage. The same goes for kids’ toys; you should at least donate or throw out some of the old ones to make room for the new ones. Ah yes, and don’t forget about those stuffed pet chew toys.

Decorations And Ornaments
You’ve probably already taken out the tree and put away the decorations, but have you checked if the ornaments are good to go for next year? Spend an extra hour to separate the holiday deco that is still usable from the ones that are completely worn out. String lights that don’t work anymore and broken ornaments or figurines should be tossed away. Items you decide to keep should be put neatly and safely into a storage container. You’ll thank yourself next year when you find it all organized in one place.

Kitchen
The fridge has likely been cleaned out by now and you have probably dealt with loads of dishes, but deep cleaning the kitchen after the holidays is a must. You should clean all of the kitchen appliances from the stove to the toaster. Don’t forget the kitchen cabinets.

The Guest Room
The guest room is probably one of the areas that gets left for “later” since you don’t spend time in that room on a daily basis. But that’s exactly how you could forget about it completely. If you had family over for the holidays and you didn’t get to clean the room, now is the time before it totally slips your mind. Wash and fold the bed sheets and linens and give the surface areas a good dusting. After all, you never know when someone is going to pay you a surprise visit. 

Deep Cleaning
Your furniture and carpets may need a deep cleaning as well, especially if you hosted a couple of parties during the holiday season. Wash your drapes and cushions too - even if they seem clean, they tend to absorb unpleasant odors.