365 TIPS for a clean and organized home, part one
Start the year with a clean slate! But how about a clean and more organized home? How can you do this every day, 365 days a year? Well, you probably can’t, so we’ve listed a few tips (365 of them) to try and help you tackle everyday cleaning jobs, as well as special occasions, starting of course with Christmas decorations! Tips 1-7
Tip #1 – Holiday Decorations (Apply these tips to ALL holidays)
If you’re like me, you arrange your Christmas decorations just the way you want them, a year goes by, and then you can’t remember where that wreath went or which shelf you used for your favorite candle. Problem solved! Before you take down this year’s decorations, take photos of all of them. You have a couple of different options with your photos: print and save them with each specific decoration, or create a folder on your computer to save the images. Either way, next year’s decorating will go a lot faster!
Tip #2 – Christmas lights
Who enjoys untangling their Christmas lights every year? I DO NOT! Now that all the gifts are unwrapped, you’ll probably find yourself with a few extra cardboard boxes lying around your house. (And if you’re lucky, you got a gift from Crate & Barrel so you have a good quality cardboard box.) The number of lights you have will determine how many “pieces” of your box you will need… want or need to use the top, side and bottom flaps. After carefully cutting out the box, make a small cut in the top or bottom of a piece of cardboard. When you start to remove the lights, first tuck the end of the wire into the slot you made and wrap the string of lights around the cardboard. Continue wrapping the lights until you have filled the piece of cardboard. You can make a second slot for the other end of the lights or just run the wire under the wrapped lights. Depending on how much of your box is left, you can even drop your wrapped cables in the box for easy storage. This same strategy can be used for any of your holiday or seasonal lights.
Tip #3 – Dusty Christmas decorations?
Use a vacuum to clean larger decorations.
Did your Christmas decorations collect a little dust while on display? No problem. Use an air compressor or a can of compressed air (great for those small delicate parts). For some of your larger items, like your tree or wreaths, you may need to use a vacuum with a hose attachment and use the bristle nozzle. Whichever method you use, hold the item far enough away to prevent damage and keep an eye on small, delicate pieces attached to your decorations. If you do the cleaning now, everything will be ready for next Christmas and the decoration will be much nicer.
Tip #4 – Organize your decorations by theme.
As you build your collection of Christmas ornaments, be sure to arrange them in a way that they’ll be easy to find when the next holiday season rolls around. Just about every big department and/or home hardware store sells a multitude of storage options. Look for durable, heavy plastic containers that have different compartments or at least enough room to hold your Christmas tree decorations without crushing them. Arrange each box using all the decorations you would use for that particular theme, and be sure to write in permanent marker (on the side of the box where it is clearly visible) exactly what is in the container, including the colors and objects (i.e., a garland, garland of beads, tinsel, etc.). Next year, instead of having to sift through a bunch of mismatched Christmas decorations, you’ll just have to pull your desired theme off the shelf.
Tip #5 How to store decorations
As you put away your decorations, keep an eye out for broken items. Repair or dispose of them before putting them away for the year. If you have similar decorations in various parts of the house, for example, lighted garlands for the mantle and stairs, label each string with its location. Knowing if it belongs at the front door or the back stairs can make your life so much easier next year.
Tip #6 Protect your decorations from damage
Make sure decorations are clean and dry before storing. You’ll avoid a big mess if you make sure items are in good condition when you put them away. Pay special attention to items that have been exposed to the weather outdoors. If you store items in a shed or basement, do not place them directly on the ground, especially if these locations are prone to flooding. Keeping them even six inches off the ground will help them last longer, and is an essential step if you store them in cardboard boxes.
Tip #7 Preparing for next year
Take note of any damaged or missing items or anything you would simply like to replace or add for next year. An easy-to-see reminder will be so much better than finding out you need to run to the store when you’re knee-deep in decorations next year! If you like to take advantage of post-holiday bargains, do your shopping before putting away your decorations. This will allow you to place the items with the existing items so they are easy to locate and use next year.