10 Things to Declutter Before the Holidays
Declutter these ten things before the holidays to make room for fun, entertaining and family time. Maybe you aren’t thinking about the holidays much yet, but this is an excellent time to start decluttering in anticipation of the new things that will inevitably be coming into your home this holiday season. Decluttering also makes it easier to keep the whole house clean, which means less stress for you.
Here are ten things to declutter in the coming months before you get wrapped up in the holidays.
1. Expired Food Should Definitely Be Decluttered Before The Holidays
Food is a huge part of the holidays. When decluttering, it’s important to include your pantry, fridge, and freezer.
By making it a priority to discard expired food and pantry staples past their best-before dates, you can save money on your grocery bill by not buying what you do not need, increasing awareness of what you have so it can be used up, and taking advantage of sale prices on things you do need to stock up on.
If you come across any unopened food that is still good but your family won’t eat, consider donating it to your local food bank or community fridge. I think every Mom has had kids suddenly refuse to eat something they used to proclaim was one of their favourite foods.
As the holiday season approaches, you may need extra storage space for those season indulgences (holiday ingredients for baking!) you don’t stock the rest of the year. It’s great to have a place to put a tin of chocolates or a bottle of wine that your guest brings into your home rather than leaving it on the kitchen counters.
2. Extra Kitchen Dishes, Tools and Small Appliances.
Maybe it’s the rice cooker you never use, the Halloween cookie cutters your family never uses anymore, or the worn-out kitchen towels that are threadbare and don’t dry dishes well. There are duplicates and unwanted clutter in your kitchen. It happens to all of us.
There are two good reasons to tackle your kitchen before the holidays.
With the extra focus on food and gathering, you will be cooking more and knowing where to find everything makes it easier to prepare your meals. You’ll have the clear flat surfaces to give you more room to work. There’s also no second-guessing because you know what you have.
With guests for meals and possibly even overnight guests, there’s a good chance that someone else might be helping put things away in your kitchen. (Helping with dishes is a common thing in my family, especially with big family meals). If your kitchen is decluttered, there is additional cabinet space, and it’s easier for everyone to see where things should be put away.
If you need help decluttering your kitchen before the holidays, check out this link: https://minimalisthome.ca/kitchen-storage-and-organization-hacks/
3. Bedding & Pillows.
The cooler weather may have already prompted you to look into your linen closet for your heavier sheets and blankets to change your beds. If it hasn’t, take the time to scan your shelves for worn out or unneeded bedding. Maybe your children have outgrown the cartoon sheets or you no longer have the right size bed for that duvet.
Check the bedding on your bed and your family members’ beds, and don’t forget the guest bedroom, even if it’s tucked away in the basement or under some boxes you temporarily stored there.
Homeless shelters and animal shelters are good options for donating your unused linens.
It’s recommended to replace your pillows every 1-2 years (depending on the fill, as feather, down, and synthetics have different lifespans). This is due to allergens like dust mites, pet dander, and even mold. The internal pillow support also breaks down, which can affect your sleep and give you crooked neck in the morning!
4. Winter Clothing and Footwear.
Be honest about that jacket with the broken zipper. Are you going to fix it? If you are, it needs to go to the tailor this week, or you need to get rid of it.
If the two pairs of boots your kids have outgrown and are still sitting in the closet are in decent condition, you can donate them to a winter clothing drive.
Decluttering bedroom closets and dressers can be a daunting task, but it’s manageable and great to do before the holidays madness takes over. Focus on the clothing you will wear. (The sentimental shirt from university you don’t wear belongs in your sentimental bin.) Consider donating or selling the winter gear you do not want.
Whether it’s at the front door or the garage door, declutter your coat closet, too! This is a key to getting you out the door with less stress in the morning. It also allows you to hang your guests’ jackets when they visit because of all the glorious space it creates!
5. Christmas Decorations & Supplies.
It is a great time to declutter your holiday decorations when the holiday spirit hasn’t swept you up yet. It’s also the perfect time because thrift stores and charity shops have the space to take your festive decorations; they often won’t take out-of-season decor because they don’t have room to store it. Plus, this makes it more accessible for people to have some great decor cluttering up your storage.
Target anything you didn’t use last year, anything your family has outgrown or anything you replaced/want to replace. For things you want to replace, clear them out to make room for their replacement; a reminder on your phone or in your planner can help you remember. If you can, review both your indoor totes and your outdoor decor, like wreaths and lights.
Be mindful of supplies like rolls of wrapping paper, reusable gift bags and Christmas cards. Consider whether your habits have changed and what you will use this year. If you aren’t exchanging gifts or sending mail, maybe those items are redundant for you at this stage in your life. (And if you do love wrapping gifts, check if you have enough gift wrap and tape.)
6. Toys for Kids, Teens or the Whole Family.
Declutter toys? I know the phrase will freeze kids in their tracks, but think of it this way: there isn’t any room for new toys if you don’t declutter some kids’ toys that are just taking up room and not getting played with. This may require some consultation, depending on the age of your kids. Puzzles or games with missing pieces are an easy, non-emotional decision. (If it’s a beloved game, maybe a replacement is a good idea for a Christmas gift from the grandparents.)
Sometimes, video game collections can be thinned with your teens (or adult children and spouses). This is the time to find out if all those controllers for the gaming consoles still work. Dare I suggest making sure all those assembled Lego sets are still very much loved?
Also, take a moment to look at the pet toys. Admit it—the squeaker is long gone in that one, and it’s so badly chewed that it’s really only fit for the bin. Look at how much space you have for pet toys and assess the condition of the ones you want to keep. You will be SO glad you went through and decluttered these things before the holidays.
7. Winter Sports or Fitness Equipment
This category can be expensive to manage, especially if you have children who are outgrowing helmets and other protective gear. Sort what you have and make the appropriate decisions. Hockey sticks can accumulate and multiply in the dark corners of the garage.
Check in your community for the dates of upcoming ski swaps or used skate sales. This often happens at the start of winter, before the snow flies and before league play starts up for team sports. There is no point in keeping ski boots that don’t fit or cross-country skies if you no longer enjoy hitting those snowy trails.
8. Medication.
Review your medicine cabinet and anywhere else you store medication, like your purse or other spots in your house. Check expiration dates on all medication; pay special attention to epi-pens and inhalers, as those may be the ones you see the least often if family members are carrying them. Take expired medication (both prescription and over-the-counter) to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.
The flu and cold season can be well underway by the time you gather with family over a holiday meal, and the supply of over-the-counter medication at your local store can be greatly depleted by then. Remember to replace those expired items now; your future self will thank you.
9. Books & Magazines.
Beyond looking at holidays and Christmas books to declutter, if you live in a house full of readers, you may want to thin the bookshelves to make room for new ones. With kids, a good declutter helps keep the library to a manageable amount as their reading levels grow. Donate to a secondhand shop or a Little Free Library if there is one in your neighbourhood.
It can be an excellent time to look at your cookbook collection and give up the ones you have not used in the past year. Keep your favourites!
Old magazines become clutter quickly if you don’t read them. They can be passed on to friends who enjoy the subject, donated to a school if the content is appropriate, or recycled.
10. Any Unwanted Gifts from Last Year.
If you still have any gifts from last Christmas that you stuck in a closet to forget about, it’s time to put those in the donation pile and get them out of your home. It’s been almost a year. No one is looking for that oversized coffee mug from your Secret Santa exchange, the ugly placemats that don’t match your kitchen or the candles you don’t light because they trigger your allergies.
Whatever it is, let it go. It’s time. It was the thought that counted, and you are not obligated to keep it forever in memory of that person. Now, the item is yours to do what you want. The sentimental value is in the relationship, not the physical thing.
Look to declutter these ten things before the holidays and the influx of new items arrives in fancy wrapping and gift bags. It doesn’t take a lot of time and will help you start the new year off in a good place. Enjoy the Christmas season without the extra clutter!
