5 Things to Declutter After Christmas

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Another Christmas day has come and gone.  However, it’s not too soon to start to declutter after Christmas.

While you may still be working your way through leftovers, thinking about resolutions, and pondering when to start dieting (or is it just me?), it’s a good time to pare down some of the excess stuff that you’ve accumulated over this season.

Yes, we’re still in the midst of the season. And, why not get a head start to set the tone for the new year?

What better time than now to start forming new habits?

Here are 5 things to declutter after Christmas.

1. Old Winter Clothing

Winter Coats

Perhaps you received a new winter coat as a gift.  If so, you can get rid of your old one or one of your old ones.  Especially since these days, many of us have more than one coat.

Now for those winter coats that no longer fit or you don’t have room for (because you’re decluttering), either donate or sell them if they are still wearable and in good condition.

Boots

If you have kids, then there is a good chance they have outgrown their winter boots and you had to replace them this year. Or perhaps what they were wearing last winter has now gone out of style. And, goodness knows, out-of-fashion clothing is a no-no, particularly for teenagers!

Socks and Underwear

Just what every kid wants for Christmas! They might not appreciate getting new socks and underwear, but the time will come when they will.

And now, when they, as well as yourself, have got new undergarments, it is time to go through what you all have and get rid of anything tattered or torn.

Sweaters

We all have our favorite sweater because it’s either comfortable or we love the style.

Perhaps even it’s that tacky sweater but a great Christmas one. Nevertheless, we only really wear some of these sweaters for a short time of the year. So, decide to keep only a few of them, if any.

2. Boxes

Of course, we all end up with plenty of empty boxes, but what do we do with them? Whatever you do, hopefully, you don’t just throw them out.

Access to recycling – either at your curbside or your local recycling center –  is widely available.

The key is to recycle the boxes as soon as possible and not let them linger in your home.

As well, if you have ordered stuff from Amazon (like many of us), there is something else you can do with the boxes. You can use your Amazon boxes (and other gift boxes) for donations. Store your donated items in these boxes and drop them off as soon as possible to Goodwill, for instance, or other organizations.

3. Christmas Cards

Here is a hard one, not because we love having so many Christmas cards, but because we sometimes feel guilty throwing them away. So, what do we end up doing?

Often, we end up keeping them for a year and then throwing them out anyway. 

So, be strong, and take care of this sooner rather than later.

Have a keepsake box for the few Christmas cards that are difficult to discard. For example, I kept Christmas cards received from my mother and mother-in-law before they each passed away.

Certainly, this is a personal decision that you balance with the reality that holding onto everything will add to clutter.

If you happen to have brand new leftover cards from the ones you were going to send, store them with your decorations. By doing so, you will know where they are, and you will save a little time and money next year.

4. Wrapping Paper

If you read Now Is The Time To Declutter These 5 Things Before Christmas, you will recognize that this area was covered as a pre-Christmas declutter. However, this is something that also fits into the declutter after Christmas category, as dealing with wrapping paper now will make things easier for next year.  

In summary, here are some of the tips. Keep everything in one place so you can see your inventory. Go through your inventory and remove anything too small to be of use. 

Check out the post, Now Is The Time To Declutter These 5 Things Before Christmas, for more information about decluttering wrapping paper.

Remember to recycle used wrapping paper immediately after opening the gifts.

5. Decorations

Every year, we look forward to decorating and making our homes festive, and every year we dread packing it all up.

In part, this is because we know the season is over. And, also because it can be a bit of a pain. Funny how kids are always around for decorating the tree. But, when it comes time to pack it up, they all of a sudden find other things to do.

When it does come to taking down the decorations, make sure you do it properly. It will save you a headache next year. Throw away or replace anything broken or not working. That way when you put up the lights next year, you won’t have any surprises if a string of lights isn’t working.

Here are a couple of tips for storage:

• Wrap garland around empty water bottles.
• Wrap lights around cardboard or use other tangle-free ways to store your Christmas lights.
• Have designated totes for Christmas decorations, labeled and stored. This is also a good place to store your keepsake box of Christmas cards.
• Use a different color tote, such as red or green to make it easily identifiable when that time comes.
• If you’re re-using gift bags or have extra ones, keep them in one larger gift bag and store the bags in a Christmas tote.
• Instead of struggling to fit your Christmas tree back into the box, a Christmas tree bag is a great storage option.
  
  

Recap

When you declutter after Christmas, it helps you to set the stage to head into the new year on the right foot.

Getting it done early means you can relax, knowing it is not sitting there looming.

It will also give you peace of mind knowing you are prepared for next Christmas too. Once the after-Christmas decluttering is over, enjoy a moment with a cup of hot chocolate and put your feet up!