Declutter Your Home: Simple Strategies for New Year Clean-Up

This post has tips to help you declutter your home this holiday season, start the new year with a clean and organized space

While the holidays are filled with joy and celebration, they often leave behind a whirlwind of clutter in your house.

Your home might feel like it’s bursting at the seams. Extra decorations and gifts contribute to this feeling. Overflowing kitchen cabinets and closets add to the clutter.

Post-holiday clutter can feel overwhelming, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to hit the reset button and reclaim your space.

I know it feels daunting to declutter your home after the holidays, but it doesn’t have to be.

Good strategies and simple habits can help you easily create a clean and organized home.
You might be dealing with a pile of decorations. Perhaps you are sorting through holiday leftovers, or trying to figure out how to reduce clutter at home. These tips will guide you through it.

This post has practical advice about decluttering your house. It offers tips for creating smarter storage solutions. You can also learn how to establish routines to keep your home tidy all year.

Let’s take the first step toward a clutter-free home and start fresh this new year.

Why the Holidays Leave Clutter in Your House and How to Declutter

Decorations, gifts, and holiday extras pile up, leaving clutter in your house that can feel overwhelming.

For those in small spaces, lack of storage can make it feel even worse.

While parents find themselves dealing with new toys without a clear idea of where to put them, adding to the frustration.

Common Sources of Post-Holiday Clutter in Your House:

• Holiday Decorations
  • Ornaments, wreaths, lights, and seasonal decor often stay around longer than they need to. Without a storage system, they can take up a lot of space as they wait for next year.
• Gifts
  • The duplicates of what you already have, new items and the gifts you love can quickly take up valuable space. These items can become overwhelming, especially in a small home or an apartment.
• Party Leftovers
  • Those extra dishes that were needed this year need a home after the holidays. The wrapping supplies and holiday treats also need storage space.
  • When storage solutions are at a minimum these can quickly lead to clutter.
• Kids’ Toys
  • The holidays bring an influx of toys and new fun things for kids. With limited storage, this can quickly lead to scattered toys throughout every room.
    

Why Decluttering is Key to a Clean and Organized Home:

Decluttering after the holidays is more than tidying up.

It’s a chance to declutter your home. You can reset your living spaces to create a clean and organized home. This makes your home feel fresh for the new year.

This is especially important in small homes or apartments, where space is limited.

• For small spaces, prioritizing what you truly need and finding creative storage solutions can make a significant difference.
• Toy clutter can be managed by a rotating system or by decluttering broken and unused toys.

For toy storage solutions check out our post Storing Toys: Ideas to Maximize Space and Minimize Mess.

Take small actions. Start with one category to build momentum. Before you know it, you have been successful in your aim to declutter your home.

Tackle Clutter in Every Room To Declutter Your Home

Decluttering your home can feel overwhelming. However, tackling the clutter one room or category at a time can make the process more manageable.

Having easy actionable steps to take in each space ensures you’re addressing every area effectively.

Here is an easy method, to get you started – keep, donate, or toss.

Living Room: Decluttering Holiday Decor

The living room often is the main holiday space apart from the kitchen.

Filled with beautiful decorations and seasonal decor it is a beautiful space during the holidays. However, post-holiday seasonal decor can very quickly look like clutter.

Start simple with these steps.

• Gather all decorations
  • Collect ornaments, garlands, and other seasonal items together into one space.
• Sort and label storage
  • From there use clear bins or labeled boxes for better organization.
  • Group items by type, like lights, ornaments, wreaths, etc until everything has a place.
  • When storing items away, think about the best place for them to be. Remember, generally, these items only come out once a year.
• Decluttering tip
  • If anything is broken or has been unused for years, it’s time to toss or donate it.
  • This is the simplest way to declutter your home.
  • If you find sentimental items that you can not part with, use a memory box. Store only those items you truly can part with.

Kitchen: How to Declutter Dishware and Supplies

Holiday dinner parties and get-togethers often leave the kitchen overflowing with extra dishware, unused food, and leftover party supplies.

Some things are great to keep for your next event but some items are just taking up space.

• Sort your items
  • Separate your everyday dishes from seasonal ones. Keep only what you regularly use or truly love.
  • If you have a storage cage or unit keep excesses dinnerware are keep only what you use daily in your cupboards.
• Donate extras
  • Duplicates or sets you no longer love are great to donate to local charities or gifts to friends.
  • If you know someone who loves an item you no longer need, consider giving it to them. It makes a great inexpensive addition to a gift basket or host gift.
• Decluttering tip
  • Store seasonal items in upper cabinets or on top of cabinets to keep them accessible but out of the way.
  • If you host often this is a great way to store your hosting dinnerware.

Bedroom: Declutter Unwanted Gifts for a Clean, Organized Homets

Even thoughtful gifts don’t always fit your style or lifestyle. Having a clean and organized home sometimes requires removing items you don’t love. This is true even if it was a wonderful gift idea.

Using the Keep, Donate, Regift method is a great way to declutter your home. It limits the number of items in the trash. It also helps you evaluate what you love and why.

Here are some tips to master The Keep, Donate, Regift Method.

Set up three piles

• Keep
  • Hold onto anything you love or can see a use for in the future.
  • As long as you are not holding on to something for “one day”, keep it with you.
  • This is easier with more storage space. If it’s something you know you will use, it is perfect to keep. It is also great to keep if it can replace another item when it breaks.
• Donate
  • Make a pile of all the items you wish to donate.
  • If you live in an apartment, leave your box of goodies in the trash room to give other people a chance to use it. If it is still there after a week, it goes to a charity.
• Regift
  • Place regifting items in a box with a Post-It, for who and when e.g. Megans 21st.
  • Create a calendar reminder closer to the date, so you don’t forget.
  • Regift gets a bad reputation however cleaver regifting is a terrific way to bulk up a gift.
  • Add items a loved one has admired before to a gift basket.
  • Regift an item you think someone will enjoy and add something extra.
    For example, your old martini glasses with a cocktail set.
• Be realistic
  • If a gift doesn’t serve a purpose or spark joy, it’s okay to let it go.
  • Try and return items if possible.
• Create a clean and organized home
  • Use under-bed storage or closet organizers to make the most of small bedrooms
  • Find storage furniture like a bench at the end of your bed.
  • For terrific storage solutions in a small bedroom check out Maximizing Small Bedroom Storage: Innovative Ideas for Space-Saving.

Declutter Your House: Keep, Donate, Toss

Like gift and bedroom decluttering, the Keep, Donate, Toss method is a great starting point no matter what room you are working on.

• Keep
  • Only hold on to items you use regularly or truly need.
• Donate
  • Items in good condition but are no longer useful to you.
• Toss
  • Broken or unusable items belong in the trash or recycling.

By decluttering your home this way, you can tackle the clutter in your house methodically. Go from room to room and do not move on until that space is done.

Start your decluttering journey by reducing the number of items in your home. Then, the next step of organization and storage becomes much easier.

Smart Storage Solutions to Declutter Your Home and Keep it Organized

Once you’ve decluttered your home, the next step is organizing to create a functional and organized space.

Smart storage solutions are essential, especially for small homes and apartments.

The secret to selecting the perfect storage for you is to think about how you live your life.

Do you need to see what you have to use it? Then a storage solution like stackable bins combined with a list of items would be best.

Here are some ideas and tips. They will help you decide what storage solutions will work best for you and your home.

Space-Saving Storage Solutions for a Clean and Organized Home

To reduce clutter and make the most of your space, here are some great options that will fit everyone:

• Stackable Bins
  • Perfect for closets, cupboards, or under counters.
  • Stackable bins keep items tidy and take up minimal floor space.
  • To see what is inside stick to clear bins.
  • It’s also easy to add itemized lists to them.
• Under-Bed Storage
  • A great place for storage, under the bed, is often overlooked but is a perfect space for seasonal items from clothes to decor.
  • The options are endless from rolling bins to zippered bags or even old suitcases for a vintage flair.
• Furniture with Hidden Compartments
  • Ottomans, coffee tables, or beds with built-in storage.
  • They are great for living room storage to hold everything from toys and blankets to spare dinnerware.
  • For more ideas on living room furniture with hidden storage solutions, take a look at our post. Check out 14 LIVING ROOM STORAGE IDEAS FOR SMALL SPACES. It’s packed with practical and stylish options to keep your space clutter-free!
• Decorative Boxes And Baskets
  • Baskets and boxes offer terrific storage that blends in with your home.
  • Use a vintage chest as a coffee table or decorate shelves and woven baskets.
  • Place baskets under coffee tables or console tables.
  • For more inspiration on creative blanket storage options, check out our post. It offers stylish alternatives to baskets in Living Room Blanket Storage: 13 New Ideas Beyond Baskets.
  • Throw a blanket on top to make it look like a basket of blankets.

Seasonal Storage Hacks to Declutter Your Home

Ornaments, decor, wreaths, and wrapping are holiday accessories that can take up a lot of space. This happens during the rest of the year. You can limit the amount of space with great storage solutions. Use a good decluttering method to keep all your festive flair.

Holiday Decor Storage for a Clutter-Free House

• Use ornament organizers, wreath bags, and string-light reels to protect your items and make them easy to find next year.
• The ornament organizer’s purpose is to save space and to protect your ornaments and decor, so you can use them repeatedly.
• Make sure you Label each container clearly for quick identification.

Gift Wrap Station: Keep Your Home Clean and Organized

• For those who enjoy creating beautifully wrapped gifts, controlling it without a system can be challenging. Frequent decluttering also helps to manage it.
• Use a shoe organizer or install a wall-mounted wrapping paper holder to everything together and in.

Quick Tips to Declutter Your Home and Stay Organized

Once you have storage systems and have successfully managed to declutter your home, having a clean and organized home becomes a lot easier.

The secret to keeping clutter out of your space is creating habits that actively work towards keeping a clean and organized home.

Rotate Seasonal Items to Declutter Your Home

• Store away out-of-season decor or clothing.
• For seasonal decor, a good tip is to leave the bin or container the decor is stored in, out and easily accessible.

Designate a “Home” for Everything to Reduce Clutter in Your House

• Designate a space for each category. For example, all seasonal decor is in the attic or laundry room closet. The extra dinnerware is stored in nice baskets above the kitchen cabinets, etc.
• Store the most often used items in the most accessible places.

Use Vertical Space for a Clean and Organized Home

• Install shelves, hooks, or wall-mounted storage to free up floor space and keep things accessible.

Take Advantage of Unused Space to Declutter Your Home

• That terrible part of your closet that things go to disappear, is the perfect place for extra storage.
• Especially seasonal items or sentimental things that you don’t look at all the time but want to keep.

Look Under and Up: Simple Storage Tips

• Use space like under the bed or a table. Opt for decorated baskets or bins to hide what’s inside. Add more decor to your space.
• Make use of the high spaces in your home. Store items up high that are used once a year or for certain occasions.
• Implementing these solutions will help you declutter your home and keep everything clean and organized throughout the year.
• With these techniques in mind, you’ll know exactly how to reduce clutter at home. Bringing everything back to a clutter-free space, especially after the holidays.

How to Reduce Clutter at Home and Keep Your House Clean

Keeping a clutter-free home doesn’t need constant effort. By implementing a few helpful habits you can easily enjoy a clean and organized home all year, every year.

Simple daily routines and habits can make a world of difference. A quick 15-minute decluttering or being mindful when shopping is especially beneficial in apartments or homes with kids.

Simple Daily Routines to Declutter Your Home

15-Minute Cleanups

• Dedicate just 15 minutes a day to tidying one area.
• Start with places you see every day, like countertops or your living room.
• These short bursts of effort help prevent clutter from building up over time.

End-of-Day Check

• Before bed, walk through your home and return stray items to their proper place.
• Implement a “put away basket” for you to do in the morning.
• This habit keeps the clutter in your house under control and makes mornings less stressful.

Mindful Strategies To Declutter Your Home

“One In, One Out” Rule

• For every new item you bring into your home, remove an old one.
• This is especially helpful for toys, clothes, or kitchen gadgets.
• It prevents overcrowding and keeps your storage manageable.

Seasonal Reset

• At the start of each season, do a quick look around your home.
• Donate or toss items you haven’t used in the last couple of seasons.
• For toys declutter your home of any broken or unused toys before the new ones come in.

Benefits of Decluttering Consistently

Less Stress, More Space

• A clutter-free environment creates a sense of calm.
• Knowing where everything is reduces the mental load of daily life.
• Help you know what you need, to avoid unnecessary purchases.

Easy Maintenance

• By decluttering regularly, you avoid the need for overwhelming deep-cleaning sessions.
• Small habits and routines help you effortlessly keep a clean and organized home.
• Simple tasks like vacuuming and mopping are a lot easier when the house is clutter-free.

Quick Decluttering Tips for Parents in Small Homes

• Rotate toys to keep your kids engaged without overwhelming the living space.
• Store extras in labeled bins and swap them out every few weeks.
• Use multi-functional furniture, like storage ottomans or beds with drawers, to hide clutter in your house while maximizing space.

Conclusion

Decluttering after the holidays does not have to feel daunting.

Focus on one area at a time. This approach is the best way to learn how to reduce clutter at home. It works whether you’re tackling a small apartment or a space filled with toys.

Use creative storage solutions to keep everything neat and take advantage of all those awkward spaces.

Decluttering your house isn’t just about clearing the mess. It’s about creating a clean and organized home that works for you.