How To Declutter Your Home for the Holidays – and Beyond.
New Year’s is a time of reflection, re-assessment, and renewal.
It’s also a time of complete and utter chaos: holiday decorations go back into boxes, chinooks leave you hopping between flip flops and toboggans, winter boots and lawn chairs, you find yourself saying ‘I could’ve sworn I put my small suitcase back under the stairs’, and spring will be here before you know it – but not soon enough.
In the meantime, there’s a pile of kids’ toys, bulk food and storage boxes you’re constantly tripping over. The recycling bin is overflowing, and every trip down the hallway robs you of a tiny bit of Zen. The cars have been parked on the driveway since September! And, before you know it, you’re so focused on the inconvenience that you’re unable to enjoy the little moments of the here and now.
A Clean Space equals a Calm Mind. Reclaim your basement, storage room, pantry, garage and shed – and start the New Year off with a feeling of clarity. Better yet, get started today and enjoy a spacious, clutter-free Christmas!
1. Plan Your New Year
- a. Inventory Your Items: Make a list of everything you would like to place in storage. A visual inventory is way more accurate than going by memory! A little effort now will save a lot of work (and time) later.
- b. Organize Accordingly: A snowblower doesn’t typically see a lot of use in July, but a vacuum cleaner is a year-round appliance. Organizing your items by convenience (or seasonal usefulness) guarantees a speedy retrieval later, especially when it’s a Friday afternoon in March and you’re on your way to the mountains for a ski trip!
2. Decide The ‘Where’
- a. Know your Needs: Take a look at your items. Are they fragile? Sensitive to heat, cold or moisture? How often do you use them? Choose which space of your home you’ll store it in based on these kinds of factors. While it’s generally a good idea to store sophisticated electronics where it’s warm and dry, an empty flower pot might not know the difference.
- b. Size Matters: You might not be able to fit a 16-foot Christmas tree in your broom closet, but that doesn’t mean it’ll take up the entire garage either. When in doubt, go with the larger space – the extra room will make organizing and accessing your belongings so much easier, trust us.
3. Pack and Re-Pack
- a. Re-Pack Your Pantry Problems: Bulk food can be cost-effective, but excessive packaging can be too bulky to store in your home pantry. Cardboard and plastic can also fill up your recycling bin in the blink of an eye! If you’re able, try investing in reusable containers for bulk items like pasta, rice and flour. It will help keep your food fresh and save you a ton of space!
- b. …And Your Toy Box Troubles: Shelves and bins are an excellent way to get your child’s toys off the floor, keep their bedrooms organized, and ensure you avoid the agonizing pain of finding a Lego piece in the carpet…with your foot. (We’ve all done it). Bins also have the added benefit of allowing your child to rediscover their favourite toys each time they take them out to play.
4. Prepare Your Space
- a. Quality Containers and Supplies: Choose strong, stackable containers with fitted lids, such as Rubbermade bins or bankers boxes. While you’re at it, pick up some bubble wrap or padding to protect your valuables.
- b. Shelves Are Where It’s At: Sheds and garages can offer a lot of space. Well-built shelves can give you even more – and they allow you to bring your car in out of the cold! Besides, stacking a rickety tower of boxes more than two or three high can make getting to the bottom one a real circus! Don’t ask us how we know this.
5. Store Your Items
- a. Put Your LabelMaker to Work: Identify your stuff in a way that will still make sense to you later, such as by application (camping gear) or event type (birthday decorations). Remember, pack it tight – but not too tight! You don’t want to have to pull out the superglue in the spring.
- b. Keep the Right Side Out: Position your items so the labels are clearly visible. Although you’ll want to condense your storage space, leaving a bit of extra room will prevent you from having to play Jenga with your boxes later – and we all know how every single game of Jenga ends. As we said before, a Clear Space equals a Calm Mind. The value of organizing your home storage extends past seasonal items and sporting goods, however. With friends and families gathering for the holidays, having the option to store a spare bed, or retrieve a few extra chairs from the basement, will allow you to enjoy your day-to-day living space a whole lot more – all year long!
