When singer Andy Williams said that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, he forgot to mention that the festivities can get a little messy.
The clean-up after Christmas can be overwhelming, so here are some hacks shared by cleaning experts that could help you through the hectic cleanup process at the end of the year.
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Remove the extras lying around
The first step in cleaning up your space is getting rid of any extra decorations. Used and unused wrapping paper, as well as any other gift-wrapping supplies, can take up a lot of space.
If you remove the things thrown around in the haste of the season, you will already start feeling better about your space!
Cleaning up pine tree needles
A real Christmas tree can add a special sense of magic to your home, but it can also get messy, shedding its pine needles on your floor.
Experts at Homeaglow, the cleaning company, shared that a quick way to clean up excess pine needles is by using a fresh lint roller sheet.
Stains are easier to get rid of than you think
Mary Gagliardy, Clorox’s in-house cleaning scientist, has the trick for removing stains off your tablecloth.
It involves scraping what you can with a knife, covering the stain with a thin layer of cornstarch or baby powder, waiting 10 minutes before scrubbing off the powder and washing it with dish detergent and warm water.
Get candle wax off your cloth, too
Candles are used in many households for Christmas dinner, but they can often be a mess.
To remove dried-up candle wax from your tablecloth, Bret Jackson, cleaning expert at LettiAndCo.com, says an ice cube wrapped in a paper towel and placed on the wax for a minute is just the trick.
Keeping your wreath clean
Wreaths are intricate things, and they are best when little specks of dust haven’t gotten into their crevices.
To protect your wreath while in storage, Organized by MJ’s Mary Jo Contello advises, “Drape it on a hanger, place it in a garment bag and stash it in the back of a closet.”
Store wrapping paper out of the way
If you’re one of those people whose wrapping paper always ends up wrinkled at the back of a closet, hanging them up behind a door could be just what you need.
Organizing expert Ashley Jones Hatcher says, “Rather than clutter your closet floor with bulky bins, make use of vertical space to store holiday wrapping.”
Your ribbons could go on a hanger
Gift wrapping materials that last more than one season could easily get lost among your many storage boxes. Instead of losing your ribbons, organizer Marla Cilley suggests organizing them by width or color on a hanger with a removable crossbar so you can slide the ribbons onto it!
Donate what you don’t need
While cleaning out old decorations and Christmas lights, you could also grab a bag to collect the things you don’t think you’ll need for next year.
Many home improvement stores will be happy to receive the broken stuff for recycling, while second-hand stores will take the things still intact!
The last step is airing out the house
Once you’ve cleaned up your home, stored away your supplies and given away anything you no longer need, it’s time to air out the place and give it a fresh breath.
Letting fresh air into the house after vacuuming will make the place feel brand new.
You could simmer a scent on the stove
If you want to get a little more fancy, you could simmer some water with halved lemons, cinnamon sticks, and cloves on the stove.
Your home will not only be clean and filled with crisp air, but infused with a fresh scent as well!
