If you enjoy decorating your home as the season’s change, then chances are you have a large number of decorations to contend with as each holiday comes and goes.
When it comes to decorating, you don’t want to extend Christmas into March by leaving everything up. So, developing a good cleaning and storing strategy is critical.
Whether you’re just starting off your collection or you’ve been decorating your home for years, here are 6 helpful tips on how to properly clean and store seasonal decoration pieces at home.
Get a Large Storage Shed
Even if your holiday decoration collection seems small right now, it will only increase as time passes and your family grows. Plan ahead and get a storage shed so you can have enough space to house all of your decorations all year-long. This will not only allow you to stay organized, but if you have a space to keep the shed outside, you will also eliminate clutter by keeping everything in one place. This is an excellent option for oversized fake trees or large centerpiece decorations. It is also a great way to stay organized through each season.
Divide Your Decorations into Bins
If a large shed isn’t an option due to space or budget constraints, you can also store all of your Christmas decorations into individual storage bins. Keep fragile pieces separate and wrapped with bubble wrap or tissue paper like fragile figurines and Christmas wall art that may have protective glass or delicate frames.
This is a perfect strategy for those who enjoy in-depth organization. This strategy also lends itself well to those who have minimal storage space in their homes.
Getting smaller, individual bins also means you can really cut down on your storage space by leaving bins under beds or stacked in a closet. You have to be able to adapt your strategy to your living space restrictions. Thus determining what storage strategy is best for you may take some trial and error!
Deep Clean While Decorating
One big tip you can use to make sure your house is as clean as possible during the holidays is to deep clean your home while you decorate it. After the holiday season rolls by, deep clean again as you take everything down.
The crucial thing to remember is to try and keep it as clean as possible throughout the season. While this might seem like it makes the setup and clean up processes much longer, it will leave you much happier in the long run.
Not only will your house start off clean, but it will end up clean, too. Use proper gear when doing deep cleaning before and after the holidays (or anytime at all). You are likely to disturb long-settled dust and possibly molds that can irritate your skin. That’s why you need proper protection.
Start by using sturdy nitrile gloves for cleaning. These will serve as a barrier between your hands and dust, pathogens, and chemicals in cleaners. Just make sure to get the best made nitrile gloves, you can find some online.
Wear your face mask or dust mask too to avoid inhaling irritants, which can trigger asthma or allergies. After cleaning, take a shower to get rid of dirt on your body. Or reward yourself with a nice bath!
Share the Cleaning Duties
A way to get the entire family involved in the cleaning process is to dedicate one day a week to a family clean-up.
Give everyone specific, involved tasks that implement holiday themes into them so that boring chores can be fun for everyone.
Your home will remain clean, and you can reduce some of the stress involved in holiday decorating and cleaning by sharing the load with the entire household.
Avoid the Basement or Attic
When it comes time to store decorations, you want to be sure and keep everything away from water as much as possible. While the basement or attic might seem like the logical place with the most storage space, Martha Stewart tells us that humidity and temperature fluctuates throughout the year in those places, and recommends opting for a closet or storing decorations under a bed, if possible.
Another pro-tip is to consider is using cardboard boxes for ornament storage, since they will absorb water.
Purge Ornaments You Don’t Use
One way to clean up some storage space is to go through them and decide which ones are worth hanging on to. It’s also important to remember that during the holiday season, the spirit of giving also goes beyond friends and family.
Before we toss our purged decorations in the trash, consider donating them. Shelters, public libraries, health care centers, and other nonprofits might welcome the chance to give your used decorations a second life.
The Benefits of Organizing Seasonal Decor Each Year
While holiday cleanup can definitely put a damper on your cheerful spirit, the impact can definitely be softened with proper organization. Find out which strategy works best for your home and be proactive about your cleanup and storage this year.
After all, if you just toss everything into the closet again, chances are, you’ll be doing the same thing next year. Treat yourself to an early present and take a little less stress out of the holidays this year!