Cleaning and Organizing After the Holidays: A Checklist

Christmas time can be a little chaotic, a little messy, and the addition of new toys and other gifts might make your home feel extra cluttered. Having a concrete post-holiday cleaning and organizing strategy can help make the holidays feel less messy and more relaxing! This coming year, I'm determined to do a better job at cleaning and organizing my home. I'm notoriously bad at it, but I know that a tidy home helps me (and my family!) feel less stressed. I like to use lists to keep me on track - if I don't write down a task, it never happens! - so today I'm sharing with you my post-holiday cleaning and organizing checklist with the hope that it will help some of you, too. Once you've found some tips for cleaning and organizing your home after Christmas, make sure to head down to the bottom of this post to enter to win $500 from Esurance to continue decorating and organizing your home to your heart's content!

Post-Holiday House Cleaning and Organizing Checklist

The Christmas Decorations
Taking the time to put away your decorations with care will make next year's decorating so much simpler and more fun!

• donate or discard any old or broken decorations
• label storage boxes clearly
• store decorations by room in durable boxes
• ensure that delicate, breakable ornaments are protected
• wrap Christmas lights around recycled wrapping paper tubes or pieces of cardboard to keep them from getting tangled

The Gifts
Being intentional about gift storage and making room for new things will keep your home clutter-free.

• determine a storage spot for all new gifts
• donate or discard any old toys, books, clothes etc. (purge one or two items for each gift received!)
• recycle Christmas cards after saving all of the mailing addresses; keep some for Christmas crafts for next year

The Food
There's often excess food after Christmas parties, so make the most of it!

• prepare and freeze any leftovers to use for meals in the new year (i.e. cut turkey into bite-sized pieces for soups and sandwiches)
• make a meal plan for after the Holidays that's easy and makes use of leftovers (like slow cooker meals and freezer meals)

The Cleaning
Doing an intentional deep clean post-Christmas will get you off to a fresh start in the New Year.

• deep clean the kitchen, paying special attention to the Holiday high-use items:
  • the cabinet doors
  • the back splash
  • the fridge
  • the stove
• clean the guest room after your guests have gone
• clean the main living areas and check for and treat stains from any Holiday parties
• deep clean the bathrooms, especially a main floor powder room that would have received lots of use

The Maintenance
Keep your home protected and safe for your family, as well as energy efficient. 

• check your insurance policy to make sure your plan is still right for you and your family’s needs
• clean or replace your furnace air filters as needed
• test your smoke detector and replace batteries as needed
• check the exhaust duct of your clothes dryer and clean as needed
• dust or vacuum your refrigerator coils
• inspect your fire extinguisher and ensure it's easily accessible

After the holidays we’re often looking for ways to help us save money on our home expenses. Reviewing your home insurance policy is a great place to start. With Esurance, an online insurance option for Albertans, there are discounts available including The Home Safety Features discount! It rewards you with savings when you own safety devices like burglar alarms and smoke detectors. If you’re looking to make the switch, The Welcome Home discount is Esurance’s way of saying thank you when you sign up. With these savings on your insurance policy, you'll be able to save up for more organizing and decorating essentials for your home.

This is a big checklist, but I think it's a thorough list that will help get us organized, ready, and safe for the New Year! Don't worry about doing all of the items immediately. Simply go through the list as you have time after your big Christmas get-togethers to help get your home in tip-top shape.

I'm so excited to be able to share with you an exciting giveaway from Esurance! Our homes are special to us, and home insurance helps us protect them and give us peace of mind. Esurance has been in Alberta since early last year offering auto insurance, but as of this fall Albertan homeowners are the first in Canada to have the option of selecting Esurance home insurance. If you're like me and love to do everything you possibly can online, Esurance is a fabulous option for you. You can manage your policy online, and they work hard to use technology to provide great service. Not only can you save money on your policy with the DIY Home Inspection app, you can also bundle home insurance with auto insurance to save even more. To find a policy that’s right for you, visit Esurance.ca.

Esurance wants to give you a chance to win a $500 cash gift card to use for decorating a favourite space in your home! Use the widget below to enter to win. (Participants must reside in Canada and be 18 years of age or older. See all the Terms & Conditions in the widget below). Good luck!

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