The holidays are exciting, fun and exhausting! Between travelling, cleaning, hosting company, decorating, etc. the last thing anyone wants to worry about is un-decorating and clean-up. Here are some tips to a pain free holiday clean-up this year!

• Put shelving up somewhere out of the way (ex. Basement or garage) since you’ll only need access to these items once a year.
• Put wreaths in a clear plastic bag and place them shelves or hang in up out of the way(mine hangs in my un-finished basement utility room).
• Forget putting your ornaments back in their original boxes.  There are lots of options out there for Christmas decoration boxes with layers of trays for individual ornaments. These will save your time…and patience.
• Remove ornaments the opposite way you put them out. Put keepsakes and previous ones first and the larger more sturdy items last.
• Garland can be wrapped around a piece of cardboard or even placed in a Ziploc bag for space saving storage.
• To avoid the tangle of lights consider purchasing speciality boxes made for storing lights. You can also make your own organization for storing lights using a piece of cardboard. Cut notches along the long edges and wind the lights around the cardboard.
• Inflatable and oversize lawn decorations can be bulky and take up a lot of space. Dedicate space between shelving units or behind the shelving unit for these larger items.
• Pack your holiday china in a bin in the storage room.
• Make room for holiday baking supplies like cookie cutters in your cupboards that are used the least. Store these items toward the back of the cupboard.
• This time of the year is a great time to clean out your closet, kitchen cupboards, etc. If you have received new items clear out some of the old and make space!
• If you use a live Christmas tree there are a couple of options to minimize the mess. Plastic tree bags can save you a ton of clean up. Simply place around the base of your tree when setting it up. When the time comes you can just pull the bag up over the tree and carry it out. A bedsheet works great for packing out a tree as well.
• To clean up the needles from a live tree sweep as much as you can up before vacuuming. Vacuuming the needles can harm your vacuum.