The holidays mark a time of merriment and revelry in a year.

Christmas, in particular, is the season of giving where everyone is noticeably a lot kinder and more generous to each other. It is a time for parties, decorations, and reunions—a time to be merry, indeed.

However, while decorating for Christmas and hosting Christmas parties can be fun, the cleanup that occurs after is not exactly a walk in the park. The holidays can do quite a number on your home. After all, it is that time of the year when you will be entertaining more than usual. Between welcoming house guests, hosting holiday feats, and kids going on school breaks, your house will inevitably need a thorough cleanup right after. For some homeowners, doing a cleanup of their various properties for sale in Quezon City or elsewhere post-Christmas may seem overwhelming.

If you are not naturally organized, a post-Christmas cleanup may even feel like a herculean task. More importantly, you are not exactly inclined to clean it all up after the work you have done in putting up and setting up decorations and hosting parties. It may have occurred to you that you are finally able to get your feet up and get that much-deserved rest, only to be compelled to spruce up and put everything away again. For individuals who are not naturally organized, cleaning up after Christmas can always be done someday. Definitely not today, but someday. Keep in mind, however, that the more you procrastinate, the less receptive you will be to actually do it. So, what does someone like you do when faced with a responsibility like this? Well, this endeavor may not seem like an easy task, but give yourself time to gather the energy to tackle the mess. After you have finally decided to get up and get cracking, below are some of the things you can keep in mind to make the process as easy and simple as it can be:

POST-CHRISTMAS PARTY CLEANUPS

a.) Refrigerate and set aside leftovers

There will inevitably be a lot of leftover food after hosting a slew of Christmas parties and holiday get-togethers. To ensure that you will not have a lot of food to put away after everyone has gone home, be sure to take a bit of time away from the fun to put away and store any unfinished food that has been lying around. Aside from avoiding potential food spoilage, doing this early on means that you no longer need to go through all of the leftovers to check if any of this has gone bad. Keep in mind that setting aside food also includes taking stock of any unfinished bottles of wine and other beverages which may be used for future recipes. Be sure to collect any leftover candy canes and peppermint sticks as well as you can use these as toppers for cupcakes and other sweets.

Alternatively, you may give some of your leftover food to your guests before they leave. In this way, you can save on refrigerator space and the potential cleanup after.

2.) Do the dishes early

To avoid having to round up the dishes after everyone is done with their meal, create a dedicated space in your kitchen for your guests to leave their dirty dishes in. From there, periodically see if there are dishes that need a little soaking before you wash them. Keep doing this from time to time to avoid having piles upon piles of dishes to wash at night. If you have a dishwasher, be sure to run the first load at the end of the party before cleaning up the rest of your space. Once the rest of the areas are cleaned, run your second load before heading to bed. If there are any dishes left from the evening before, you can do this the next morning. Do not wait up for a prior load to finish when there is only one more batch of dishes to load left. Use the time to catch up on sleep instead.

3.) Make sure garbage is appropriately disposed

Before your guests arrive for the party, station sufficient bins around so that they can properly dispose of their trash. In this way, you do not have to round up any trash they left and just grab the bags, tie them up, and leave them by the curbside at the end of the day. As there will inevitably be a mess left behind, be sure to do a full sweep of the entire place before tying up any of your garbage bags. Doing it this way prevents you from reaching for another trash bag, as it allows you to quickly throw any leftover trash in the designated trash bag.

4.) Get adequate rest, and reserve big tasks for the next day

You do not have to do an entire clean-up right after a party. After a fun and long party, there is a likely chance that all you would want to do is start your general cleaning in the middle of the night. Cleaning up after your guests will be the last thing you want to do. Any major cleanups can wait until the next day. Go to bed, and tackle the rest of your cleaning chores in the morning when you feel more refreshed.

Keep in mind that post-party cleanups do not have to be a pain to contend with. By having a cleanup strategy and thinking ahead, you will be able to get on top of your cleaning tasks and accomplish it faster. Do not waste time worrying about the huge mess your guests may be making. Instead, enjoy your Christmas party, bond with your guests, and worry about the potential cleanup later.

POST-HOLIDAY CLEANUP AND TAKEDOWN

1.) Take down holiday lights

One of the initial things you should do after the holiday season is to take down your Christmas lights. However, be sure to save yourself time next year by putting them away using a simple trick: wrap them around a piece of paper towel tube or cardboard to keep them organized. Aside from easy storage and organization, doing it this way makes it easy to unravel the next time you put them up.

2.) Collect holiday cards

If you received more than a handful of Christmas cards, be sure to go through them and make a list of who sent them to you. You then use this list to send thank-you cards to or have it serve as your baseline as to who receives a Christmas Card for you next year. Recycle these cards by cutting the images, attaching them to a string, and recycling them as free gift tags. Throw all the ones you do not like in the trash bin.

3.) Say goodbye to unwanted gifts

While many of us would want to cling to every holiday gift we receive, they will just add to the clutter in our homes. Sure, it is the thought that counts, but you should not let unwanted gifts eat up space in your home. If appropriate, ensure that these gifts can be put to good use by donating them to the charity of your choice. In this way, holiday cleaning will be so much easier, considering you do not have those extra items.

4.) Take photos

Before you start taking down holiday decorations, snap some photos of how you had set them up and arranged them around the house. These photos will serve as a reference for the next time you will be putting up these Christmas decorations again. You can make changes as you wish, but having something to refer to will give you an easy start. Be sure to take close-up photos to see the details.

5.) Separate non-breakables

If you wish to start taking down your Christmas tree, be sure to remove the non-breakable ornaments first and lay them in their box. You may opt not to remove the hooks (save for a few exceptions to ensure that they do not get tangled). Doing this saves you time and space.

6.) Break it down into categories

Your ornaments are either non-breakable or fragile. You should have boxes for each. Have a box dedicated to storage for tree ornaments, another for Christmas lights, and another box for miscellaneous bigger items such as snow globes and the Advent calendar.

7.) Do not be afraid to ask for help

Post-holiday cleanups, whether you are taking down decorations or cleaning up after a party, can be quite overwhelming to do alone. There is no shame in asking for help with cleaning. So, ask a family member or relative to help you in doing a post-Christmas takedown and cleanup. To ensure that everything gets done, dedicate an entire day to this endeavor.