Essential New Year cleaning and organization checklist for 2023.
Photo by Pixabay
2023 is finally here, and after all the celebrations, it’s time to get your house ready for the new year and tackle those big cleaning & organizational tasks. That’s why in this article, we’ll go through your essential checklist to restore order in your home in no time at all.
Ready to get the house back on track and prepared for the year ahead? Keep reading as we show you how…
The Christmas clear-up
From pine needles that embed themselves into the carpet and rouge baubles that have rolled under the couch, restoring cleanliness after the holidays can be a laborious task.
However, all you need to do is break it down step-by-step and you’ll have the house back to normal before you know it.
- Remove baubles from the tree, repair or throw away any broken ones and wrap fragile ones up in paper (you can reuse gift-wrap for this or newspaper)
- Pack away artificial trees and decorations to store for next year, including from the exterior of your home
- Take real trees to the recycling center or arrange for collection
- Put any festive soft furnishings or linens in the laundry (such as tablecloths or pillow covers)
Whilst it can be tempting to tear them all down and get them into storage as quickly as possible, taking the extra time to carefully organize and pack away holiday decorations will save you hassle for next year.
Restore guest rooms
If you’ve had extra guests such as friends or family members over this year, it’s a good idea to take the time to restore your guest rooms so they’re ready to be used again. So, reset guest rooms (and bathrooms) by:
- Washing, drying, and storing bedding, towels, and any other linen
- Thoroughly cleaning guest bathrooms
- Emptying trash cans
- Vacuuming, dusting, and spot cleaning where necessary
- Airing the room by opening windows, and using air fresheners if required
Whilst it can be tempting just to forget about these rooms after the holidays, you’ll save time in the future if you have any expected guests come to stay.
Declutter the house
Toward the end of December or the during January is the perfect time to declutter your home, thanks to the turnover of shiny new objects and timing it with deep cleaning.
- Start with family rooms such as the kitchen, living room, or dining area
- Divide objects up by keep, relocate, recycle or donate
- Pick objects or decorations and place them in the right pile on the floor
- Ask your kids if they have any toys they no longer play with or want to donate
- If you’re relocating objects (or keeping them where they were), clean and sanitize them before replacing
Set realistic goals when it comes to decluttering so that you don’t get overwhelmed, and make sure you’ve got storage space ready.
Deep clean the kitchen
After a period of heavy use just like the holiday season, it’s a great idea to give your kitchen the deep clean it deserves, and ensure appliances are sparkling clean.
- Clean the oven or hire a professional to do it for you
- Tackle all other appliances like the microwave, coffee machine, air fryer, and kettle
- Clean out kitchen cupboards and cabinets, throw away out-of-date food or donate food you won’t use
- Clean and disinfect the oven hood and hobs
- Thoroughly clean out the fridge and throw away any old Christmas leftovers
Not only does cleaning the oven give you a super-hero-like sense of achievement, but it can help food taste better, prevent charring and banish that burning smell of old food.
Tackle extra cleaning tasks
Once you’ve packed away your Christmas decorations and decluttered your home, it’s the perfect time to tackle other cleaning tasks that don’t get done as regularly, including:
- Cleaning appliances such as the laundry machine or dishwasher
- Washing or dry cleaning soft furnishings such as blankets, cushion covers, and curtains
- Change heater or air conditioner filters, or get the system serviced professionally
- Deep clean bathrooms and pay attention to taps, showerheads, and built-up dirt
- Clean windows and frames both inside and out
- Disinfect light switches, door handles, and trashcans
Depending on your home, there are other tasks you might want to consider such as getting the carpets professionally cleaned or having your guttering emptied after the winter.
Don’t forget the plants
With the right amount of watering, plants can pretty much take care of themselves. However in order to thrive, it’s worth making them part of your deep cleaning routine as they can accumulate dust and dirt.
- Use a damp cloth to carefully remove dust from leaves
- Remove dead leaves or stalks
- Check for any pests and treat them where required
- Clean and disinfect cover pots and check for any cracks
- Ensure they are in the right position to get enough light over winter
Houseplants can help to clean the air in your home whilst keeping things looking bright and fresh, so give them a helping hand by ensuring they are clean and thriving.
Sanitise for flu season
Around the holidays and the start of the new year is the prime time for colds, coughs, sniffles, and the flu. To prevent it from spreading around your home and between family members, you should:
- Regularly sanitize high-traffic areas or objects, such as door handles, light switches, and TV remotes
- Ensure all bathrooms are well stocked with anti-bacterial soap or gel
- Keep surfaces clutter-free so germs don’t have places to hide
- Regularly disinfect all surfaces
- Open the windows to circulate fresh air
Sometimes catching a cold is just unavoidable, but keeping your house clean can help to reduce the spread of illness brought in from outdoors.
Now you know how to clean and organize your home to supercharge the start of the new year. Where will you start first?