How To Tackle The Post-Holiday Declutter

The holidays are full of good cheer, special moments, and time well spent with family and friends. It’s also full of stuff. Between the decorations, food containers, gifts, holiday clothing, and wrapping supplies, your house is crammed with post-holiday clutter. However, it’s important to approach decluttering thoughtfully, without trying to overhaul your entire home in a weekend.

Get rid of obvious trash, used items, broken decorations, and empty boxes first. Assess decorations to see what still suits your home and style. Let new gifts guide you by tossing or donating old items that they can replace. Focus on holiday clutter zones, work in short sessions, and clear out storage areas before you put things away.

If post-holiday clutter feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. But don’t let the overflowing closets and cluttered countertops get you down. After the holidays is actually one of the best times of the year to declutter.

Nine Tips To Tackle Post-Holiday Clutter

1. Start With The Obvious

Cut down on the post-holiday chaos by getting rid of the obvious items first. These are things like broken decorations, gift wrap scraps, empty boxes, tangled bows, and holiday cards.

It’s tempting to hang on to some of these things because you think you might reuse them, or maybe you’re just sentimental. However, it’s time for a quick reality check. What would happen if you were to keep all of these things year after year? You’d have mountains of used items piling up in corners and crevices.

Instead, grab a trash bag and do a quick sweep of the house. Don’t overthink it. Just grab the stuff that’s torn, old, used, and clearly trash and let it go. You’ll free up space and pump up your momentum to continue decluttering without expending too much emotional energy.

2. Assess Your Current Decorations

Homes change, and so do you, so it’s okay if things you once loved no longer fit your style. Before you pack away holiday decor, think about what you actually enjoyed seeing in your home. Did you leave certain items in the storage boxes because they’re no longer to your taste? Perhaps you bought a few new pieces this year and no longer need some of the older ones.

There’s no point storing things you don’t actually like or no longer use. This is a perfect time to get rid of these unwanted decorations and organize the items you truly love and appreciate. As you take down decorations, create three piles — one for keeping, one for letting go, and one for things you’re not sure about yet. Put the unsure items in their own box, clearly labeled with a date. By next season, if you don’t miss them, you can let them go easily.

3. Let New Gifts Be Your Decluttering Guide

The holidays often mean lots of new items come into your house. Instead of focusing on finding a place to put all of your new stuff, use it as a guide for what you can declutter.

This is a perfect time to use the decluttering rule of one-in-one-out. For example, did you get a brand-new blanket from your best friend? Time to let go of your old one. Did your mom give you a new sweater? Swap it out with one you no longer wear.

Start with the items that are natural replacements for the ones you already own. Then, for the new things that don’t have an equal match, simply choose something you no longer want or need. This habit keeps your space from expanding beyond its limits. It also prevents clutter from creeping back after you’ve pared down your inventory and created some breathing room.

4. Focus On High-Impact Zones

You don’t need to declutter your entire home at once if your goal is to get control of the post-holiday mayhem. The holidays are busy enough without trying to do a massive overhaul of everything you own.

Instead, focus on areas that take the hardest hit during the holidays, like the entryway, kitchen counters, and the living room.

• Entryways get loaded down with boots, coats, bags, and packages.
• The kitchen counters become landing zones for leftovers, treat containers, and serving ware.
• The living room tends to be the spot where all the gifts, toys, and hosting supplies live after the holidays wind down.
• Even the closets start to overflow with stashed-away gifts, wrapping paper, and winter gear.

Identify your post-holiday clutter zones and choose one area to work on at a time. Once you complete one zone, move on to the next one on your list. Start with the zone that will have the biggest impact on your day-to-day life and your stress levels.

5. Declutter Storage Areas Before You Put Things Away

When a lot of stuff is out of your storage area, like decorations, holiday servingware, and winter clothing, take advantage. You’ll get a better view of your storage space and can see what else is lingering that no longer needs to be there.

It’s a great time to clear out and clean these spots so you can better organize the things you want to keep. You can also reconfigure how you want to arrange various items, or if you need any sort of new storage solutions.

Confirm that your storage areas are easy to access, you know what’s in each one, and you use everything that’s in them. There’s no point cramming bins into already-full spaces. Taking the time now to reduce volume prevents a lot of frustration later.

6. Let Go Of “Just In Case” Holiday Items

Between the holiday platters, cute seasonal decor, and even random festive clothing you’re hanging onto “just in case,” clutter adds up quickly. The reality is, you can only use so many party trays at once and fit so many Christmas vases on your tabletops.

Post-holiday decluttering often uncovers a slew of items that are hard to get rid of because you feel you might need them someday. In the words of a famous ice queen, it’s time to “let it go.”

To help fend off the “just in case” blues, ask yourself these questions:

• Would I buy this again today?
• Does this item support my current lifestyle?
• Am I keeping this out of guilt or a sense of obligation?
• Could I get a new one easily and inexpensively if I had to? (A common organizing rule for items you’re on the fence about is the 20-20 concept. If you could acquire a new one for less than $20 in under 20 minutes, it can go.)

The problem with keeping items just in case you need them in the future is that eventually, you have too many things. You end up with an overwhelmed home that adds stress to your life instead of relaxation and peace.

7. Create A “Time Will Tell” Box For Sentimental Items

Letting go of sentimental items is one of the most challenging parts of decluttering and organizing. The holidays make it especially difficult because they stir up emotions as you come across various mementos and objects during your decluttering.

Childhood ornaments, handmade gifts, heirlooms, and even old toys resurface, along with the memories they hold. When you’re making decisions about these items, it’s understandable that you need time. Therefore, don’t rush the process.

Instead, create a box or container for these pieces, and clearly label it. As you have time, go through the items and decide what can go and what can stay. Get another smaller container that will be your permanent memory box. Anything you decide to keep must fit in this container. 

Once it gets full, it’s time to reassess to see what you want to hold onto and what can go. For the items you decide to part with, you can always take pictures and include them in your memory box. This decluttering trick allows you to still access the memories that you associate with that object. After all, it’s the memories that are truly precious, not the physical stuff. 

8. Keep Post-Holiday Decluttering Sessions Short

Decluttering doesn’t need to be an all-day marathon. In fact, after the busy holiday season, shorter sessions are often more effective. Set a timer for 20–30 minutes, or less if you tend to get distracted easily. Pick one specific area, start decluttering, then stop when the timer ends (even if you want to keep going).

When the timer rings, take a break and grab a snack, take a walk, or rest for 5, 10, or 15 minutes before you go in for round two. Or spread sessions out throughout the day, for example, one in the morning and one at night. Aim to do two or three sessions a day for a couple of weeks to conquer your holiday clutter.

This method keeps the process from feeling exhausting and helps you build consistency. A few short, focused sessions over a couple of weeks accomplish more than one frantic weekend of nonstop clean-up. The latter often leads to burnout and half-done projects.

9. Think About Your Future Self

Now that the holidays are over, you have the things you’re used to and a bunch of new stuff to consider. This is a good time to decide what your future self wants in their life and what you want your home to look like moving forward.

Think about how you want your home to feel and what you need to make daily life easier. What items are you ready to leave in the past?

As you move into a new year, it’s an excellent time to take stock of what works and what doesn’t. Make choices that support the person you want to be and the home you want to have.

When The Holidays End, The Decluttering Begins

Be proud of what you accomplish as you conquer your post-holiday clutter. Decluttering is full of mental and emotional labor, not just physical effort. Therefore, even the smallest wins are huge victories.

When the holidays close out, it’s often a natural reset point, leading into a fresh new year. However, that doesn’t mean you need to feel any pressure or guilt as you move through the decluttering process.

Take your time and move at your own pace. Stay realistic, and remember that you and your home evolve, so it’s okay to let go of things even if you’ve had them for years. You’re not trying to achieve perfection. Instead, focus on making progress. Each item you let go of is one less thing demanding your time, energy, and attention, making room for things that really matter. And that is one gift that is always worth keeping.

Related Guides:

• Your Post-Holiday Cleanup Checklist
• 14 Habits That Will Improve Your Home In The New Year
• Smart Storage Ideas For Seasonal Decor