One of the things I like best about the holidays is the symbolism. From the star on the top of the Christmas tree to the menorah of Hanukkah, it’s the symbols that remind us that there are things in this world larger than ourselves. One of those symbols is our home.
Our home is the place where we gather with our families, share our burdens, our successes, and it’s the stage where our lives play out. I guess that’s why home has always been so important to me, and why I think of our spaces as living spaces.
Because of this, the New Year is an important symbolic time in our family. I make a special effort to bring the house back to its original state, taking down decorations and cleaning thoroughly before ringing in the New Year.
In fact, I have quite a list of preparations that I go through each New Year because these activities remind me that we’re at the dawn of another opportunity to begin anew, and I like to bring my house into the New Year with a fresh start, too. I realize that it's a busy time of year and that not everyone feels like adding another item to their to-do list, but I promise you that this is one item that will help you start fresh and feel great by the time the clock strikes twelve.
As someone who has gone into the New Year with last year's decorations to take down, and with last year's trash and dirty bath towels hanging around, I can say with confidence, and experience, that this little bit of extra effort is so worth the time and trouble. Because I know when I wake up on New Year's Day, the house is clean and I am not facing the New Year with a mountain of work in front of me. Imagine how good YOU'D feel if you did this, too!
In fact, it's these small acts of self-care that are so much more rewarding than those any resolution that's only going to fall away faster than ribbons on a Christmas present.
Here is my personal list of New Year’s household preparations that I hope you enjoy.
Out with the old
1. De-clutter as much as possible. Clean out old magazines, food, clothing, and anything that hasn’t been used or is broken.
2. Clean the floors. Get the old energy out by vacuuming and mopping the floors on New Year’s Eve.
3. Do the laundry. You don't want to go into the New Year with dirty clothes hanging around. Be sure to fold and put the clean clothes away.
4. Clean the bathroom. It only takes a few minutes and you won't have a nasty mess to greet the next year of your life.
5. Empty all trashcans. Get everyone to pitch in so last year’s trash isn’t hanging around.
6. Clean out the refrigerator. You don't want old food or a moldy science project lurking in the fridge.
7. Clear out visual clutter. Clear off the counters in the bathrooms and kitchen. Clear off your desk and dust it. Pitch the sticky notes and papers and things taped everywhere. Don't forget the refrigerator. Make it a blank slate.
8. Clean up the yard and your car. Make sure the yard is picked up and the front doorstep is swept and clear. Wash and vacuum the car so it's not filthy going in to the New Year.
9. Change the sheets and towels. Put clean sheets on all the beds on New Year's Eve and clean towels in the bathroom and kitchen.
10. Take down the Christmas decorations. This is the tough one. Most of us dread the New Year because we have to take all the decorations down. Make it a point to take them down two days before New Year’s Day. Then, you can go into the New Year without that mistletoe hanging over your head.
For everyone who thinks you can’t do it, just think how great you’ll feel when you wake up New Year’s Day and you don’t have all those decorations to put away. Trust me, you’ll never know how great New Year’s Day can be if you don’t have to haul the tree to the curb.
Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Calender -- the calendar that helps you end the power struggle with your house. Keeping a clean home is about knowing what to clean when. Virtually everything that needs to be cleaned is on this calendar in a year-round cleaning schedule that helps you keep your house clean easier and faster. Click here for more information.
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