New Year Cleaning Superstitions
“Out with the old and in with the new”
For many traditions, a deep clean before the new year or at the beginning of the year can be a popular tradition. This is because they want to see some of the old stuff leave to prepare for a new year. This can often be associated with negative feelings towards items or mess. Taking some time to remove these items can be an important tradition. Here are a few tips if you are removing items as part of the out with the old tradition:
- Plan donation trips - One of the big things that happen when decluttering is the decision to donate items to quality charities. However, these items can often sit in a box or car. When deciding to donate items, add the trip on the calendar to make sure those items don’t end up sitting somewhere new.
- Work on one area at a time - When decluttering it can be tempting to try to conquer the entire house at once. Instead, dedicate your focus to one area at a time. Spend time getting rid of clothes you won’t wear or removing dishes you won’t use.
- Clean as you declutter - While removing clutter, take some time to use a kid-safe all-purpose cleaner to wipe down surfaces, dust drawers, and give the area an overall deep clean.
Putting away Christmas is important
For many homes, removing Christmas decorations will wait until the first week of the new year. This is because some will choose to let the holiday joy linger a bit longer. This can mean that holiday clean-up happens at the beginning of January. That said, when it is time to clean up from the holidays, it can seem like a lot. Here are a few tips for putting away the Christmas decorations and cleaning up post-holiday messes:
- Get good storage options - As you put away holiday items, make sure your storage containers are in good shape. This will help you to keep these items in great condition for future holidays. Replace containers, boxes, and more to make sure these items are easily put away in a safe place.
- Clean the walls after removing decorations - Many decorations for the holidays will stay up for a minimum of a month. This can mean that the area is not cleaned as frequently. Use the 5-minute clean walls bundle to quickly clean walls and freshen up the smell in your home. (Missing the smell of the holidays? Use our Holiday Hearth Clean Walls cleaner to keep your home smelling like Christmas all year long! )
- Clean the oven - The holiday season can have the oven working overtime. Take some time to use a kitchen degreaser to safely wipe down spills and messes from holiday cooking/baking. Spending a few minutes on this now will prepare your oven for all the delicious foods you are cooking in the new year.
New Year, New Home
When looking at a new year, people often say they will be a new person in the new year. With this, some will say this is the year they are conquering their home. This will often look like a deep clean in the first week and cleaning that will slowly fade back to normal as time goes on. While this can be typical, it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few ways to keep your new year, new home cleaning resolutions and make them a part of this year’s traditions:
- Set reasonable goals - When setting new year’s cleaning resolutions avoid larger than life goals. Instead, set small attainable goals that you can achieve each day. Instead of saying, “I will keep the kitchen clean” try something like, “I will make sure the sink is empty of dishes before I go to bed.” Setting small attainable goals will help you to make larger changes over time.
- Create systems for high-traffic areas - Some areas in the home will always get messier. Dishes and laundry are renewable messes that never seem to end. Putting in a system that works for your family can make a world of difference. This could mean completing a load of laundry each day or doing a living room roundup before bed. The main goal is to find systems that make these high-traffic areas more manageable.
- Set yourself up for success - When setting cleaning goals for the new year, it can help to set yourself up for success. Purchase a clean floors bundle to help keep floors consistently cleaned. Use a hard water cleaner that prevents hard water stains from forming as quickly. Purchase a kid-safe all-purpose cleaner for all the daily cleaning tasks you plan to take on. Having the right products on hand can make a world of difference.
Set new traditions!
The beautiful thing about traditions is that they all have to start somewhere. Is there something you want to be a part of your home cleaning tradition each year? Let this year be the start of a new tradition for your home. This can be something small or something larger depending on your goals. Don’t be afraid to use this time to start new traditions. Here are a few tips for starting new cleaning traditions:
- Make it fun - Many traditions stick because there is a fun memory tied to them. Find a way to make this new tradition fun for everyone involved.
- Keep it simple - Don’t overcomplicate things and you’re sure to set a tradition that will continue for years to come.
- Communication is key - If you are starting a new tradition for your home, make sure everyone is on the same page about their part in this new tradition. This will help you to get everyone on board and make this a new normal.