29 Things You Don’t Have to Clean Until January 6

If you’re just about done in by all the holiday flurry of cooking, entertaining, school parties, gift shopping/wrapping/giving, and squeezing in the bucket list of traditions… well, it may be time for a little relief.

Even if the item is only on a mental checklist or nags at you from a guilty place of shoulds, purposefully crossing something off your list of to-dos can take a big load off your shoulders and open up the possibility of a bit more rest and relaxation. By letting some unnecessary things go, you create space for increased mindfulness, presence, and grace over the holidays.

To that end, let’s take bit of a cleaning break and just enjoy being home with our loved ones. Keeping up with basic chores and regular picking up of clutter will keep your space a pleasant place to be, but here are some cleaning tasks that can wait a few weeks with no harm done:

• Dusting the ceiling fan blades
• Washing walls
• Vacuuming under your couch cushions
• Vacuuming under your furniture
• Tidying the laundry room
• Cleaning the mudroom
• Organizing the garage
• Sanitizing the interior of your garbage cans

• Deep cleaning your toaster oven
• Deep cleaning your coffee maker
• Deep cleaning the dishwasher
• Deep cleaning the oven interior
• Cleaning your plants’ leaves
• Dusting your picture frames
• Dusting your blinds
• Dusting bookshelves
• Cleaning out your pantry
• Cleaning out your refrigerator

• Grout-cleaning
• Scrubbing out the bathtub
• Wiping down your back splash
• Wet mopping bathrooms
• Wiping down cabinets

• Window cleaning
• Baseboard cleaning
• Vacuuming upholstery
• Shining shower fixtures
• Polishing wood
• Polishing your granite

When Jan. 6 does roll around and you’re ready to get back into the swing of cleaning things, make sure you’re signed up for the January Cure, our one-step-at-a-time program designed to get your entire home ready for the cozy, comfy season ahead.