5 Things You Can Skip Cleaning and Decluttering Until After the Holidays

It’s tempting to use the occasion of holiday guests to declutter and clean all the things. Having people over is one of the best motivators for finally checking some big and small tasks off the never-ending list. 

But if you get too caught up in washing the curtains and organizing the pantry, you might not have much energy left for holiday cooking, baking, decorating, and, the most important thing of all, soaking in the festivities with your loved ones. 

Of course, you want your bathroom sparkling and your fridge and pantry in tip-top shape so they can serve you in your flurry of entertaining guests, but there are other chores that you can put on the back burner with no harm and even, in some cases, a bit of gain. Here are five things you can skip cleaning and decluttering until after the holidays.

Yes, it’d be lovely to have sparkling windows throughout your home, but wait until early spring to get this done. The weather probably isn’t too pleasant for window-washing, and less daylight means your payoff isn’t as big as if you had waited for longer days. Plus, it’s such a labor-intensive task. There’s too much going on this time of year to add this massive task to your list. 

Nothing feels better than getting junk out of the garage — but this is not a priority right now. Guests are unlikely to see your garage, and even if they do, your friends won’t be bothered by a garage that needs some attention.

Sure, donate duplicates of everyday items you know you can do without to make your kitchen more functional pre-Christmas roast. But don’t bother decluttering your cookware and entertaining items. If you wait until all the celebrations are over, not only will you have more mental bandwidth to tackle such a job, but you’ll have the clarity that comes with the recent memory of what you needed and used (keep) and what you didn’t (donate). 

It makes the most sense to wait until the end of the winter season to tackle clothes. You’ll have a clearer picture of what was used and what wasn’t, and you’ll know what you’re able to pass down and what you need to snag during end-of-the-season clothing clearances. Plus, decluttering clothes doesn’t do much to help things go more smoothly during the holiday bustle. 

Definitely continue with routine upkeep, such as regular vacuuming and spot cleaning if stains occur. But don’t worry about deep cleaning your upholstery and carpeting just yet. Waiting until after guests and entertaining are behind you means you can attack all the repercussions of heavy use at once.