Just in Time for the Holidays: How to Organize Like a Pro

The holidays and new year are just around the corner! Now is the perfect time to start planning ahead to ensure your entertainment plans—no matter how big or how small—are perfectly suited for your style.

These quick tips will help you prepare your home for less stressful and more enjoyable celebrations.

Decorations

Let’s start with the most fragile items—Christmas ornaments. Decorative ornaments have a long tradition going all the way back to the 16th century. Today, families rehang sentimental ornaments alongside DIY ornaments and trendier glass balls to create Christmas magic.

Expert organizers all agree, storage bins are the best bet for keeping Christmas decorations, most of which are fragile, safe.

Edit as you go: When unpacking your decorations this year, take the time to edit out ornaments and decor you didn’t use last year. Or the year before. Chances are if you’re not planning to use those items this year, it’s time to donate, recycle or toss.

Take photos: Once you have your home decorated, take photos of your holiday-themed rooms. When it’s time to pack and store after the holidays, print the photos and put them in the bins to easily refer to next Christmas.

Protect decorations: To prevent fragile glass ball and other fragile ornaments from breaking, store them in foam sheets.

Store Christmas tree lights: There’s nothing like a tangled string of Christmas lights to ruin the holiday cheer. You can find durable reels at Amazon and local home improvement stores to make next year’s task of unwinding lights so much easier.

Kitchen

The easiest holiday kitchen for cooking and cleaning is a simple one. Declutter countertops and store any summer or spring entertaining tableware and decorations if you have them.

Bring forward things like crockpots, champagne buckets, serving platters, roasting pans, and other useful cooking and serving utensils to make preparing family meals easier.

Organize the pantry: Pantry organization is one of the most daunting kitchen organization projects we can think of. To do it properly, pull E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G out of the pantry and place it on counters and tabletops. Clean shelves thoroughly and check all expiration dates. See our post for more ideas: Pantry Organization Makes the Holidays Easy.

Clean kitchen appliances: Now is a good time to give the two most utilized appliances in any kitchen, refrigerators and microwaves, a good scrub, and sanitization. Both will get a lot of traffic during meal prep over the next several weeks, so start them off clean and beautiful.

Disinfect trash cans: This is a good practice any year, but especially so during a pandemic. Take the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom trash cans outside and spray them off with a garden hose. Disinfect with a lavender-scented bleach, cleaning spray, or soapy pine-sol.

An added benefit of kitchen cleaning? Everything will smell fresh and look crispy clean, which is sure to brighten your mood.

Furniture

Whether or not you’re expecting guests this year, the holidays are a good time to freshen up your home. Simple things like new pillows for the couch, a new throw blanket, or a clever storage solution for games and toys will help transform your family room.

Fall is a good time to take your cushions outdoors too. Air them out with a few fist fluffs to knock out dust and debris. Vacuum under the cushions and move furniture around to get this year’s dust bunnies under control.

Make space: Decluttering is not only trendy right now, but it’s also proven to be emotionally rewarding. Before bringing in the holiday decorations, rework your spaces to make more room for holiday gatherings and celebrations.

Refresh linens: The holidays are full of wonderful scents—pine needles, peppermint, and pumpkin spiced lattes come to mind. Even so, strong scents in the bedroom may not be conducive to a good night’s sleep.

There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh, clean linens. So, if you use a strong-smelling detergent or your linens have been in the closet untouched for months, it’s time for a refresh—wash sheets and towels in a clean, organic detergent. Take extra care folding and remaking beds—you’ll be glad you put in the effort.

Use Climate-Controlled Storage

Need to make more space for the holidays? Seasonal storage is one of the most popular reasons to rent a storage unit? Think of your storage unit as an extra space in your house. One that you can organize and access to suit your needs over the holidays or during a move.

Climate-controlled storage adds an extra layer of protection, helping to prevent extreme temperature swings caused by heat, humidity, or freezing temperatures during winter months. Our state-of-the-art units provide great features and amenities like easy access, 24-hour security, and well-lit spaces for your peace of mind.

Contact a member of our friendly storage team at 866-GO-METRO or reserve your unit online today!