7 ways to declutter this Christmas – including Ski Slope method
While it might not be the first thing that comes to mind, Christmas is a fantastic time to declutter. Some of us have up to two weeks off during this break, giving us plenty of time to relax as well as reflect on what we have stored around the home.
And before you go all defeatist and decide that decluttering’s not for you, there are ways to make the activity more festive and, dare I say it, fun! Interested to learn more? We’ve rounded up seven such declutter methods, so you can rest assured that Santa will have enough space for his gifts.
1. Reverse Santa
Speaking of which, the first method is called the Reverse Santa technique, recommended by cleaning expert Miroslav Radov at London House Clearing Company Rainbow Rubbish Removals. The concept is a simple one: you need to remove as many items as you’re placing under the tree. That means you’re not storing more than you were before Christmas. You get bonus points if you take away more than you’ve purchased, too. Think of it a bit like the “one in, one out” rule, which a lot of people practise with their wardrobes when they buy new items.
The only potential flaw is if you receive more than you buy – not the worst problem and quite common with young children. In these cases, it’s worth keeping a note of what you’ve removed so you can see how the numbers match up and make any final amends. Remember, removing smaller items, such as jewellery, isn’t going to help much if you have sizeable pressies, so be reasonable and only remove those items that have served their purpose. Others may value them more and charity shops are always looking for donations.
2. 12 Days of Christmas
When you think about it, there’s a lot of gift-giving over the 12 days of Christmas. While I wouldn’t argue about receiving five gold rings, why not put it in reverse? This is what Radov goes on to suggest. So, remove one thing on the first day of Christmas, two on the second and so forth. In fact, if you want to make it a real challenge, you could try to keep up with a whole Advent calendar of decluttering (there’s still time!).
This would be much like the Minimalism Game, which I have tried at home. I will warn you, though, it is brutal towards the end of the month as you attempt to keep up. And you need to take care that you’re not decluttering things you will later regret, which can sometimes be the case with number-based methods. But the results don’t lie: I decluttered 465 things over one month and essentially gave my flat a fresh start.
3. Check your list twice
You know the line from the song, “He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice”, and that’s exactly what you should do, too. Before you run out and start spending on spontaneous presents, get yourself ready first.
Write down everyone’s names, then consider if there’s anything you want to buy for them specifically along with how much it’s likely to cost. As you buy items, add them to the list so you can keep up with how much you’ve purchased and what you’ve spent. This helps to avoid overbuying and makes sure no one gets missed either. Plus, you get to stick to your budget.
Taking the time to think about what people want, rather than buying things at the drop of a hat, is more likely to give better gifts, too.
4. Dashing through the snow
While we may or may not get snow this year, you can always take advantage of Anita Yokota’s Ski Slope method when you declutter a single room. It’s a simple, but thorough premise: you’re working through the room as if you were traversing down a ski slope, so moving from side to side, one end to the other.
Some spots will be quicker to declutter than others, but breaking it up into focused zones like this keeps you motivated and you will see the progress quickly. I tried this method in my bedroom. While I was sceptical at first, I could quickly see the benefit of using a route like this. Just remember to take breaks and pick up where you left off, otherwise you could end up rushing towards the end.
5. Cracker clutter
What creates a lot of clutter at Christmas? For me, it’s always the Christmas crackers. I’ve found an abundance of cracker prizes around my home over the years – bottle openers and nail clippers predominantly; things I feel guilty about throwing away.
You might still love the tradition and seeing the look on young faces when they snap, but you shouldn’t feel indifferent about the prize – and you shouldn’t be building up an abundance of the same items.
Of course, you don’t have to stop using Christmas crackers altogether – some of the prizes are indeed useful – but there are ways you can personalise the tradition and make it more memorable. For instance, you could fill your own crackers with prizes you know people will like. There are plenty of recyclable make-your-own cracker kits online, and small but meaningful items could be added, such as photos, plant seeds or key rings etc.
6. Use a festive sack
When we collect items to donate, we generally have a habit of putting them straight into a typical black bin bag. The trouble with this is it puts you in a negative mindset; we see it almost as if we’re throwing away rubbish, whereas that’s not the case.
By simple switching over to a festive sack, such as the JOYIN Gift Bag, it can make the whole process feel more rewarding. After all, these items are going to get a second life and have a purpose again.
You might be encouraged to fill the bag as a result, and others in the house might want to help. It could even become its own festive tradition!
7. Make room for your roast
Before your Christmas food arrives, take the time to make all the necessary room for it in your cupboards, fridge and especially your freezer. That way, there’s no last-minute stress before the big day.
Start by keeping a list of what you’ve purchased, so you know how many items will need a temporary home in each space. It’s also a good idea to bring out any decorative serving plates and bowls now, so you don’t need to forage for them when you want to serve the cheese balls.
Most importantly, make sure there’s space for the largest of items, such as your turkey or the dessert. These may even require a full shelf or drawer to be removed from your fridge or freezer.
To gain free space in your freezer, we recommend removing any cardboard packaging and marking each item, so you know what they are and when they were frozen. My mum used to save space in the fridge by moving the wine into the conservatory – the cold weather would keep it chilled!
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