December Decluttering Calendar (Prep the House for the Holidays)
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Our December decluttering calendar is a 31-day plan for decluttering your home and getting things ready for the holidays.
You can use our decluttering month with our Christmas and NYE prep calendar, these mini decluttering wins checklists, and our Christmas planner to help you keep your home organized and get everything ready in time for the holidays.
Simply by scrolling to the bottom of the article, you can get started with the December decluttering printable. Use it to make quick decisions and declutter lots of areas of your home in time for the holidays.
Decluttering Ideas for December
Here are all the ideas in the calendar in full. There is emphasis on preparing the house for the holidays, along with quick decluttering wins throughout the house.
Week 1
Declutter the pantry, making room for seasonal/holiday ingredients you need.
Toss any expired food from the fridge.
Organize the fridge, making room for holiday groceries.
Go through the freezer and organize the contents.
Do a surface declutter in the kitchen, clearing things you don’t need from the counters.
Declutter the dining room or dining table, removing items that don’t belong.
Declutter the entryway, making room for guests’ clothes and shoes. Start by removing out-of-season items you don’t plan to use this month and storing them somewhere else. Think of how many guests you’re expecting at any given point this month, and make sure there’s enough room there for their clothes and shoes.
Make room for the Christmas tree. Think of potential places to place the Christmas tree and make sure there’s an outlet close by so you don’t have to use extension cords. Make sure to clear enough space, as having too much stuff near the tree would make the room feel crowded.
Do a 15-minute declutter in the living room, making room for seasonal decor. Consider what seasonal decor you plan to add and then make room in the appropriate spaces (e.g., holiday-themed wall art, coffee table books, seasonal coasters, seasonal candles, seasonal blankets and throw pillows).
Clear the coffee table and remove any items that don’t belong. Start by removing everything from the coffee table. Wipe down the table, and then return only what you want to keep. Then, take a look at the items you’ve removed and think about whether to move them somewhere else or donate them.
Tidy the TV and media cabinet, organizing cables and other items you might have (DVDs, magazines). Wipe the dust off and organize the cables (using clips or ties). Consider labeling the cables if you have many of them. If you have lots of remotes, chargers, and controllers, consider getting some baskets or boxes to organize them and make everything look tidy.
Go through your books and see what you want to give away. Consider what system you’d prefer to use to organize them (by color, by read/unread, by genre, by size, by author name). You can do this one shelf at a time, so that it doesn’t get too overwhelming. If there are any you’ve read that you don’t want to keep, you can donate them.
Go through your closet and see if there are any coats, winter shoes, and other items to donate. A good place to start would be items you haven’t worn in a couple of years. Don’t forget about accessories (scarves, gloves, hats).
Week 3
Declutter the bathroom that guests will be using.
Look through your towels and bedding, removing worn-out ones.
Do a quick declutter and tidy of your bedroom.
Declutter the guest bedroom if hosting guests over the holidays.
Do a quick declutter and tidy of the remaining bedrooms.
Go through the cleaning supplies, tossing empty bottles and consolidating duplicates.
Declutter and tidy the laundry room/laundry area.
Week 4
Take the items you want to donate to a donation center/charity.
Declutter mail and other paper piles.
Make room in the hall closet/guest closet for guests’ clothes.
Set aside 30 minutes to do any last-minute decluttering & tidying.
Do a quick 15-minute tidy before guests arrive.
Toss/recycle gift packaging and wrapping paper left after opening gifts.
Go through all the holiday cards you received and organize them.
Week 5
Put things away after guests have left and reset the house.
Sort through all the gifts you received and find a place for each one.
Tidy the house if hosting for NYE.
Do a quick 15-minute declutter and tidy before guests arrive.
Get the December decluttering month printable here.
Our decluttering month for December can not only help you declutter in time for the holidays, but also set the tone for the new year. We hope you find it useful!
