The Reverse Santa cleaning rule used by professionals to make Christmas a breeze
THE festive season is almost here: a time for good food, fun drinks and getting together with friends and family.
With the countdown There’s no better time to clear out your holiday home and make room for all the cheer to come.
3
This inspired cleaning expert Miroslav Radov London House Clearing Company Rainbow Waste Disposal to share his best decluttering tips to make your home calm, organized, cozy, and ready for the Christmas season.
Here he reveals his top tips to make the holidays a breeze this year.
The ‘reverse Santa’ rule
We all like our homes to look festive, and it’s hard not to go crazy over Christmas decorations and gifts when every year you find something better than last year.
This is when you should introduce the ‘Reverse Santa’ rule.
How: For every new gift or decoration item you bring in, remove one item from your home.
This makes room for holiday additions without the extra clutter.
Wrap your junk in gift wrapping
When it comes to decluttering your space, you come across items that you’re not sure you want to let go of, wrap it up.
The gift wrapping technique can help you with the items that you are not sure you will need on a daily basis.
How: Pack up your item and if you don’t feel compelled to “open” it by New Year’s, it’s time to donate or throw it away.
The ’12 days of tidying up’ challenge
On Christmas Day, my true love gave me… a messy house that would take months to clean! Maybe not with this festive hack: it’s the perfect way to get everyone in your household involved, especially kids.
How: Set up a dedicated trash bin and remove items you no longer need or use for 12 days straight.
Day one, one item. Day two, two items – and so on.
Clearance for the Christmas countdown
A daily mini-blitz of five minutes per zone will help with decluttering without having to set aside special “declutter days,” and will surprise you with how much you can get done.
One way to do this is, instead of tackling an entire room at once, declutter by focusing on specific areas within each room.
Not only does this technique work wonders, as working in a time crunch makes your decision-making process work faster, but it is less complicated and overwhelming to take on small parts at a time.
3
How: Whether it’s a messy basement or a messy kitchen, divide the room into sections by space or category.
Label one box “To Keep” and another “To Go” and set a timer for five minutes a day.
See how quickly you can make decisions and clear surfaces!
Current triage
If you struggle with what to keep and what to throw away, this method is for you.
When you’re thinking about the gifts you want to give this holiday season, take a moment to think about the items in your home.
If you can’t imagine giving them as gifts, maybe it’s time to let go and create space for what really adds value.
How: Make a mental note of the people you want to get presents for this year and look around your bedroom, living room and bathroom closet.
Imagine these items as gifts for the people in your life. If you can’t imagine giving them as gifts, why keep them?
How do you care for your real Christmas tree?
HERE’S what you need to know when buying a real Christmas tree:
First things first: buy a jar (if it isn’t already in).
You should treat your tree like a houseplant and give it water and attention.
Make sure the container has good drainage. It’s a good idea to put something underneath to catch the excess water.
Check the soil every day to make sure it is not drying out.
If it feels dry, give it some water. If it still feels damp, leave it alone as too much water can also kill a tree.
Also check that the LED bulbs of your tree lights are not too hot, as this can burn them, and keep your tree away from radiators.
Once Christmas is over, try planting it in the garden so you can dig it up and use it again next year.
However, it is a good idea to remove it from the pot when you replant it, as large trees do not survive well in pots as their roots need room to grow.
The snowflake rule
Embrace the idea that, like snowflakes, every item in your home should be unique and essential.
By eliminating duplicates – whether it’s the extra spatulas or excess kitchen gadgets – you create a more functional and streamlined space, so that everything you keep actually serves a purpose.
How: Start by reviewing categories like kitchenware or clothing and decide if you really need more than one of each item.
Keep only the most functional or favorite pieces and donate or recycle the extras.
Going forward, commit to replacing or adding items only when absolutely necessary to maintain a streamlined, organized space.
3
Holiday themed cleanup bingo
Whether you live alone or in a full house, it is difficult to keep everything tidy and organized yourself.
One way to get everyone involved is to create a Christmas-themed bingo card, with an incentive for the winner.
How to Save Money on Christmas Shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the number of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not host a Secret Santa among your inner circles so you don’t have to buy multiple presents?
Plan ahead – if you have the stamina and the budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for next year during the January sales.
Make sure you shop for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you don’t spend more than you need to.
Buy on sale on Boxing Day – some retailers are starting their Christmas sales early so you can actually score a bargain before December 25th.
Delivery may cost you a little more, but it could be worth it if the savings are significant.
Shop through outlet stores – you can save a lot of money by shopping through outlet stores such as Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually the wear and tear is minor.
