Wondering what you should declutter for Christmas before your holiday guests arrive and the season gets chaotic? This is your Christmas decluttering game plan with nine different areas to focus your efforts!
It’s that magical time of year again! The time when you realize your house is about to be invaded by relatives, mountains of presents, and enough holiday decorations to make Clark Griswold jealous.
But here’s the thing – before you can deck those halls, you need to actually see your halls. And your mantel. And maybe find that dining room table buried under a pile of mail from September.
The holidays are supposed to be about joy and togetherness, not panicking because you can’t find a place to put the Christmas tree without moving three years’ worth of kids’ artwork and that exercise bike you swore you’d use.
The good news? A little strategic decluttering now can completely transform your holiday season. You’ll create space for new gifts, make your home guest-ready, and have the perfect opportunity to donate gently used items to families who need them this Christmas.
So grab your coffee (or wine, no judgment here), and let’s tackle the 9 areas of your home that need attention before the Christmas chaos begins! *And be sure to check out my Christmas cleaning checklist next!
1. Sock and Underwear Drawers
Let’s start with something that sounds totally random but makes complete sense when you think about it – your family’s sock and underwear drawers. Seriously, when was the last time you went through these?
If your family is anything like mine, everyone’s getting new socks and underwear in their Christmas stockings. It’s practically a holiday tradition at this point! But here’s the problem: if those drawers are already stuffed to the brim with holey socks, stretched-out underwear, and that one lone sock whose mate disappeared in the dryer sometime in 2022, where exactly are those fresh new items supposed to go?
Now is the perfect time to tackle this quick decluttering project. Pull everything out and be ruthless. Toss socks with holes, stretched elastic, or no mate. Get rid of underwear that’s seen better days (you know the ones I’m talking about). If your kids have outgrown their underwear or socks, into the donation pile they go!
This is honestly one of the easiest decluttering jobs on this list, and it makes such a difference. Your family will have nice, organized drawers ready for those brand-new Christmas socks and undies. Plus, getting dressed in the morning becomes way less frustrating when you’re not digging through a tangled mess of mismatched socks!
2. Living Room and Mantel Clutter
If there’s one room that needs to be guest-ready for the holidays, it’s the living room. This is where your Christmas tree will go, where guests will gather, and where you’ll spend most of your holiday entertaining.
Start by decluttering your mantel. Clear off random knick-knacks, old greeting cards, and accumulated clutter. You need space to hang stockings, add festive garland, and create that picture-perfect holiday display!
Next, tackle the living room itself. Remove piles of magazines, scattered toys, and that basket of laundry you folded three days ago. Clear out a corner for your Christmas tree and move any furniture taking up prime tree real estate.
This is also a great time to vacuum behind furniture and dust those ceiling fan blades you haven’t touched since last Christmas. The goal is to create a clean, welcoming space that’s ready for decorations and guests!
*Grab my free printable living room cleaning checklist, too! It’s filled with daily and weekly cleaning jobs, deep cleaning jobs, and decluttering ideas!
3. Serving Dishes, Serveware, and Hosting Supplies
If you’re hosting any holiday meals this year, now is the time to get your serving dishes in order. Pull out all your serving platters, serving spoons, gravy boats, and fancy dishes. Inspect each piece carefully. Is anything chipped, cracked, or missing pieces?
Here’s a great rule: if you haven’t used a specialty serving piece in the last two holiday seasons, you’re probably not going to use it this year either. Those items are just taking up cabinet space! Donate them to someone who will actually use them.
While you’re at it, polish any silver serving pieces you plan to use. Take care of it now, not at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning! Organize everything you’re keeping with most-used items in easy-to-reach spots.
4. Kids’ Toys and Clothes
This is the big one. If your kids are anything like mine, their rooms are bursting with stuff they’ve outgrown or haven’t touched since their last birthday. Christmas is coming, which means a whole new wave of toys and clothes is about to crash into your home.
Go through toys and pull out anything they’ve outgrown or don’t play with. Broken toys? Toss them. Puzzles with missing pieces? Gone. Do the same with decluttering clothes – kids grow like weeds, so there’s bound to be plenty that no longer fits.
Turn this into a meaningful activity! Check out this adorable Elf on the Shelf Giving Basket idea to make decluttering and donating toys a special holiday tradition. Your kids will love the idea of their old toys going to children who need them, and it teaches valuable lessons about generosity.
When Christmas morning rolls around, you’ll have plenty of space to actually put new things away!
5. Pantry Items
Pop quiz: when’s the last time you looked at expiration dates in your pantry? The holidays mean you’ll be cooking and baking constantly, and the last thing you want is a guest pulling out a can of green beans that expired in 2021!
Go through your pantry and check expiration dates. Toss anything past its prime. Pull out items you realistically know you’re never going to use. That can of water chestnuts from three years ago? Let it go!
Here’s the silver lining – canned goods and shelf-stable items still in date can be donated to your local food pantry! Many organizations are collecting for the holidays. You clear out your pantry and help your community at the same time.
Take stock of what’s left and make a list of what you’ll need for holiday cooking. Organization now means fewer last-minute grocery store runs later! *You can also grab my free printable pantry inventory checklist here!
6. Guest Bedroom Clutter
If you’re hosting overnight guests, your guest bedroom needs attention. This room is where visitors spend significant time, so you want it clean, comfortable, and welcoming!
Start by decluttering. Guest bedrooms become dumping grounds for everything without a proper home. Remove items that don’t belong – that laundry pile, boxes of paperwork, and your kid’s old science fair project.
Once decluttered, deep clean. Wash all the bedding. Dust ceiling fan blades, curtain rods, and picture frames. Vacuum thoroughly, including under the bed. Make sure guests have everything they need – fresh towels, extra blankets, a working lamp, and hangers in the closet.
Your guests will feel welcome in a clean, organized space, and you’ll feel like a hosting rockstar! *Grab my free printable bedroom decluttering checklist here!
7. Guest Bathroom
Your guest bathroom needs to be in tip-top shape for visitors. Start by clearing clutter from the vanity and countertops. Your guests don’t need to see your collection of half-empty shampoo bottles or expired medications.
This is an excellent opportunity to declutter storage areas. Go through your medicine cabinet and toss expired medications. Check under the sink and get rid of old cleaning supplies and dried-up bottles.
Do a thorough deep clean. Scrub the toilet, shower, and sink until they sparkle. Wipe mirrors, mop floors, and replace dingy hand towels with fresh ones. Make sure you have plenty of toilet paper stocked!
Add welcoming touches like fresh soap, clean towels, and maybe a small basket with travel-sized toiletries. Your visitors will appreciate the thoughtfulness!
8. Baking Supplies
Is it really Christmas if you’re not covered in flour and wondering why you volunteered to bring treats to three different parties? The Christmas season is all about baking, so let’s make sure your supplies are ready!
Pull everything out and check expiration dates on key ingredients, especially baking soda, baking powder, and yeast. These leavening agents lose effectiveness over time. Even if they’re still in date but have been open a while, consider buying fresh. You don’t want hours of baking ruined because your yeast was dead!
Go through spices too. That cinnamon from 2018? It’s lost most of its flavor. Check vanilla extract, food coloring, and sprinkles. Toss anything expired or questionable.
Organize your baking tools. Do you have enough cookie cutters? Baking sheets? Make a list of what you need before the baking marathon begins!
9. Old Gift Wrapping Supplies
Nothing kills gift-wrapping momentum like discovering your tape roll is empty, your wrapping paper has 2 inches left, and half your gift boxes are missing lids. Before you start wrapping this year’s gifts, sort through your supplies!
Go through wrapping paper tubes and toss any that are basically empty. Check tape rolls and throw out empties. Sort through gift boxes and match lids with bottoms. Any boxes that are crushed or missing pieces? Recycle them!
Gather ribbons, bows, gift bags, and tissue paper in one place. Toss anything ripped or dirty. Organize what’s left so you can see what you have.
Taking stock now means you know exactly what to buy. When wrapping time comes, you’ll get it done efficiently instead of making multiple store trips! *And if you have extra wrapping supplies, you can even make these gift wrap neighbor gifts!
Time for Christmas Decluttering
The holidays are supposed to be joyful, not stressful! By decluttering these 9 areas now, you’ll create space for new memories, new gifts, and peace of mind. Your home will be guest-ready, organized, and festive – and you’ll actually enjoy the season instead of drowning in clutter.
So tackle these projects one by one. Future you – the one sipping cocoa by the tree instead of frantically cleaning at midnight on Christmas Eve – is going to be SO grateful!
What area are you most excited (or dreading!) to declutter? Let me know in the comments!
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