Name: Tips for de-cluttering your space after the holidays
Uploaded: 2026-01-05T13:56:27.597Z
Duration: 2 min 38 s
Description: Decluttering expert Anna Skelton shows how to tackle Christmas cleanup without losing the holiday spirit. (Scripps News Group)

Decluttering expert Anna Skelton shows how to tackle Christmas cleanup without losing the holiday spirit. (Scripps News Group)

The article features advice from professional organizer Anna Skelton on how to efficiently declutter and organize household items after the holiday season. Skelton recommends reviewing all decorations and donating items that were not used, as well as establishing designated storage spaces close to where items are used.

Additional tips include utilizing vertical storage in garages, breaking down boxes immediately, and wrapping Christmas lights around cardboard to prevent tangling. Skelton emphasizes the importance of creating a personalized system and involving the entire family in the decluttering process.

Tips for de-cluttering your space after the holidays

We get a lot of clothes, items and decorations during the holidays, which can add to the clutter we already have. So how do you get rid of it efficiently? We'll walk you through it. From centerpieces to Santa statues, this family has a lot of fun decorating for Christmas. The hard part is the cleanup. I think that the hardest thing when it comes to putting away Christmas is it's sad. But Anna Skelton, professional organizer and founder of Organizing with Anna, makes it less sad with her strategies. Instead of just, you know, I think I was just ready to put it all away and just be done with it. And she actually was like, let's go through it all. If it's something that you didn't use and you're not going to use, let's get rid of it, donate it. Skelton's client, Anna Saylor, says she doesn't just throw everything back in the closet after Christmas. She declutters. And she's just systemized all my different areas of my house, which has been awesome. My biggest thing would be if you didn't use it this year, decide if you plan on using it next year. When it comes to storage, Skelton says have a designated closet for holiday items and keep it close to where you're placing those items. Before this house, I would use paper plates because I didn't want to have to do the dishes. But they're right there. And we took them all out of boxes. I can set the table. I, you know, set the table for 15 on Christmas Eve and then I can set it again for Christmas morning. If you have a lot of items in the garage, consider this organizing tip. What Skelton calls your vertical space. Using the outside walls to really create a system that you can find stuff. You might not need to find that right away. Like this box here, let's break down a few simple strategies for decluttering. Anna Skelton suggests having a system that works for you. Or in other words, a method to tackle the mess. If something can be done in less than five minutes, do it right now. So when it comes to breaking down boxes, it's not going to take very long and you're able to break down the boxes and then it's ready. Set yourself up for success. As an example, I don't just roll up Christmas lights and just put them in a box because no matter what, they're going to tangle somehow. And so if you put it in like a cardboard, like a cardboard sliver and you roll it up, it's not going to tangle. As well as work together as a family. So you can make sure that your kids are doing it, your spouse are doing it, all of those things because at the end of the day, you're only going to be as successful as everyone that's on board. Saylor says working with Skelton has been a game changer, helping her organize not just her home. She's just helped organize my life for sure. Jolie Sherman, Scripps News Group.

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