Big clean before decorating?

[Insertfestiveusername]

Does everyone do a big clean/declutter before the decorations go up? If so when do you start this?

I'm going to be putting my decorations up on the 1st as usual but not the tree until a week before Christmas (I had a Christmas baby so want to start the tradition of putting it up the night of her birthday)

I'm thinking of having a massive declutter mission tomorrow in preparation for the bins being emptied on Friday then next week begin room by room. Does anyone care to join me?

[ArriettyMatilda]

Yes we are trying to declutter as a means of coping with the influx of stuff at Christmas time! I just decluttered dds room, small clothes are packed away we've been through her books (throwing out ripped ones and donating a few) and soft toys (one teddy to the charity shop because she had two the same all the other are to be kept), new clothes put away in drawers months after buying them in the sale and the spare bed is nearly cleared off I must not use it as dumping ground

I've written a room by room decluttering list, listing specifically what needs sorting in each room. I am slowly building up a list of what needs doing before Christmas, I'll then go through and work out how much time is needed for each and then it will go on some kind of spread sheet with some kind of deadline. My dad calls it a Gant chart but I don't really know how to explain it!

[Santababy8]

Can I join??

I always without fail do a big Christmas clean before I put my Dec's up on 1St Dec.🎅 but am in the middle of decorating atm so my house is a mess and covered in dust. I plan to have it all done by next Thursday hopefully. Then will start my Christmas deep clean next sat 😀 every inch of a room gets clean and am dreading cleaning my oven...

[AmyC86]

Ohhhh yes!!!!! I'm excited for this bit xx I love to de-clutter!!!! I'm definitely doing this before my tree goes up!!!

[SquedgieBeckenheim]

I really want to do this, but fear I won't have time! None of our decorations will go up till he 17th, as that's first day both DH and I are off at the same time! But I do need to clear space for a tree!
I may have to start writing a to do list....

[yumyumpoppycat]

Every year I say I will sort through some of the kids stuff before christmas...so am tentatively on board please

[Christobel51]

I'm in! Although, I too fear I won't have enough time. We put our decorations up the first weekend of December but life is already starting to get busy so I probably won't have time to de clutter and clean every room!

I feel like I've spent the last 6months trying to declutter or "Marie Kondo" my house and whilst I have made some progress, not enough to show iyswim!

[Grumpyoldblonde]

Yep, I do a big pre Christmas clear up, bit like a spring clean. I rather enjoy it and it does make the post clear up easier.

[JenLindleyShitMom]

Yes I do! I think I get more excited about the big cLean than I do about the decorations

I do my cleaning the day before and into the day the decs go up otherwise my DC will have it messed up again by the time I get round to it.

[Insertfestiveusername]

So this morning (now I've warmed up from the school run) is to literally run room to room with bin bags and have an impulsive declutter. By trying to get it done before it's time to pick the DC up and with a toddler in tow I find it a lot easier to bin things rather than umm and aah then move it around the house for another year like usual.

[Arrowfanatic]

This house is in desperate need of a good clean, I've been decorating so the general house stuff has been desperately neglected.

[Arrowfanatic]

I plan to start next week, it's my first relatively free week in what feels like forever. I actually cannot wait to get started, but I also can see all the decorating that still needs doing and am talking myself out of doing it right before Xmas.

[DoYouRememberJustinBobby]

We "bottom" the house for 2 weeks before putting the decorations up. Which is us cleaning everything - even in between the exposed floorboards and bricks with cotton buds! All the cupboards, wardrobes and drawers. Behind all the furniture and paintings, the lot. Paint anything and fix anything which needs attention.

Then have a once over deep clean the day before it all goes up.
This year we plan to put the decorations and tree up on Sunday 18th, so we will probably do the house "bottoming" from 4th Dec onward.

Just wanted to say, I am a Christmas baby. My parents did a lot of stuff associated with special family Christmas traditions on my birthday and it really upset me each and every time. I didn't feel like I had my own day like my siblings did with their birthdays spread throughout the year. That might be my own issues but I did just want to mention it.

[MTWTFSS]

Started last week.

Week commencing:
7/11/16: Kitchen deep clean/declutter
14/11/16: Children's bedroom deep clean/declutter
21/11/16: Office room deep clean/declutter
28/11/16: Lounge/dinner room deep clean/declutter
05/12/16: Decorations go up

(The bathroom and parent's bedroom are always being deep cleaned/decluttered. The kitchen gets deep cleaned 4 times a year.)

[MTWTFSS]

You'd think with such a routine in place my house would be spotless... my 3 boys (4 year old, 5 year old, and husband) are constantly messing it up :( But they do make lovely memories :)

[MartinRohdesBellybuttonFluff]

Yes please! I'm in. Marking place.

[OpheIiaBaIIs]

Done mine today, ready for the decs next Friday. DH will finish up any cleaning on Sunday. So excited!

[flapjackfairy]

Ophelia you are panicking me!!

[Chelazla]

I had a massive clean two weeks ago will do it again next Friday then a mini one before tree goes up Friday after! Cannot wait🎄🎄🎄🎄

[7Days]

What do you do about jigsaws. Just bin them? It seems like an awful waste nut the thought of snuffling through all the toy boxes like a pig after shit is dispiriting

[Chillywhippet]

7days any complete jigsaws to charity shop. Any with bits missing put in recycling.

Otherwise your house will be full of puzzles finished with or undoable unless you spend 3 days sifting and sorting.

[ArriettyMatilda]

I've been going through a box of receipts- I have a whole years worth.

I also took loads of books back to the library (nearly 20 ) and I've got 8 of my own that I'll offer to my sister before taking them to the charity shop. I strayed from my room by room list as was supposed to be doing my bedroom but sorting the paperwork and receipts are taking bloody ages.

[7Days]

Thanks chilly recycling it is. Just in time for Santa to bring another truck load
I do love running around with a plastic bag doing chuck 27, I read that somewhere and found it a great tool. I keep a chuck tally everyday trying to reach 27 items. Sometimes its only 3 or 4 but it is satisfying. Kids drawings and other paper clutter is a big thing in this house. 3 kids under 7, dh and I both work , I'm part time though, but ee also run two small businesses from home and we haven't any room for an office area or anything like that. Every cupboard is filled with old folders finger paintings and invoices in a jumble, and every surface filled with recent ones. And laptos on sofa arms with cords tangled every where! Argh

[Leeloo2]

7days, can you set the kids a challenge to find and complete all the jigsaws, before donating them to charity?

Obviously slightly more achieveable if they are 2-50 pieces than 500-1000 ones.

[7Days]

I might try that, but our house is so bad we once found a good phone (for its time) when I slit the lining of underneath the couch looking for something else. I don't know.

[WiltingTulip]

I spend my life decluttering. I started on the toys the other day while no one was home.

I put all incomplete toys/puzzles an a box under the stairs until the very end as bits show up in the cars or under beds etc. I give it a week to show up then bin and breathe deeply when the bits show up later!

I open every cupboard and look for something I don't need to get rid of. I have many empty cupboards in my kitchen but I don't want things to build up. The best advice for the kitchen is to get rid of things you rarely use and could borrow if you had to. I never borrow, just make do and it's been a few years since I started getting rid of stuff.