The guests are gone, the presents have been unwrapped, and the in-laws have been visited – so ends another holiday season. If you find your home in quite a mess post-holidays, here are some tips on what to clean once the New Year arrives.

1.       Your refrigerator and freezer. Food adds up very quickly over the holidays, as many of us spend time baking and cooking, storing what appears to be an endless amount of leftovers away. Once January arrives, go through your fridge and freezer and toss anything that’s no longer fresh. If an item of food is still good, consider giving it to a neighbor or work associate, such as baked dessert. You can also create a meal plan for the week using leftovers. Ultimately, it’s a good idea to keep track of what you have in your fridge, as this can cut the cost of groceries until holiday food has been cleared.

2.       Your carpets/flooring. Stains can happen over the holidays when hosting family and holiday parties inside of your home. With the hustle and bustle of the season, it’s easy to overlook spills and stains. While giving your carpet a good vacuum cleaning session, carefully inspect the floor for stains. If any are found, you can purchase carpet cleaner from your local store or make your own, a mix of hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and water.

3.       Curtains and furniture. These too can fall victim to stains and odors. Wash your curtains as directed and clean your furniture covers/fabric. You’ll be surprised what they’ve endured over the holidays!

4.       Your vacuum cleaner. If you think about how much you’ve used it during the holidays, emptying this should be a no-brainer.

5.       The oven. Turkeys, hams, casseroles, side dishes, desserts… Your oven took quite a beating over the holidays! If you’re in possession of a steam cleaner, this can be used to clean the inside of your oven without the hassle of scrubbing. If you don’t, no worries, as the job can be completed with baking soda and a little elbow grease; however, be careful not to overdo it with the baking soda. Many ovens also come with self cleaning options, so that’s an easy choice to make as well.

6.       The dishwasher. Let’s face it, this appliance has seen its fair share and more of dirty dishes during this time of year.  Like the oven, residue can be left behind that needs to be removed.

7.       The garbage disposal. Those who didn’t eat everything on their plates most likely disposed of their food through the garbage disposal. This will need a deep cleaning to prevent build up and blockages from occurring.

8.       The bathrooms. Whether you had guests stay over the holidays or hosted a few Christmas parties, these rooms will need to be cleaned as it’s easy for them to become the dirtiest rooms in your home. Toilets should be given a deep cleaning, as well as the walls and areas around it. It won’t hurt to wash the shower curtains and floor mats either, especially if you had guests staying in your home.