The holidays are over and we are getting back to our normal routines. After all the busyness of parties and guests, it is nice to slow down a bit. Post-holiday cleanup doesn’t have to happen right away. Dividing it up and cleaning a little bit at a time can help make it feel like not such an enormous task. Take a couple hours over the next five days and knock it out a little at a time.

We are going to assume that you got your holiday décor out already, so let’s tackle the fridge!

Day 1 – Fridge/Freezer

Chances are you have plenty of leftovers in your fridge or freezer. It is time to purge all that food. Start in the fridge and remove any leftovers that have spoiled. Now take inventory of all the leftovers you have in your freezer and refrigerator. Use this opportunity to skip cooking tonight and have a holiday leftover buffet instead. Your family will love it! If there are any uncooked leftovers (looking at you extra spiral ham and can of cranberry sauce), rather than letting it freezer burn – consider donating it. There are many families hurting and in need right now. Clean all your containers and put them away. Cleaning out the leftovers will take minimal time, but once it is all done you feel so much better. Wipe down the outside and inside of the refrigerator, cleaning up any spills or leaks.

Day 2 – Appliances

It is likely your appliances got a workout in the last couple months. It couldn’t hurt to give them all a good scrub down to clean them up and prep them for a new year of cooking adventures. You will want to clean the oven, stove top, and microwave. Don’t forget your dishwasher and since you did the fridge yesterday, you are all done.

Day 3 – Guest Room and Bathroom

If you have had guest stay over, it is probably a good idea to check in on your guest room and bathroom. Wash all sheets and beddings. Use a disinfecting spray throughout the room and on high touch points (door knobs, light switches, etc.). Scrub the toilet, tub and sink in the bathroom.

Day 4 – Carpets

Last, but certainly not least, give your carpets a deep clean. They had a lot of traffic over the holiday season and could use a refresh. And no, this is not an all-day activity! It only takes about 20 minutes to deep clean an average sized room with Rug Doctor’s pro-grade power and suction. Visit our rental locator to find a Rug Doctor deep carpet cleaner location near you.

That’s it. Just a couple hours a day for the next 4 days and you are all done. Now, go enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee and a good book. Everything else can wait.