January House Cleaning Checklist

Man on ladder taking down holiday lights from home roof.

January house cleaning checklist: Some tasks only need to be done once or twice a year. The problem is that we forget to do them once or twice a year.

Or else we tend to save it all for spring cleaning, which makes spring cleaning such a daunting chore that it doesn't occur, either.

I've found the best plan is to break down annual and seasonal tasks by month and tackle them daily or weekly. Nothing gets too backed up, and things eventually get done.

I've also found that concentrating on one room or area each month is more rewarding because you can see the results. Here's the January house cleaning checklist schedule that works best for me.

1. Let There Be Dark!

In other words, Virginia, it's time to take down the Christmas lights over the garage.

2. Clear the Clutter:

These garage storage solutions can help organize and store lights, decorations, and more until next December.

3. Out with the Old, In with the New:

Now's the time to begin cleaning out your closets to make room for Santa's bounty. Share what you don't need anymore with the less fortunate.

4. The Party's Over...

The party's over... so clean your holiday linens and put them away till next year - dito - for those festive reindeer plates.

Box them all up carefully, placing cardboard between the dishes so Blitzen doesn't wind up with a chipped antler.

5. Soft Stuff:

Scoop up all the decorative pillows, the afghans, the throws, etc., and launder them or send them to the cleaners.

6. Hard Stuff:

Sanitize hard surfaces such as counters, telephones, laptop computers, the washing machine, etc. (It's the cold and flu season, after all).

7. Happy Houseplants:

Clean, healthy house plants add a breath of fresh air to a room. Dusty houseplants contribute a more funereal tone. Clean them and they will clean your air. Simply wipe the leaves with an electrostatically charged microfiber cloth. It works like magic.

8. Yours Are Fake?

Yours are fake? No problem. Blow-dry silk flowers clean, or pop them in a plastic bag with a bit of salt and shake vigorously.

9. More Spicy Info:

Clean your pantry. Toss foods your kids will never eat; foods that have long since expired; spices that have lost their oomph.

10. Final January House Cleaning Checklist chore: On a cold, icky day when you've nothing else to do...

Clean all the electronics: the HDTV, wipe down your video camera. iCloth Lens and Screen Cleaner Pro-grade Wipes can help you do this quickly and inexpensively. Read the directions (finally) for your digital camera.

Try storing all warranties and manuals in one file, so you'll know where they are in the new year ahead. January house cleaning checklist complete - Happy New Year!