As we’re well into the New Year, it is definitely time to consider a home refresh to make sure you feel your best in your home. Thanks to Southern Living, read below for some fresh tips on how to make your space feel brand new for the year ahead.

There’s something so refreshing about starting over. Every year, January offers an opportunity to start a new chapter, turn over a new leaf, and step into a renewed version of yourself. Not only do we get the chance to level up ourselves, but we also can make small tweaks to benefit the space around us, including our home.

“January is an ideal time to cleanse from the holiday season and dive into our new year's resolutions, so it is important to recognize the value of prioritizing, refreshing, and streamlining our spaces during this time,” explains Crimsyn Hawk, a professional organizer and owner of Spaced Organization in Atlanta, GA. “An organized and decluttered home can have a large impact on our well-being and motivation.”

In an effort to boost your mood in the new year, consider doing a little at-home revamp. Below, we’ve asked the experts for their best tips on how to tackle January chores to freshen up your home for 2024.

1. Declutter High-Traffic Areas

Choose a small high-traffic area in your home (like the foyer or entryway closet) and sift through each cabinet, drawer, and basket. “As you remove the items, make three piles: items to remain (these items are necessary for the space to function how you need it to), items to re-home (these items are needed but not in this particular space), and items to remove (these are the items that are no longer needed and can be removed from the home altogether),” suggests Hawk. “Organize your items to remain back into the area intentionally."

2. Clean your air filters and air vents.

“These are commonly missed areas that contribute to poor air quality from the higher amounts of dust circulating,” explains Justin Carpenter, founder and CEO of Modern Maids in Atlanta.

3. Straighten up and reset your closets.

According to Hawk, a simple reset in your primary closets can have a large impact on your day-to-day life and can help you to streamline your morning routines.

This involves two stages: decluttering and sorting like with like. “To start, remove all unwanted pieces—I encourage sifting through the items quickly and, for those tough ones, designate a ‘maybe’ pile to revisit once you’ve made it through all the inventory,” explains Hawk. “The key here is to remember that the less you have, the easier it is to function in spaces and the easier it is to maintain its neatness.” If it’s not serving you right now, remove it. Once you have removed all of the pieces that are not needed or desired, sort your “keeps” by placing like items with like items.

4. Clean under your furniture, such as beds and couches.

“When many people are routinely cleaning, they don't clean under furniture because of the added time and moving heavy objects,” explains Carpenter. “You'll be shocked to see the amount of dust bunnies that accumulate under these areas.”

5. Straighten up around and under your bathroom sink.

“If you are anything like me, you need to have your everyday items in front of you or else you will forget to use them,” says Hawk. “To neatly contain those items, you can add a lazy Susan, tray, or tiered bin to the side of your sink.” Under your sink, make sure to remove any items that don’t belong. And don’t be afraid to toss those old products that you haven’t touched in years.

6. Clean your ceiling fans.

“Oftentimes, ceiling fans are forgotten about because they are too high to reach,” says Carpenter. “You might need to bring in a small ladder or step stool to reach the top, which is why these aren't cleaned on a regular basis.” This will help reduce allergies and air quality within the house.

7. Organize the “junk drawer.”

You know, that one drawer in your kitchen that’s overflowing? Let’s tackle it. “Because verbiage matters, I like to refer to this as the ‘essentials drawer,’” explains Hawk. “Calling it a junk drawer only encourages you to stuff it to its brim with miscellaneous items.”

Keep it simple, and only keep the essentials.“I recommend adding a simple system like drawer dividers to designate spaces for certain categories—this will decrease the likelihood of the drawer being overstuffed,” explains Hawk. “Common items in an essentials drawer can include tape, scissors, a flashlight, loose change and gift or membership cards, the extra garage clicker or keys, pens, sticky notes, and chapstick.”

8. Clean the inside of your fridge.

“Many people have fitness goals starting in the new year, and having a cleaned out and sparkling fridge can help you make better grocery shopping decisions,” suggests Carpenter.

9. Clean out your car and create organizational systems in your trunk and glove box.

If you already have some systems in place, straighten them up and add any necessary items. “Most of us are in our cars daily, so having systems that work for us can be a major game-changer,” says Hawk. “Some of my favorite ways to organize my car are designating a folder for all car maintenance paperwork in the glove box, containing all of my essential cords in a baggy or note card case in the center console, adding a trash bin for those small wrappers that end up in crevices, and an expandable sorter for the essentials in the trunk.”

10. Clean your doors and door frames.

“Your doors and frames get smudge marks throughout the year,” explains Carpenter. “Cleaning these off will make the home feel new again.”

Chores To Avoid in January

Ultimately, Hawk recommends that you opt to refresh areas that you live in the most in January. “While I do not necessarily encourage you to avoid any particular areas in January, the warmer months of March through May are generally referred to as ‘garage and storage season’ in the world of professional organizing,” explains Hawk. “So, if you don’t have the time or it’s too cold to take on storage areas in January, designate a date to refresh them in the spring and focus on the most frequented areas of your home instead.”

Another area to avoid cleaning in January would be the outside of your windows during the winter months. “The wind will quickly blow dirt and debris back onto the windows, making them appear dirty again,” explains Carpenter. “This chore is best left for spring!”

Source: Southern Living

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