Declutter your home after the holidays with these tips

Once you’ve completed a room, return the “misplaced” and “keep” items to where they belong. Get rid of the “toss” items, and put “donate” items aside for later.

You can also turn to the experts for help by hiring a professional organizer. A pro tends to cost between $55 and $100 per hour, but the skills they bring to the table make the cost worthwhile.

If you can’t afford to hire someone for the several hours it would take to organize the average home, consider a shorter consultation. Even if they walk you through just one room, an organizer can teach you the basic skills to bring order to your mess in no time.

Another tip is to follow the old saying, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” If something goes back to the same place every time, it’s pretty easy to avoid a mess.

Once you’ve got your clutter under control, keep a daily or weekly checklist of things to do that will help maintain your newly ordered surroundings. Get into a routine of resetting rooms when you’re done using them.

Put away books, pencils, toys, craft items or whatever you might be using as soon as you’re done with them. This will quickly become second nature if you make it a regular habit.