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A Good Housekeeping report recommends nine home-organizing projects to tackle before holiday guests and meal preparations arrive. Professional organizers advise clearing storage, checking supplies and preparing guest spaces; the report does not set a deadline or claim the projects are required.
Good Housekeeping has outlined nine organizing projects for households to tackle before holiday gatherings, drawing on advice from professional organizers C. Lee Cawley and Linda Thibodeau. The recommendations cover coat and linen storage, kitchen supplies, food storage and guest rooms, with the aim of making space for visitors and seasonal hosting.
The list begins with the coat closet and winter gear. Cawley recommends removing items from the closet, donating what household members no longer wear and setting aside hangers for guests. Thibodeau suggests checking children’s and adults’ coats, boots and mittens for items that no longer fit or are no longer used. She says usable items may be suitable for local coat drives or donation centers.
For holiday meals, Cawley advises inspecting plates, mugs and serving pieces for chips or cracks, washing items that have been stored since the previous year and checking that there is enough dishware, glassware and cutlery for the largest gathering planned. Thibodeau recommends clearing room in the fridge and pantry, checking expiration dates and making space for ingredients and leftovers. She says unopened, unexpired food that is not being used may be donated to a local food pantry.
Other projects focus on gift wrap, linens and guest areas. Thibodeau suggests sorting wrapping paper, ribbons and bags, keeping supplies in a bin or storage bag and discarding damaged items. For guest bedrooms, the organizers recommend clearing surfaces and desk space, making room in the closet and drawers, adding matching hangers and providing a luggage rack. The bathroom can be prepared by clearing counter space and setting out basic supplies, including a spare toothbrush and toiletries.
Making Room for Holiday Guests
The recommendations address practical pinch points that can surface when a home hosts more people than usual: limited coat storage, crowded food shelves and unavailable guest space. Checking supplies ahead of a meal may also reveal missing or damaged serving items while there is still time to replace them.
Some tasks can redirect usable goods rather than sending them to waste. The report points to coat drives, food pantries and animal shelters as possible destinations for eligible donations. Thibodeau says shelters can use old towels and sheets if they do not contain filling; donation organizations may have their own acceptance rules, so households should check locally.
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The Nine Areas on the List
The Good Housekeeping report presents the projects as preparation for holiday hosting, rather than as a fixed cleaning schedule. Its nine areas are the coat closet, winter gear, dishware, gift-wrap supplies, fridge and pantry, linen closet, guest room, guest-room closet and guest bathroom.
The advice is attributed to C. Lee Cawley, a certified professional organizer and owner of Simplify You, and Linda Thibodeau, a professional organizer and co-owner of Curated Spaces. The article includes recommendations from both but does not report a survey, formal study or measured results.
““All of the things you no longer have use for are in demand now at donation centers or local coat drives.””
— Linda Thibodeau
No Fixed Schedule or Outcomes
The report does not specify when readers should begin, how long each project will take or which tasks matter most for different households. It offers expert recommendations, not evidence that completing all nine projects will produce a particular result.
Local donation rules and availability can vary. The source also does not provide guidance on specific food-safety storage temperatures or how long leftovers remain safe; readers should follow current food-safety advice for those questions.
Choose Projects Before Guests Arrive
The next step for households is to select the tasks that fit their plans, starting with spaces or supplies they expect to use: guest storage, serving pieces and room in the fridge. The article offers no further event, deadline or follow-up announcement. Its recommendations are practical options to use in the run-up to holiday hosting, not a formal schedule.
Key Questions
What are the nine pre-holiday organizing projects?
The list covers the coat closet, winter gear, dishware, gift wrap, fridge and pantry, linens, guest room, guest-room closet and guest bathroom.
What should be checked before a holiday meal?
Inspect plates, mugs and serving pieces for damage, wash items that have been stored, confirm there is enough tableware and clear room in the fridge and pantry for ingredients and leftovers.
What can be donated while organizing?
The organizers suggest considering usable coats and winter gear for local coat drives or donation centers. Thibodeau also says unopened, unexpired food may be donated to a food pantry, and old towels and sheets without filling may be useful to animal shelters. Check local acceptance rules first.
How can a guest room be made more useful?
Clear surfaces and desk space, make room in the closet and drawers, add hangers and provide a luggage rack so visitors have space for belongings.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
