The last houseguest has departed, the final leftovers have been devoured and your exhausted couch has seen better days.

First, you'll need a little "me time" to decompress after the holiday madness, but the sooner you bounce back and return your home to normal, the sooner you can kick off a new year with a clear conscience.

Here's where to begin ... and end.

-If you don't have much storage space, choose flat under-bed containers, or items like the Kangaroom Open Shelf Storage Box to keep shelves neat.

-Get a box of contractor bags from your local hardware store. Do not use regular trash bags as they are not strong enough to contain heavy weight.

-As soon as you're finished using it, put it away. "On December 24, you likely won't need leftover wrapping paper and cards," says Andrew Neary, a professional organizer in Toronto. "Time to put them away."

-After the holidays, avoid moisture that can ruin your decorations. "You know those little Silica Gel packets that come with new shoes and purses? Put them in your decoration bins as they pull the moisture away and will keep them nice for next year," says Alicia Rockmore, author of "Everything (almost) In Its Place: Control Chaos, Conquer Clutter, and Get Organized the Buttoned Up Way" (St. Martin's Griffin, 2008).

-Put small decorations in clear shoe boxes. Make sure you label them.

-Use lawn and leaf bags for the tree. "The tree does not fit in the box it came in - that's a myth," says Carole Bartholomeaux of Phoenix. She folds the branches of the tree up, uses duct tape and shoves her tree in these heavy-duty bags, one in each direction. "Wrap the ends with the duct tape, and voila!"

-Chuck the candles, says professional organizer Monica Ricci. "Despite your best efforts, candles are likely to suffer in storage," Atlanta-based Ricci says. "Burn them down and buy new ones each year."

-Cut down on kid chaos by giving them a fun job. "Involve children and create a holiday ritual with their special ornaments," says Janna Lufkin, an organization expert in Redmond, Wash. Use wrapping paper to wrap ornaments and store them in Christmas stockings.

-When putting away your lights, wrap them carefully around large pieces of cardboard, with plugs easily accessible. This way you can test them without unraveling every strand only to find out they are broken.

-Either toss your Christmas cards or put them in acid-free boxes rather than in bags. Don't put the boxes in the basement, since humidity can damage them. Many experts say to chuck them: "Christmas cards are a joy until they are read," says professional organizer Ellen Delap of Houston.