Start in the kitchen
It might not be the first place that springs to mind, but as Vicky Silverthorn, a professional declutterer, points out, it’s the place where you’re most likely to need a bit of space during the next few weeks.
“Start with your food cupboards,” says Silverthorn, who runs a home organising business called You Need a Vicky. “Find things that have been sitting there for a while and start making things to use them up – that’s the best form of decluttering you can do.”
You might even find festive uses for them. Dried fruit and nuts and the dregs from the drinks cupboard could be turned into mincemeat, while biscuits or cakes that came back from holidays could be used in desserts, and tinned fruit made into a compote or crumble. Use the Guardian’s Feast app or search for recipes online.
“Food banks are crying out for donations, so if you have things that are in date, you could give them away,” says Silverthorn.
The next place to tackle is the spare room or wherever any guests will stay over the break.
“For a lot of people, the spare room is a dumping ground,” says Silverthorn. “Clear out the ‘regifting’ cupboard if you have one in there, so no guests get offended!”
Get kids involved
If you have children, you are probably keen to clear some room for new things they have requested. This may be most easily done while they’re out of the way, but Silverthorn recommends involving them.
“Let the children know that at some point there will be a clearout,” she says. Then, if they are not old enough to do it themselves, “leave a little pile for them to go through and decide – it’s about making sure they have some element of control over their belongings.” Throwing things out without their permission may make them fear tidying in future, rather than seeing it as a useful task.
Donate to charity
Most charities have a list of items they won’t accept as donations to their high street shops – typically things that could be dangerous, such as electric blankets, unhygienic, or that feature real fur. Take a look online before you set off if you are in doubt.
While they are unlikely to turn down donations at any time of year, they will be particularly grateful now.
“Christmas is the busiest time of year for our charity shops, and we rely on donations to make sure our shelves are well stocked,” says Lorna Fallon, director of retail for Oxfam, which has 500 shops across the UK. “By decluttering and donating to charity ahead of Christmas, you are not only making sure there are affordable gifts available for shoppers on a tight budget, but it’s also good for the planet and has the added good cheer of helping to support people and communities around the world”.
A recent Oxfam survey found a quarter of adults planned to buy preloved presents for children this year. “We particularly welcome unopened gift sets ahead of Christmas, as well as toys, books, clothes and accessories, but we are so grateful for every donation,” she adds.
You can donate by post to some charities, including Oxfam and British Heart Foundation, using free postage labels from their websites.
If you are a UK taxpayer, remember to sign up to gift aid, as that will allow the charity to boost the value of your donation by 25%.
Give to local groups
Schools, Scout groups and other groups in your community may be holding fairs and raffles to raise funds, and unopened treats or gifts from previous Christmases would be gratefully received. If you’re not involved with any of these organisations, ask friends and neighbours who are, and look out on local WhatsApp groups and online noticeboards.
Some groups may be planning secondhand stalls, but check before you attempt to offload things that are not brand-new, and don’t donate things with missing pieces or stains – volunteers have enough to do without having to sort through junk.
Take when you shop
Lots of retailers run recycling schemes, so you can get rid of things at the same time as shopping. Drop-off points should show up if you use the search on the Recycle Now website.
The furnishing chain Dunelm, collects textiles, electrical items and homeware, in boxes typically near the exit of its shops. Its Textile Takeback scheme is available at most branches and accepts clothing as well as home fabrics. They can be damaged but must be clean, and should be wrapped or in a bag. The Dunelm website lists the shops running Home to Home collections. These take cookware, tableware and home decorations that are in “good, instantly usable (and lovable) condition”. The electrical recycling scheme is only available if you have bought a replacement in the shop.
Some retailers offer a financial reward for your textiles, which you could put towards gifts. All H&M, & Other Stories and ARKET shops in the UK have collection points. A group spokesperson says: “Customers should hand in their bag of old clothes at the cash desk and will receive a thank you discount or voucher to use towards their next purchase.”
Offer to neighbours
One advantage of doing this is that the person claiming your item will expect to come and collect it, so you can get rid of it without leaving the house.
Neighbourhood WhatsApp groups and noticeboards, and Freecycle groups, are the obvious places to post details of unwanted items. Include a photo and dimensions, or a link to a website selling the item new that includes specifications, so you don’t have to answer lots of questions.
The Olio app was originally just for food, but now you can list other things – it says about 300,000 household items are offered each month across the UK. The average time for a non-food item to be claimed after being listed is six hours, so you can have a clear-out in the morning and arrange collection that afternoon.
An Olio spokesperson says most exchanges happen on the doorstep of the person listing the item(s); “however, if you can’t be in, or prefer not to meet someone, you can leave your items in a safe space outside your house for someone to pick up”.
If you feel uncomfortable giving a stranger your address, you can set your pickup location on the app as a public place.
Avoid recluttering
“Encourage the gift of experiences rather than stuff,” says Silverthorn.
That way, this time next year, you might not face such a big task.
