UK households urged to 'clear out kitchen cupboards' before next week

UK households have been urged to declutter in December - beginning with their kitchen cupboards. Taking old clothes and unwanted items to a charity shop can help someone on a tight budget can afford gifts for Christmas, UK households have been told.

“Start with your food cupboards,” says Vicky Silverthorn, who runs a home organising business called You Need a Vicky, in an interview with the Guardian newspaper. “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.”

“Food banks are crying out for donations, so if you have things that are in date, you could give them away,” says Silverthorn. “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!”

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“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.”

“ 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”.

“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.