Tips on where to start your cleanup, how to get the kids involved, and where best for your unwanted items to end up. 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.
![[Hilary Osborne]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2018/06/04/Hilary_Osborne,_L.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
“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!”.
