The new year often means one thing – it’s time to declutter the home! Don’t leave clutter lying around; instead, donate it to a charity store! In this blog, we’re letting you know how to declutter and donate. This is your guide to supporting charity shops in Lancashire.
Decluttering might feel like a huge job, and sometimes, it can be! But one thing’s for sure: you’ll feel great when it’s all done! Say goodbye to dusty ornaments or things that have been thrown to the back of the wardrobe because you probably don’t need them anymore.
Studies have found that having a messy home can impact your life in many ways. It can impact our mental health, sleep and even our focus. All of these things can have knock-on effects on other aspects of our lives. So, if there’s ever been a reason to have a clear-out, then this is it!
Tips for de-cluttering the home
Here are some top tips for how to de-clutter your home space.
Start small
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they start de-cluttering is tackling a huge space. This often leads to people running out of time and becoming distracted. It’s often hard to go back to these jobs as you can’t remember where you got up to.
Instead, it’s important to start small. This allows you to tackle one space at a time. Choose one room and then a specific area of the room, for example, the drawers, the wardrobe or even the windowsill. This will help you stay focused and feel more accomplished as you actually tick off more jobs!
Stay organised
It can be easy to throw everything into a bin bag, but the chances are that many of your items will still have life left in them. You can easily stay organised by sorting your items into piles. You might choose to have ‘keep, throw away and donate to a local charity shop’. This process helps you gain more space in your home.
Find homes for items
In the most organised areas, every item has a home. Otherwise, it’s tricky to find things, and it becomes easier to just put things anywhere. It can also be helpful to keep similar items together. Some people like to use labels on drawers or containers too.
Consider storage options
There are so many storage solutions that can help your home feel less cluttered. Consider options such as drawers, where you can also use dividers, trays, and holders. This is a really helpful way to get the rest of the family involved in staying organised too. Make sure everyone puts items away in their correct places.
One in, one out
This is the idea that when you buy something new, you should get rid of something else. This helps you stay on top of your belongings and means that you might take a second to think more carefully before purchasing new things, which can also help you save money.
How to help others declutter and donate
Some people are naturally good at staying organised, so decluttering is a reasonably simple task. If this is you, you might find other people asking you for help. There are some tips you can take into this experience.
Remember that decluttering can be a difficult experience for some people, so it’s important to take their feelings into consideration.
- Discuss their goals for decluttering
- Make a plan with them
- Celebrate progress
- Be cautious of the words you use – don’t describe their items as ‘rubbish’
- Be supportive
Which items can be donated?
It’s great that you’re choosing to donate your unwanted items to charity shops. Before you bag up your items and head to a charity shop, you need to check which items they will be happy to accept. Most of the time, charity shops will accept similar items, but it’s worth checking anyway.
At our Middlebrook Charity Superstore, we accept the following items. These items can be accepted at the store during our opening hours. We’ll be proud to give these items a second life.
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Bags
- Jewellery
- Bric-a-brac
- Household textiles
- Toys
- Books
- Media
- Small electrical items
- Furniture – via collection. Find out more about our Bolton furniture collection here.
There are some items that we are unable to accept at any time due to safety reasons. Instead of throwing these items away, why not hold a yard sale or use online platforms to sell them?
- Upholstered donated furniture without a fire label (unless pre-1950s)
- Soiled/dirty mattresses
- Roller or Venetian blinds (unless in original packaging with safety instructions included)
- Donated furniture with unsafe missing parts or damage
- White goods
- Safety items
- Baby equipment
- Refrigeration
- Large wall units
- Or any item that is not in a saleable condition
Which Lancashire charity shop shall I donate to?
There are so many incredible charity stores in Lancashire, but of course, we’d love to receive your donations. Here are some reasons to consider Regenerage’s Middlebrook Charity Superstore for your donations.
- Free parking makes drop-offs easy
- You’re donating unwanted items to a worthy cause – so you can feel good too!
- We support elderly people to live and age well using vital funds from pre-loved items
- We have over 40 years of experience supporting older people, their families and carers
- We provide Parkinson’s and dementia support
- We run regular events at our activity centres to combat loneliness and help older people stay active
- Our volunteers are excellent – find out more about volunteering opportunities.
At Regenerage, we are so grateful to the local community for all of their support and wonderful donations. Read our blog on how to find hidden gems in Lancashire charity shops.
How do I donate to Regenerage?
You can donate many items to our store during our opening hours. You can organise a furniture collection for larger items. We offer furniture collection within a 12-mile radius of the Middlebrook Store.
Here is our address:
Middlebrook Charity Superstore
Middlebrook Retail & Leisure Park,
63 The Linkway,
Horwich,
BL6 6JA
This store offers a wide range of items, including prom dresses and wedding dresses in Bolton.
Are there any other Regenerage charity stores?
- Bamber Bridge, Preston
- Buckshaw Village, Chorley
- Calder Park, Chorley
- Chorley, Preston
- Fulwood, Preston
- Leyland, Preston
- Occasions Preston
We hope this blog has been helpful in explaining how to declutter and donate. Decluttering your home has so many fantastic benefits. We look forward to welcoming you to our Regenerage Charity Superstore. It’s time to declutter and donate! You should also check out our blog on how to prepare items for donation at a Regenerage charity shop.
