If you donate clothing/shoes...

[whoisjohngalt]

in what condition is it? Is it 100% clean with no spots, stains, etc? Is it all good with no holes?

I have A LOT of stuff from my younger, sluttier, thinner days. I have zero interest in yard sales or selling it in any other way. And I also have baby stuff that I don't need anymore.

All I want is to get it out of my house and the easiest way is to call American Veterans bc they come and pick it up. I don't know who else does that.

But I have no clue what would be an appropriate and acceptable condition. I certainly don't want to use them as my garbage pick up people and want to donate things they can use, but do they expect it in perfect condition?

Ideas, thoughts?

thanks
Lena

[Anne_in_VA]

When I donate items they are ones that are in good, usable condition. I do not donate ones that have holes, tears, stains, etc. as most people wouldn't buy them and they'll just get thrown out anyway.

I have seen some really junky stuff at our local Salvation Army store - stuff that's ripped, stained, etc., but I certainly wouldn't donate something like that.

[Clifford]

Send it all. Their volunteers/workers will separate the wheat from the chaff. Also, it will save you time and feel good decluttering.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

I have donated a ton of clothing to that group. The stuff should be in reasonably good shape. I mean it is used clothing.



from my younger, sluttier, thinner days.
I am intrigued woman...spill....

[justwhoever]

If it's still usable then I give it. And sometimes(ok most times) when I am looking for clothes for my younger ones small very light stains do not bother me. I mean really most people wash clothes before wearing anyways so it's not like they are still transferable. But to each their own.

[whoisjohngalt]

SF, we'll talk.... LOL

For some reason I thought that those groups donate clothing to needy people vs selling them, so if baby outfits have some minor stains it wouldn't be a big deal. Am I wrong?

Lena

[kimber45]

Mar 7, 2011 11:23:15 GMT -5 Clifford said:

Send it all. Their volunteers/workers will separate the wheat from the chaff. Also, it will save you time and feel good decluttering.

I do this within reason, if I think something is borderline, I will include it, but if it is total junk, it goes to the landfill

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Not really, I've seen some pretty badly stained baby clothes in our local Salvation Army.

Anything of mine I donate is in clean wearable condition. If I wouldn't wear it then I won't donate it, but I've seen stained/torn/ripped/pulled out of shape items at both Goodwill and SA so it appears they take just about anything.

[isabella]

ask the center that you are donating to if the items not sold in the thrift shop go on to third world charities or to the homeless ..
the stuff I donate that is my sons clothing is in almost new condition, he outgrows clothes quickly before wearing out. I have found that with most stains I have encountered that OxiClean will take them out. I wash/iron/hang all items prior to dropping off.

[sapphire12]

I donate what I would consider wearable clothes and shoes. Sometimes you outgrow your style.

[Tiny]

With fabric stuff (clothes, bedding, blankets, etc) you want to donate all of it. I know goodwill recycles the stuff they can't sell. Anyone else remember taking a sack of of clothes and stuff to the junk yard (along with paper and metal) to get some money for it?
You might want to call/ask what kinds of things the place you are donating to will take. My goodwill takes everything - even old socks with holes. The Resale Shop (that benefits the local animal shelter) prefers gently worn clothes in clean ready to wear condition.

I make sure everything I donate is clean even if it's destined for the 'junkyard'.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

When in doubt, call the charity or non-profit and clarify what their policy is regarding clothing and shoe donations.

[tractor]

Around here, Goodwill takes the unusable items and has workers cut them up to re-sell as rags. I used to buy my rags from them, then decided to cut out the middle man and make my own. I can go through quite a few in the shop, and it's amazing how well old socks work to clean up greasy tractor parts.

[cael]

My local thrift store (run by the food pantry... or maybe the thrift store runs the pantry?) says clothes need to be in wearable condition and free from holes or stains etc. I think Salvation Army will take anything... if I have something too ripped or stained I usually throw it out. I take good care of my clothes so when I donate it's usually in nice shape.

[pepper112765]

The things I donate are in good, wearable condition. If it has spots, holes, etc., it goes in the trash. I have a son that is 15, who is now 6' 2" who went through a series of growth spurts in clothes and shoes, so I donated that stuff when I couldn't find anyone that I knew that could use it. Same as with my youngest daughter. Some stuff I can give to friends, but I try not to hold on to it if no one can readily use it. And, I periodically purge my closet if some of my stuff is a little tight or something I haven't worn in about a year. I usually donate to the Goodwill as it is closest to my house and use It's Deducticle to keep track of the donations. My local Goodwill has the receipt process automated; you drop the stuff off, go to the computer that is sitting close by, enter in your email address and it prints your receipt. I also keep a record of what exactly was donated. Even if you lose the receipts, you can go online and re-print them. They keep a record as long as you do the first step after the donation and that is enter your email address in the computer system to generate a receipt.

[DVM gone riding]

shoes I make sure they are wearable.
clothes I give them everything that isn't completely torn. a lot of people like Jeans with holes. and my Grandmas church takes the complete junk and makes quilts out of them so don't think you need to sort clothes much-they will do it.

the bigger deal is larger stuff-like TV, couches, sm appliances-those they are very picky about

[whoisjohngalt]

OK, sounds like it's a 50/50 split on who is doing what.

I'll call AmVets and will find out. I certainly don't want to give them anything that won't be useful to them in one way or another.

Thank you guys
Lena

[sil]

I try to toss badly stained/torn clothes right away, or they go into a pile of new rags. But once an item makes it into the "donate" pile, I dont look at it again to make sure its suitable.

I have donated several items that I have shrunk (dont ask, I have laundry issues) because I figure that just because it no longer fits me, doesnt mean it wouldnt fit someone else. I have also donated items that might be missing a button or something. I certainly dont repair clothes that Im already planning on getting rid of.

[cronewitch]

I make rags out of soft clothing with stains or holes and donate stuff too good to be rags. I wouldn't give them dirty clothing that would be wrong but wrinkles and missing buttons aren't my problem.

Rag companies can use any cloth to make rags and charities sell them excess they can't sell. My companies buys boxes of rags and I am sure many others do to.

Towel fabric like old dish towels and bath towels can be used to wipe oil off birds so if they have a big spill they might need all they can get. We have a boat so I keep a bag of rags in the boat for hand wiping and bad rags like old bedsheets in the garage to dust cover things or wipe oil dip sticks so some are cut up pretty small some left huge.

[stats45]

I clean everything, then take it to wherever.

Ever since I found out about turning damaged or old clothes into rags, I haven't thrown away any clothing and just give it to them.

[dragonfly7]

I try not to donate/Freecycle stained or damaged clothing, but I know my Goodwill sells some of them at lower prices than similar items. If it is an item I particularly like, I will buy it during the 50% day and try to get the stain out. It's worth a try, and if not, I'm only out two or three dollars.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"I do not donate ones that have holes, tears, stains, etc. as most people wouldn't buy them and they'll just get thrown out anyway. ":::...

I'm the same way. Maybe Anne-in-VA, and I are donating to the same groups? I usually ask myself why I'm getting rid of it, and if I was shopping, would I buy it. If it has a flaw (hole, stain, rip) that would prevent me from buying it, then it gets thrown out or relegated as a "painting" shirt.

...:::"I have A LOT of stuff from my younger, sluttier, thinner days.":::...

Any pictures you'd like to share?

[calgal]

I would donate all clothing instead of throwing it away. Many charities sell what is unusable here by the bale to third world countries. A vast assortment of things go in each bale. The bales are purchased in the port in another country and sorted by the entrepreneurs that buy them so usable things get sold as clothing and the rest is made into rags or re-sewn into something else. It's really quite ingenious to see what some people do with the castoffs. It's much better than having them go to a landfill here.

I spend several weeks a year in Central America and see the shops that sell these items. It provides an income for many families. Just for fun, I enjoy finding the funniest (to me), out of place clothing item on each trip. It usually involves an English saying (in a Spanish speaking country, although many of the people wearing them probably can't read in any language) on a t-shirt (like the old man wearing a pink, sparkling cheer-leading t-shirt), or something being worn by the wrong gender (based on what the shirt might say). It provides me with some private chuckles. ;D I should start writing them down.

[katedenorm]

I will and do donate anything that is not stained, torn, or worn into uselessness. As a fan of Halloween, it's nice to think that even if it's not donated as clothing, it may have another use. We even have friends that will buy old tshirts and the likes for rags around the house or garage. They make a donation and still save money on papertowels.

[whoisjohngalt]

Any pictures you'd like to share?

Not if I want to stay happily married.

As a fan of Halloween, it's nice to think that even if it's not donated as clothing, it may have another use.

That would be an awesome idea if I had an ounce of creativity in me.

Lena

[wvugurl26]

If its adult stuff I'm donating I make sure it doesn't have stains, holes, etc. For the baby and kid stuff, I'd donate it as long as it didn't have huge stains. I guess my standards are lower for kids stuff. I figure they'll play in it and get new stains on it anyway and some people may shop at those places to get play clothes for kids.

[bean29]

I donate lots of stuff to goodwill. The only thing I will donate that is ripped/torn are the jeans that they sell torn. If I feel that they are overly worn out, I will not donate them, I toss them in the garbage.

All clothing and shoes have to be in good enough condition that I would be willing to have my own family wear them.

I usually wash everything before donating. The exception would be if it is something that should not be washed a lot. For example I had a satin comforter for my Daughter. I felt it would fray if washed too often and the person buying it would wash it before using it so I did not wash it.

[kgb18]

I won't donate anything that isn't in very good condition. Mostly the stuff I donate is because it's no longer the right size, I'm tired of it or it's a little out of date. But it's never stuff that is ripped or stained. I'm not ready to donate baby stuff yet because we're going to have another one eventually, but the stuff that got stained goes to the trash.

[busymom]

I throw away anything that's torn or stained. Why make the charity pay staff to have to sort everything? The only exception is when I donate jeans that DS has outgrown--light wear in the knees isn't really that bad, is it?

[TheOtherMe]

Most charities don't really want junk--stuff that is torn, stained, etc.

If you plan on deducting it on your tax return, this is what the IRS publication states about clothing:

You cannot take a deduction for clothing or household items you donate unless the clothing or household items are in good used condition or better. Congress changed that part of the law a few years back because people were taking tax deductions for donating junk.