When you donate clothing, you want to make sure your items are useful. Make sure you know a few of these things before you donate any clothes.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting rid of a bunch of stuff you don’t need or use anymore.
For many people, their clothing can quickly turn into a collection too big for anyone to need. It’s a win-win scenario when you donate clothes: you get rid of stuff that’s taking up space, and someone else receives clothes they wouldn’t otherwise have. However, donating clothing does require a little bit of forethought.
Here’s what you should know before donating clothing.
Make Sure Everything Is In Good Condition
A decent sign that you should donate some clothes is when they aren’t in the condition you need for them. However, it’s important to remember that you want to make these donations useful.
No one wants to wear a T-shirt with a massive hole in the middle. Donating your clothes isn’t a substitute for throwing them away if they’re in poor condition.
Stick to donating intact clothing only.
Brand New Undergarments Only
One important thing to know before donating clothing is that you can’t donate any undergarments if you’ve already worn them.
You can only donate undergarments if they are in their original packaging and unopened for sanitary reasons.
The best way to help is to watch for sales on underwear and socks, then pick up an extra pack to donate with your next batch of clothes.
Wash Clothing Before Donating
Many donations come from people’s clothing that they’ve let sit in their closets for a long time.
You can help speed up getting these clothes to the people who need them by washing them before you drop them off or have them picked up.
While not necessarily required, this is a common courtesy to help the people that will sort through your donations.
Always Check Pockets
Don’t let yourself lose out on loose money or valuables because you didn’t check the pockets before you donated.
Charity centers find all kinds of things in the pockets of clothing donations, from paper money to expensive jewelry.
You never know what you might have left in those pockets, so make sure you dig around in there before you decide to give those articles away.
Seasonality Is Important
If you want to help as much as possible, consider the time of year you donate and what a charity might need the most.
Socks and underwear are always needed but donating old winter coats during the summer won’t help anyone.
Most charities don’t have places to store clothing for a long period, so donating seasonal clothes at the beginning of their respective seasons is a great way to help.