How to Prepare Clothing for Donation
Donating clothes is a great way to extend their life and help others. But making sure your items are donation-ready is key to ensuring they’re accepted and used. Follow these simple tips to prep your clothing the right way and make the biggest impact. 🌱✨
🧹 Sort Through Your Closet
Go through your closet and drawers to find items that no longer fit or that you haven’t worn in a while.
👌 Choose Gently Worn Items Only
Only include clean, gently used clothing in good condition. Donation centers typically cannot accept heavily worn or damaged items.
🪡 Make Minor Repairs
If a garment is in good shape but missing a button or has a small tear, take a few minutes to fix it. Clothes are less likely to end up in a landfill when they’re free of noticeable flaws.
🧽 Repurpose Unfixable Items
Clothing that’s too worn to donate can still be useful—cut it up for cleaning rags or save it for patching other items.
🧼 Wash Everything First
Ensure all clothes are clean and free of stains, pet hair, and odors. Freshly laundered items are more likely to be accepted.
🔍 Check the Pockets
Don’t forget to check every pocket - you never know what might be hiding in there!
🏷️ Leave the Tags On (If Possible)
Clothing with brand and care labels intact tends to resell better. If you're tempted to cut them out, consider leaving them on in the future.
🧺 Organize by Category
If you're donating a variety of items (e.g., men's, women's, children's), consider separating them into clearly labeled bags. This makes sorting much easier forthe donation center staff.
📦 Use a Donatable Container
Drop off your items in a bag, basket, or box you don’t need back. Donation centers typically can’t return containers.
❄️☀️ Seasonal Donations
Try to donate items seasonally, so they meet the needs of the current season; ie., warm coats in thewintertimee.
📋 Donation Guidelines
Check for any donation center rules before you drop off:
Are there certain items they do not accept?
Make sure your item:
Is free from stains
Does not have any holes
Is not missing any buttons
📎 If your item cannot be donated, visit our blog post Downcycling Options for Un-donatable Items.
🌟 Every small action adds up! Thank you for being part of the solution ♻️👣
