Specifically, you want to avoid any clothes that simply aren't usable anymore. Large stains, big rips, tears, holes, missing buttons—all of these things make clothing much less attractive as a donation option. Consider recycling these clothes instead, as they won't be of much use to someone who wants to wear them.
If a shirt has a hole or a bad stain that won't come out, toss it. Clothes that are dirty or badly worn out are not worth donating, and many stores will simply throw them out anyway. Sorting through your closet and getting rid of articles of clothing you no longer wear is a good practice to follow every year.
The majority of charity shops have steamers, which are used to clean and freshen up textiles. Some shops also have a washing machine in the backroom, or a volunteer who takes goods home to clean them.
Can you donate any type of clothing to charity? All clothing – whether it's unfashionable, holey or torn – can be used to raise vital funds for charity. Of course, to sell the item on to customers, charities need clothes to be in good condition, and good quality items will raise the most money.
No fabric items like bedding, towels, or clothes should be donated unless they have been cleaned. Dry clean or wash everything and treat any stains before donating.
The majority of fashion waste ends up in landfills
While decomposing, clothes emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and Methane gas (CH4), a substance that is is 28 times higher than CO2 in terms of emissions. This is a major global warming problem. Clothes do not biodegrade while in a landfill.
Travel size toiletries are a great basic component for any homeless folk care package and there's a lot to choose from. Toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, lotion, lip balm, etc. If you're on a budget and can only put in 1 or 2 products, imagine yourself in the recipient's shoes and think about what you would like to get.
Unwanted or old bras don't have to end up in landfill. If your bras have plenty of life left in them, you could donate them to your local charity shop. Alternatively, there are a number of recycling schemes that will take your unloved bras and help support charities along the way.
How many times should you wear an item of clothing? To reduce your CO2 emissions and waste, you should aim to wear each item of clothing at least 30 times as suggested by the #30WearsChallenge. However, most low-quality fast fashion garments might not even last that long.
Never throw any clothing or fabric household items in the trash. Donate unwanted clothing to friends, charities, or thrift stores. Never donate wet or moldy items to charities or thrift stores. They will not clean or dry them, and they'll end up in a landfill.
Generally, the rule of thumb is if you haven't worn something in a year, get rid of it. However, in 2021, due to the pandemic, change that to two years.
Don't do any heavy lifting or vigorous exercise for the rest of the day. If the needle site starts to bleed, apply pressure and raise your arm straight up for 5-10 minutes or until bleeding stops.
Set an expiration date for the items in your closet. If you live in a four-season climate and you haven't worn a piece of clothing in a year, it's probably time to donate it. And if you live in a one- or two-season climate, then you likely should let go of something you haven't worn in the past six months.
If you see that your old towels are in good condition still, you can also donate them. Both churches and homeless shelters generally accept old towels, as long as their condition is still usable.
You will need to have at least one large bin liner sized bag of quality clothes to donate, but it really helps the charity if it's more. Book online, by phone 020 8733 2580 (Press Option 1) or by email.