Stained clothes - toss or donate??

[jgenie]

I think there is so much second hand clothes available now that stained clothes should be tossed or made into rags. Several people have told me people would appreciate donations if they're stained or not. What do you think?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I donate because I think there are people out there who need clothing. Clean but stained may serve someone's needs.

Beth

[WatchingThemGrow]

I just bought a bunch of stained Boden and Hanna stuff from last year for $.50 each. We're totally psyched to have them to play in the yard all summer. They're totally cute!

[citymama]

I think it depends on the clothes and condition. Spit-up stained Gerber baby onesies I would toss or repurpose. Hanna or Boden clothing with marker stains I would definitely donate or even sell. (Almost all our Hanna clothing has marker or paint stains!)

[LexyLou]

I donate because I think there are people out there who need clothing. Clean but stained may serve someone's needs.

Beth

If you donate stained clothing, they toss it. So the question is where will it be thrown out, your house or at the donation place.

It pains me to throw out clothes. It just feels so wasteful. I used to donate lightly stained clothes for that reason until I was told that it was just thrown out. Because most places do resell the items vs. just handing them out, they still need to be in decent condition.

[wellyes]

Having shopped at Goodwill in my life I find it pretty insulting that there are people who think that their stained castoffs would be of value to the needy.

I suppose see marker / paint stains can be OK. Food stains, spit-up stains, pit stains, BLOOD stains need to be tossed IMO.

[KrisM]

Depending on what it is, I either toss it or donate via Freecycle where I let people know it is stained. I toss things like onesies with spit up stains. I give away nicer things with small stains that never bothered me when my child wore it (marker on the sleeve or something).

[KrisM]

Having shopped at Goodwill in my life I find it pretty insulting that there are people who think that their stained castoffs would be of value to the needy.

I suppose see marker / paint stains can be OK. Food stains, spit-up stains, pit stains, BLOOD stains need to be tossed IMO.

I hate it when I get something at Goodwill and it's stained. Most of their things are not, since they do throw them away, but things do get past adn on the floor :(

[sariana]

There are organizations that use all kinds of donations for training purposes for people with developmental disabilities. These organizations probably would be happy to have your stained clothes. They eventually end up as rags, I think, but they can serve a purpose on the way there.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

If you donate stained clothing, they toss it. So the question is where will it be thrown out, your house or at the donation place.

It pains me to throw out clothes. It just feels so wasteful. I used to donate lightly stained clothes for that reason until I was told that it was just thrown out. Because most places do resell the items vs. just handing them out, they still need to be in decent condition.

They told me they throw them away, so It try to give them away to a friend first, then throw away. Which is sad.

[SnuggleBuggles]

If you donate stained clothing, they toss it. So the question is where will it be thrown out, your house or at the donation place.

It pains me to throw out clothes. It just feels so wasteful. I used to donate lightly stained clothes for that reason until I was told that it was just thrown out. Because most places do resell the items vs. just handing them out, they still need to be in decent condition.

I know some organizations do but I bet with some digging (which I admit I haven't done) there are organizations that will take and use them. I think about aid groups around the world, for example. It just seems like there is bound to be way to get cast offs to people in need; people who would be happy with anything.

Beth

[alexsmommy]

Depends on how stained and where they are being donated to - anyplace that resells will probably toss. Places like shelters who will literally "shop" for clients in true need from the donation bags (ie homeless teen moms walking into shelter with no winter clothes on their child) will take lightly stained clothes in good condition.

[HIU8]

So, if it still fits and it's stained, how hard do you work to remove the stain before you decide to do something else with it? Just curious. I will work like a dog to remove the stain if the clothes still fit. If they are to small I will sell if they are not stained badly--stuff stained really badly I end up using as rags (but I mean the stains have to be BAD).

[mommylamb]

I think if something had a minor, small stain, maybe I would consider donating it. Maybe. But more likely most stained things I would toss. I worked in a shelter for battered women and their children for 4 years and some of the things people thought suitable for donation (and tax deduction) were insulting to my clients, IMO. There are a lot of people who think just because someone is poor they should be grateful for all sorts of junk.

[crl]

This is timely. I've been debating what to do with DS' pjs. He's outgrown them. It doesn't make sense to save them for the next kid (different gender, big age gap). They are a bit faded and have some small chocolate milk stains on them. Regular clothes with stains I toss (or find a friend who wants play clothes), but for some reason I couldn't quite decide with pjs. Guess the consensus is to toss them. I suppose I could ask a couple of neighbors with younger boys first.

Catherine

[ett]

So a related question. I have a jacket with a broken zipper. I think that if I donate it they will just toss it if they check the zipper. DH thinks that the organization will repair the zipper before re-selling. What do you think?

It just feels so wasteful for me to throw the jacket out when only the zipper needs to be repaired.

[LexyLou]

So a related question. I have a jacket with a broken zipper. I think that if I donate it they will just toss it if they check the zipper. DH thinks that the organization will repair the zipper before re-selling. What do you think?

It just feels so wasteful for me to throw the jacket out when only the zipper needs to be repaired.


I would still donate that. Even if the organization doesn't fix it. There might be a person out there who likes it and can fix it themselves.

[Momof3Labs]

Some places will recycle fabrics - one of the thrift stores around here advertises that.

I just put two big bags of clothes with small holes/stains on freecycle (I was honest about the condition) and they were gone within a matter of a couple of hours.

[Momof3Labs]

So a related question. I have a jacket with a broken zipper. I think that if I donate it they will just toss it if they check the zipper. DH thinks that the organization will repair the zipper before re-selling. What do you think?

It just feels so wasteful for me to throw the jacket out when only the zipper needs to be repaired.

I doubt that most organizations have the time or resources to do repairs such as this. Places like Goodwill get such massive amounts of clothing donations that I bet they only sell or toss.

[Globetrotter]

I am planning to freecycle those items, if they are otherwise nice. for ex., I have some hanna and naartjie pants that look great except for tiny holes around the knee, or high end clothes with small stains.

I give these things to my friend who has a girl, and she uses them for school or play, but my SIL is very picky about this so she rejected some really good high-end BOY stuff that had tiny pinholes (and I mean tiny), so I will probably freecycle those with full disclosure.

i also have a Naartjie outfit that was worn a couple of times before I ruined it in the wash (colors ran together), and I'm useless with stain removal. Those will be freecycled to someone who is good at stain removal. For me, it's an environmental concern and I just can't stand to throw out anything usable.

[MamaMolly]

I'd offer them to friends with full disclosure that they are stained, or do the same on Freecycle. I also shop thrift stores and think stained clothes can be so gross. Some things (like really good brands) I might be willing to try and fight out a stain, but not often.

[hrh_julie]

I haven't read all of the responses, but Goodwill does not just throw away the unusable clothing. They find other purposes for it.

What happens to donated items that aren't sold at Goodwill stores?

Our goal is to try to generate money to fund Goodwill programs from every item that is donated. So in most cases, we'll do what we can to get items in salable shape. As for items that can't be sold in our stores, we've found other creative uses for them. For instance, some member Goodwills recycle old clothing scraps into industrial wipes (cleaning cloths) for industrial buyers. Other items that are too damaged for retail sales are sold to salvage brokers

http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about/whatwedo/misc/FAQs#d5

I won't donate totally trashed clothing, but I don't feel bad donating stained clothes that might not sell because I know Goodwill still makes some money versus that item going to a landfill.

Julie

[BeachBum]

I read an article (or maybe I saw it on TV) from a goodwill representative and they said if you wouldn't give it to a friend, we don't want it.

[newg]

I think it depends on the type of clothing and where you would be sending it. There are a lot of women's shelters, and other such places, that would appreciate the clothes as long as they are clean and still in good condition.

If the clothing has special meaning to you (or your DC) you could always cut a square off and make a quilt out of the pieces.

[let73]

One of our local recycling centers accepts clothing so that could be an option. Recently, I was at a meeting for various social services providers where we discuss community resources and provide updates regarding our agencies. I had a staff member from a local clothing closet say that they were actually looking for stained clothing. Many of the clients are painters, landscapers,etc and need this type of clothing for work so they don't ruin their other clothes. I thought that was a great idea.

[JoyNChrist]

I donate stained items (no holes, still completely serviceable, just not looking so great) to a local mission that sends clothes overseas to areas where there are dire needs. Places where the people would literally go naked without donations. I figure they can certainly put the stained items to good use.

I would not donate them to a place that resells (like Goodwill) or a place like a women's shelter, because I think that people should still be able to retain their dignity and look presentable even though they're in need.

[ewpmsw]

I haven't read all of the responses, but Goodwill does not just throw away the unusable clothing. They find other purposes for it.

What happens to donated items that aren't sold at Goodwill stores?

Our goal is to try to generate money to fund Goodwill programs from every item that is donated. So in most cases, we'll do what we can to get items in salable shape. As for items that can't be sold in our stores, we've found other creative uses for them. For instance, some member Goodwills recycle old clothing scraps into industrial wipes (cleaning cloths) for industrial buyers. Other items that are too damaged for retail sales are sold to salvage brokers

http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about/whatwedo/misc/FAQs#d5

I won't donate totally trashed clothing, but I don't feel bad donating stained clothes that might not sell because I know Goodwill still makes some money versus that item going to a landfill.

Julie



Thanks, Julie! You beat me to it. :)

[TwinFoxes]

There are organizations that use all kinds of donations for training purposes for people with developmental disabilities. These organizations probably would be happy to have your stained clothes. They eventually end up as rags, I think, but they can serve a purpose on the way there.

I would love to know where. I've got a bunch of vaguely stained clothing I was going to toss. If you know the name of a place, I'd love to know.

I don't think all Goodwills are as accepting as the one in the PP. When we were in LA, they were pretty clear on what they wouldn't take.

Freecycle kind of freaks me out. I've heard (or read here!) too many stories involving odd balls. I like the concept of it, but not the reality. :(

[kransden]

This is what happens here. Clothes get donated to the Goodwill or Savers. If unacceptable to them, they will "rag it out". Some bundles get sent overseas. There is a very grungy thrift shop I discovered at Halloween a few years ago. They buy the "ragged" bundles of costumes and sell them in their store. One year I got a Disney Meg, from Hercules, costume. It was stained. I washed it and it was beautiful afterwards. I also bought a whole bunch of torn etc. ones that never would have seen the light of day at Goodwill for 10 cents each. I fixed them up, and gave them to the kinder teacher for kids that couldn't afford a costume. The kids were thrilled, and I was pleased at the price. (BTW, the refurbished costumes were something I would have been happy to put dd in not some junk.)

So I donate things that might not pass muster because of this.

[kijip]

Having shopped at Goodwill in my life I find it pretty insulting that there are people who think that their stained castoffs would be of value to the needy.

I suppose see marker / paint stains can be OK. Food stains, spit-up stains, pit stains, BLOOD stains need to be tossed IMO.
:yeahthat: Minor staining for play wear? Sure. But the stuff people donate is often much worse. I had a (incidentally very affluent) woman upset because I bought/accepted new coats for teenagers rather than subject them to her donated, smelly (human and pet smell), dated, old lady overcoats. I did not even tell her I was doing it, she just saw the kids wearing new coats and was pissed. Seriously.

[kijip]

I haven't read all of the responses, but Goodwill does not just throw away the unusable clothing. They find other purposes for it.

What happens to donated items that aren't sold at Goodwill stores?

Our goal is to try to generate money to fund Goodwill programs from every item that is donated. So in most cases, we'll do what we can to get items in salable shape. As for items that can't be sold in our stores, we've found other creative uses for them. For instance, some member Goodwills recycle old clothing scraps into industrial wipes (cleaning cloths) for industrial buyers. Other items that are too damaged for retail sales are sold to salvage brokers

http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about/whatwedo/misc/FAQs#d5

I won't donate totally trashed clothing, but I don't feel bad donating stained clothes that might not sell because I know Goodwill still makes some money versus that item going to a landfill.

Julie



I have friends that work for them and similar, large, organizations. Many, many things (clothing included) get dumped outright. The dumping fees for these unusable donations cut into their social service budgets. The monthly dumping costs at a similar local place go into the 6 digits each year. And that does not factor in the staff time to collect, sort, label etc all this stuff. The stuff they "repurpose" most usually is stuff they first tried to sell in store for awhile but it's just not moving. The most common solution for this unsold stuff is to sell it to salvage brokers for a tiny cost per ton and it then gets shipped overseas where it is sold to impoverished nations. Which may or may not be a good thing, but it's ironic considering that many of these clothing items orginated from the impoverished nations. I get a kick out of thinking of that loop- made for pennies, shipped to the states, bought for either a small amount or a pricey amount, worn, possibly passed around to others, then donated to a thrift store, wait unsold, packed up and shipped right back. I wish we could track a single out of date shirt or something. :D

From a PR standpoint many charities choose to gloss over the costs they incur dumping things so as to not turn off some donors. But it happens. At least where I live it does.

[kijip]

My rule of thumb is that I only donate things to charity that I would use for my own family if the size was still needed or if we needed/wanted that article of clothing. Sometimes this precludes worn or damaged donations and sometimes it precludes stuff that is just horribly out of date (my mother's 1980s dress up clothes for example after she died- no one can use those but a costume shop and that is where they went). I just got rid of most of my clothes to pare down while I lose more weight and have less laundry. They pretty much all went to Dress for Sucess because I worked in a formal setting when I bought the items that they are all too large for me, will shortly be too large for me or they just don't fit into my needs now that I work at an edgy, social justice/social change organization. But if I were that size, or needed those suits, I would wear them myself.

[Momof3Labs]

For instance, some member Goodwills recycle old clothing scraps into industrial wipes (cleaning cloths) for industrial buyers.

It says "some" member Goodwills recycle clothing, so I wouldn't assume that your clothes will be recycled at any Goodwill. It's worth asking before donating if that is important to you.

[sariana]

I would love to know where. I've got a bunch of vaguely stained clothing I was going to toss. If you know the name of a place, I'd love to know.

The only one I know offhand is the one my parents used. As far as I know, it is called Hope. I don't know if it's HOPE, as in an acronym, or just the word. They lived in the SF Bay Area. I don't know if the organization is local just to that area or not.

My dad is out of the country, but I can try to contact him to ask him if he knows more about it.

[crl]

My rule of thumb is that I only donate things to charity that I would use for my own family if the size was still needed or if we needed/wanted that article of clothing.


I more or less follow this. But it perplexed me with DS's faded and slightly stained pjs. If they had still fit him, I would absolutely have kept them and had him wear them. But it didn't seem right to donate them, especially with the stains. Fortunately, a neighbor wanted them so they found a place to be used some more and I didn't have to decide whether it was reasonable to donate them.

A couple of other ideas. My kid's preschool keeps a few things on hand for emergencies--you know those days when one kid spills his millk all over himself and gets changed into his back-up clothes and THEN goes wading in the playground mud puddle. They've gladly taken stained coats and faded pants off my hands for their classroom emergency clothes. And I've been told that 100% cotton clothing can be composted.

Catherine

Catherine

[LexyLou]

I have friends that work for them and similar, large, organizations. Many, many things (clothing included) get dumped outright. The dumping fees for these unusable donations cut into their social service budgets. The monthly dumping costs at a similar local place go into the 6 digits each year. And that does not factor in the staff time to collect, sort, label etc all this stuff. The stuff they "repurpose" most usually is stuff they first tried to sell in store for awhile but it's just not moving. The most common solution for this unsold stuff is to sell it to salvage brokers for a tiny cost per ton and it then gets shipped overseas where it is sold to impoverished nations. Which may or may not be a good thing, but it's ironic considering that many of these clothing items orginated from the impoverished nations. I get a kick out of thinking of that loop- made for pennies, shipped to the states, bought for either a small amount or a pricey amount, worn, possibly passed around to others, then donated to a thrift store, wait unsold, packed up and shipped right back. I wish we could track a single out of date shirt or something. :D

From a PR standpoint many charities choose to gloss over the costs they incur dumping things so as to not turn off some donors. But it happens. At least where I live it does.

Well, that might be what they're supposed to do but from talking with people at multiple Goodwill locations, they mostly just toss the stuff. At least that's what I've been told.

[klwa]

Depends on the amount of staining. Of course, quite often I pass on clothes to friends rather than donate. And they don't mind small spots. Actual donating, I'd probably not donate with stains.