topic Re: Clothing Donations in Community Chat

Clothing Donations

Biftu — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 02:06:08 GMT

Do you wash clothes before you donate? I have five extra large garbage bags full of clothes to donate. They are in great condition and have been either hanging or folded in my closet but I just don't wear them anymore. I really don't feel like washing all these clothes, should I?

Re: Clothing Donations

PinkyPetunia — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 02:13:23 GMT

The clothes are clean so I would not worry about washing them again.

Re: Clothing Donations

Malcontent — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 02:14:26 GMT

@Biftu

You can, but if they’re relatively clean, I wouldn’t.

If they go to a thrift shop, people who buy them will wash them before they wear them anyway.

Re: Clothing Donations

gertrudecloset — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 02:26:25 GMT

@Biftu wrote:
Do you wash clothes before you donate? I have five extra large garbage bags full of clothes to donate. They are in great condition and have been either hanging or folded in my closet but I just don't wear them anymore. I really don't feel like washing all these clothes, should I?

Depending on who you are donating them to, some may do their own laundering or extra care of donated items (maybe). However, most places that take donated clothing prefer they be clean and they will state so.

Re: Clothing Donations

Trailrun23 — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 02:19:13 GMT

No need to wash them again if they are clean.

Re: Clothing Donations

gertrudecloset — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 02:29:49 GMT

I have garments in my closet or drawers that have been worn once. They may get another wear before they are laundered. If you can't recall if the items are tag new and if it has been your lifestyle to get a couple of wears out of your garments before laundering, then I'd err on the side of laundering some of them.

You didn't mention ~ so I thought I'd add this part of my perspective as well.

Good luck!

Re: Clothing Donations

drizzellla — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 02:47:33 GMT

I don't put clothes that were worn back into the closet or drawer. They are washed and cleaned before I put them away. So I do not wash the clothing again when I donate the clothing. Maybe they have been hanging in the closet for awhile but I keep the closet door closed so how dirty can the clothing be?

I guess if I were buying thrift store clothing, I would wash the item first. Just to freshen up the item.

Re: Clothing Donations

Lucky Charm — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:05:58 GMT

I don't put worn clothing back in my drawers. I nearly had a fit when I realized my husband did that---years ago.

I would never donate clothing that I've worn, but didn't wash first.

Re: Clothing Donations

LuvSoCal — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:07:34 GMT

No, most of them still have their tags attached or have not been worn that much.

Re: Clothing Donations

gertrudecloset — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:11:16 GMT

Some people put tops, jeans and things like that somewhere (before they wash them) because they want to get another wear out of them before they are laundered. I do it. They don't necessarily go in a drawer. I have silk blouses that I can wear at least twice before they go to the dry cleaner.

I wear a pair of jeans and get two wears before I launder them. Underwear, of course is a different matter. I know plenty of people who do likewise. They get at least a second wear before laundering. Since I don't wash clothes every day, and since I do have garments that get worn more than once before they go to the dry cleaner or go in the washer, they get put somewhere (which is usually my closet). I don't like to have clothing strown around my bedroom. I put them away and the next time I reach for it I know where it is. Kind of like my coats. Though of course, my coats get worn a lot more than two times before they get dry cleaned.

Re: Clothing Donations

gertrudecloset — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:14:34 GMT

@LuvSoCal wrote:
No, most of them still have their tags attached or have not been worn that much.

Then of course, I wouldn't worry about washing them. Tag new, never worn. ~~Good thing you're doing to donate these items too. Very good thing.~~

~~Sorry. I mistook you for the OP who is donating.~~

Re: Clothing Donations

Kachina624 — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:13:47 GMT

If you have multiple big bags of them, washing them becomes too much of a burden, wear and tear on washer and dryer, lots of work.

Re: Clothing Donations

gertrudecloset — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:17:43 GMT

It might be a burden, however some places who will even bother to take clothing donations now will require they be cleaned for the purpose of resale or donation.

The vast majority of donated clothing goes in the landfill nowadays anyway. They will go through the garments and decide what to discard and what to keep. Worn garments will likely be tossed.

Re: Clothing Donations

Lucky Charm — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:48:02 GMT

I know some donation places that won't accept clothing for people in the US will go ahead and ship them to poorer countries.

A worn pair of pajamas or a 'reject' Under Armour shirt can be clothing for someone who has nothing at all to wear, in a third world country.

This kind of reminds me of what my DIL received one of the first years of her teaching Kindergarten in NYC. When she returned to work from having a baby, one of her students gave her a present of a pair of Dora the Explorer pajamas that were about a size 4T and worn out.

This was a gift for her newborn baby, my 1st granddaughter.

Lots of times the kids showed up in school with the same outfits day after day. And lots of times, they wore their pajamas underneath their clothes.

Teachers aren't allowed to give anything to the children, but sometimes teachers would leave bags on the front steps of the children's homes. Filled with clothes and other necessities.

But out of respect for my fellow man, unwashed clothes are for washing or waxing the car, not for someone to wear.

Re: Clothing Donations

reviewer from sc — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:56:25 GMT

No. Whenever I purchase any clothing from a thrift or consignment store, I always wash the clothing before wearing. I do this for the entire household. The only exception is if the clothing is new with tags--most of the time.

Re: Clothing Donations

jackthebear — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 10:39:06 GMT

then end user will

Re: Clothing Donations

kaydee50 — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 12:49:33 GMT

If the clothes are clean, i.e., haven't been worn, I see no need to wash again.

Re: Clothing Donations

sometimesQVCaddict — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 02:22:36 GMT

Most clothing that's donated unfortunately ends up in a landfill. You think a donation center has the time, resources, or space to wash a strangers dirty or dusty/sitting in a closet for years clothes? It's easier to just toss in the dumpster. Same with underwear and socks. No matter the condition, it gets tossed.

People make themselves "feel good" by donating their castoffs. But think if what you're donating is something you'd personally buy in a resell store. If the answer is no, it's probably getting trashed. So you're basically making someone else dispose of your trash to make yourself feel good.

Re: Clothing Donations

GenXmuse — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 02:35:37 GMT

If they've been in storage yet, I'll wash them, but if they've been hanging in my closet, I don't.

Re: Clothing Donations

Spacrazy — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 02:38:48 GMT

Yes, I always launder and neatly fold just as I would for myself.

Who knows, the person buying them might be headed to a job interview or to work. Wouldn't that be helpful to have a fresh outfit for the day?