Steps To Take Before You Donate:
A guide from someone who works at a thrift store and has seen some things. This is generalized and not specific to the store I work at.
The first step for ALL of these sections is to look at what you have. Is it something you would give to a friend or relative? No? Then don’t donate it. (Examples of things not to donate: moldy clothes, a soiled pair of pants, sticky dishes, broken mirror)
Clothes and Linens (aka soft lines)
Look to see if your clothes are wet, moldy, or have bodily fluids on them. These types of items will end up at the landfill if you donate them. Just save employees the horror and throw away your own garbage
Don’t donate used underwear or socks, but bras are fine
If the clothes are dirty, wash them (please)
If you want to be super helpful to processors, separate halloween costumes and shoes into different bags or boxes. These items all get processed separately in stores
Donate it even if its ‘poor quality’. Clothing not sold in stores gets sent to textile recyclers
All of this applies to linens (such as blankets and sheets) as well
Electronics
If you have any large items, call the store ahead of time to make sure they are willing to take it. Not all stores have big warehouses for large items. If not, try a different store or chain
Check for any chewed on, or exposed wire. Thrift stores can’t sell these items for safety purposes
If you don’t have a wire or charger for the electronic, ensure that it will stay with the item (tape or rubber bands will work well for this) if an item can’t be tested in store to see if it works, it will not be sold in a typical retail store. It will likely be sent straight to an outlet store
If you are planning on donating a TV (small or big) call the store first, some are able to take them and some are not. Check with them first so they don’t have to turn you away after you get there
If the computer doesn’t work completely, donate it anyway, most thrift stores send them to get refurbished and their memory wiped
Books/Media
Do your books have mold on them or are the pages damp? Don’t donate them
Are the disks so scratched up that they don’t play? Don’t donate them
Stores do accept VHS tapes and cassettes!
If you are donating a bunch of loose disks without cases, keep them together in a bag or a box
If you only have a case for a game (NOT DVD), donate it! People actually buy those
Separate your books and media from other items you are donating, as these get processed separately
Shoes (usually sorted into hard lines but may vary depending on the chain)
If your shoes have bodily fluids on them, or even just some left over dog poop, either clean them or don’t donate them. No one wants to touch that
Even if your shoes have been worn to hell and back (and are not gross), donate them! Just like clothes, if they aren’t sold, most stores will recycle them
Do your best to keep pairs together! Either in a box, tie the laces together, or use a rubber band!
(We do actually love getting shoes donated in their boxes - it makes it a lot easier to sort than a giant garbage bag full of loose shoes)
If you aren’t sure what category shoes fall into at the store you are donating to, just ask! We would much rather that than find shoes in unexpected places!
Furniture
Does it require repairs? Don’t donate it, try a local yard sale site instead
Is it big? Call ahead and make sure the store has space for it
Not every store accepts mattresses/beds/bed frames. Call ahead and ask
If you have a rug, has an animal gone to the bathroom on it? Yeah? Don’t donate that
Side note: if you just bought a big piece of furniture from a thrift store, bring some buddies to help you pick it up. And a big enough vehicle. Our donation door workers are still people and can only do so much to move a giant glass table and fit it into your kia soul when you decide to pick it up 30 minutes before we close
Other Items (aka hard lines)
If a baby is meant to sit or lay in the item, we can’t sell that for safety reasons, even if its brand new
Some stores will sell helmets if they are in good condition, but not all stores. Double check before you drop them off
If you are donating dish ware or china, make sure it is washed and clean. No one wants to touch sticky mixing bowls with a mysterious substance inside
Wrap your dishes or any fragile items and place them in boxes, it helps make sure they dont break before they get processed
If its broken, don’t donate it. Think: is this something I would give a friend?
Put your jewelry together and separate from other items. That way we dont only find one earing
No already lit or used candles that are more than halfway gone, find ways to up cycle them, or see if a friend would like them instead!
No one wants your used bedroom toys. Please no. Im begging you just throw them away if you dont want them
If there are nails sticking out of it, or someone could get hurt on it, wrap it and write a note. Same goes for knives. I can’t even begin to express how many times I’ve almost cut off a finger while reaching into a box of donations
Other Tips
If its sticky, wipe it down
If its fragile, put it in a box not a bag
If its sharp, wrap it
If its multiple pieces, tape it or find a way to keep it all together before you donate it
If you aren’t sure if a store will take it, just call and ask!
