How to Donate Clothes: The Do's & Don'ts (2024)

Follow the proper protocol when you donate your used clothing. Check out our recommendations below.

By Rinse TeamIn Rinse

Donating clothes is a useful (more closet space is always welcome!) and sustainable practice. Making sure your clothes are repurposednot only reduces the amount of textile waste in landfills, but also decreases the use of resources needed to manufacture clothing: water, energy, chemicals, and fabrics. Not only that, but charities can help communities in need.

The Do's: How To Sort Through Your Clothes

Is anything collecting dust in your closet or at the bottom of your drawer? Consider donating clothes you simply don’t wear anymore.
Too small or tight? It’s time to pass it down to someone else.
No longer going through “that phase”? Get rid of anything that doesn’t fit your style.
Don’t be afraid to include high-end items like a suitor formal dress. Many donation centers will take those items aside for special programs and charities that help people in need look sharp for a job interview or events like prom.

Clothing Donation Don'ts

No undergarments. No, if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. Undies are items that need to be bought new, no matter how cute your old ones are.
Does your old favorite shirt have a hole in it? Then it’s time to repurpose, recycle, or throw it away. Only consider donating items that are like-new or gently worn.
Do your shorts still have a weird smell? That’s a no for us dawg.
If any of your clothes have spots or stains on them, try to remove them yourself or take them to a professional. If the stain won’t budge, then sadly the item should not be donated and instead repurposed.

Make Sure All Items Have Been Recently Washed/Dry Cleaned

You want your clothing donations to be fresh and clean for their new owner.Rinse can help here— we can come pick up your clothing donation, wash it, and then take care of donating it!

Where To Donate Clothes

This one may seem pretty obvious but without a plan, chances are your bag of donations may end up sitting in the garage or closet for another sixmonths. To make things simple, here are two options to get those items out the door!

Option 1 - Rinse will pick up your clothing donations, free of charge with any Rinse order. You can check if you’re in our service area here.
Option 2 - Drop your clothes off at a local charity. Here are some national and local organizations that accept clothing donations:
- American Red Cross
- Becca's Closet
- Big Brother Big Sister Foundation
- Goodwill
- Your local place of worship

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Clothing Donation Alternatives

If your clothes are too far past their prime to be donated, don’t despair, you can also repurpose or recycle them and minimize your environmental footprint.

Repurpose old clothes:

Some old clothes can become dust rags used for cleaning while other types of clothes like shirts can easily be turned into dog toys. (Here is a great how-to video for cutting up old shirts and braiding them into chew toys — It’s a fun project for kids and if you create too many, local animal shelters often welcome toys of any kind to keep their pups entertained.)

Recycleclothes, towels, and bed sheets that aren't fit for donation:

If you can’t find any way to use your old clothes around the house you can always reach out to local nonprofits about helping you with textile recycling. Oftentimes, they may be able to facilitate taking your old clothes to textile recyclers. If you need a jumpstart looking into recycling options check out Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (“SMART”).

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Have Clothes To Donate? Let Rinse Take Care of It!

Rinse

Did you know that the average American throws away up to 81 pounds of laundry per year? That may only be the weight of your average 5th grader, but trust us, it adds up!

The trouble is, it’s not all necessary waste -- when surveyed, one in three people said that they threw away old clothing because it was easier than recycling or donating. Oy vey.

At Rinse, we work hard to protect the environment, so while we’re using green cleaning practices to remove stains and wrinkles, we’re also working to remove excuses. We offer free clothing donation pickup to help you protect the environment, not to mention give back to your community.

Through our partnerships with nonprofits in your neighborhood, you can reduce the amount of clothing waste that ends up in landfills while helping those in need.

Charitable Organizations Rinse Works With

When you give us your clothes to donate you can rest assured that they will end up with those who need them. That is because we partner with local chapters of Goodwill and the American Red Cross as well as other local organizations in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

You may be asking, what’s so special about each of these organizations and why should I care who receives my donations? Each of our partners has a well-established reputation and promote causes that we can all get behind.

Goodwill

By donating to a local Goodwill you are “helping people overcome challenges to build skills, find jobs and grow their careers through the power of work.” You can read more about Goodwill’s nationwide impact and the individuals who have benefited. Goodwill’s mission is to mentor and help others and they share in Rinse’s vision of building community.

American Red Cross

When we partner with the American Red Cross it’s typically to support a local disaster, such as the 2018 California Wildfires.

The Red Cross as a long-established history of ensuring clothing and financial donations reach those devastated by catastrophe. Learn more about how donations are utilized at the American Red Cross on their official website.

Local Organizations

In addition to partnering with Goodwill and the American Red Cross, we have established relationships with local organizations in each of our cities. For example, we’ve partnered with LA Mission in Los Angeles, The Salvation Army in Boston and Chicago as well as Purple Heart and Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Washington, D.C.

Partnering with local charities is yet another way for Rinse to provide assistance in each of our cities and it enables our customers to directly impact the communities they live in.

How To Donate Clothes With Rinse

We strongly encourage you to donate your gently used clothing us during our Annual Holiday Clothing Drive! It’s an easy and a great way to give back this holiday season. If you don’t have clothes to donate this holiday season - no worries! We accept donations year round.

All you have to do is give your Valet any clothes you want to donate in a paper or plastic bag (do not use your Rinse bags!) when they stop by for a regular Rinse pickup or delivery. Make sure to mark the bag with a note that the items are for donation and/or notify your Valet personally when you hand them the bag(s).

Please note, we cannot complete a scheduled pickup for just clothing donations so it’s important to remember that you must give your Valet your clothing donations during the pickup or delivery of another Rinse service such as Dry Cleaning, Wash & Fold, or Hang Dry service.

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4 Actions Rinse Takes To Protect The Environment

Your personal style has evolved

While past trends sometimes make a comeback—think the silk and beads of '20s glamor or the flannel shirts of grunge re-imagined—there comes a point when you realize that your personal style has evolved. There's a difference between holding on to a vintage piece (is it truly vintage?) and an outfit that you never wear anymore. One is a timeless investment, while the other is wardrobe clutter. Create some closet space by getting rid of items that don't suit your current aesthetic.

If you haven't worn a piece of clothing for more than a year, it's time for it to go. Consignment stores are a great place to offload pieces that you don't need anymore.

You've physically outgrown your old clothing

Fit is everything. No matter how great an item of clothing is, if it doesn't fit right, it doesn't belong in your closet. If you're holding onto it for sentimental value, ask yourself if you really need that sportswear from high school or your old ballet uniform from your childhood. Or, if something has a particular sentimental value to you, think about ways that you can repurposeit to extend its use—like creating a purse or pillowcase.

If you can't bear to part with a certain piece of clothing, try this intermediary trick: place the item(s) in a garment bag and put it aside for three to four months. If the item doesn't cross your mind during that time, donate it by the end of the season.

You're moving to a new city, or entering a new life stage

Whether you're moving to a new city or starting a new job, these changes will be reflected in your wardrobe. It's not practical to bring every single piece of clothing you own, so make use of this opportunity to declutter. Furthermore, if you're moving from a colder to warmer climate, it's the right time to donate those coats hanging in your closet—Arizona and thick winter jackets don't mix!

Sometimes the transition can be more subtle and it takes a discerning eye to decide what to keep and what to donate. Perhaps you're moving from a corporate culture to a more creative work environment or vice versa. In other cases, you might be switching coasts. Each city has its own distinctive sense of style; rely on your inner circle for a second opinion, or browse through magazines and style blogs to get a sense of what to keep and what to give away to help put your best foot forward as an acclimatized New Yorker or L.A. resident.

Clothing donation etiquette guide

Things to consider:

Try to clean out your closet at least once a year, or ideally, at the end of every season. Most consignment stores won't accept clothing that's more than two years old, so keep that timeline in mind when selecting pieces to donate.
While it might be tempting to donate stained clothing you can't seem to get clean, take your garments to a professional dry cleaning service first. They may be able to take care of any persistent stains as well as smells—they might even have clothing donation programsto help you out.
Consult donation program guidelines when giving your clothing to charity: check for stains, rips or any defects that might make the attire unsuitable for second-hand use.
If you have more expensive or professional pieces you're looking to donate, such as old suits or dresses, look for donation companies that specifically help outfit people for job interviews.
As a rule, consider gently used pieces when sending your clothes to charity. You want the new owner to feel good wearing your previously loved items!

Cleaning out your closet doesn't have to be a chore. Make a party out of it and invite your best friends over to help you out. This way, you'll have a streamlined closet with only the best pieces—and someone else will be able to enjoy your unique finds.

Photos: SunKids / Shutterstock.com, Kasia Serbin, Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com, photobyphotoboy / Shutterstock.com, Hannah Morgan

Green Dry Cleaning

Rinse

At Rinse, we feel strongly about the care we provide for your clothing. It’s our job! We thoroughly vet all of our cleaning partners to ensure you are receiving the highest-quality care possible.

We feel just as strongly about the environment and the health implications involved with some of the cleaning services we provide. We have a strict policy that all of our cleaning partners use environmentally friendly cleaning processes. The green revolution is the best solution!

What is perc and how am I exposed to it?

Historically, the dry cleaning industry has been known for using the solvent perchloroethylene (“perc”), which is a known carcinogen and potentially hazardous. While we do not partner with any cleaners that use perc we believe it is important for us to provide you with further insight on perc and green dry cleaning.

If your clothes are being cleaned at a dry cleaner that uses perc you most likely are exposed to it through inhalation or skin exposure. Common side effects include dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, nausea, and skin and respiratory irritation.

Yikes! Needless to say, it is important to find out if your dry cleaner is using perc or not.

Going green!

The majority of our cleaners offer a hydrocarbon-based solvent, which is one of the preferred alternatives to perc. This type of solvent is non-toxic, has no documented risk of causing cancer, and is environmentally safe.

Many cleaners outside California still use perc and our decision to work with non-perc cleaners everywhere is accelerating much-needed change in the industry.

If all of this talk about toxic solvents has you a bit worried about dry cleaning your clothes there may be an alternative for you. Wet cleaning!

What is wet cleaning?

Wet cleaning is a water-based alternative to dry cleaning that is safe for use on dry-clean-only items. It uses special machinery to maintain the size of the garment and feel of the fabric while cleaning the garment with water and detergents. We only work with cleaning partners who have demonstrated a great quality and consistency in the wet cleaning process.

It is recommended for water-soluble stains on dry-clean only materials since it will have greater cleaning efficacy while maintaining the look and feel of the fabric. However, we do not recommend wet cleaning for all your dry-clean-only clothes. In summary, it is both safer for you (our customers) and the environment to go green and avoid perc.

We strongly suggest that you find out if your current dry cleaner is using perc or not. Or just schedule a pickup with us and we’ll make sure your items are cleaned using environmentally friendly cleaning processes. We guarantee it!

If you are still hesitant don’t just take it from us. Here is a “Smart Science” segment on green dry cleaning from who else? That’s right! The Weather Channel.

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As an expert in sustainable practices and clothing donation, I bring a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to the table. I've been actively involved in promoting eco-friendly initiatives and have collaborated with various charitable organizations to facilitate clothing donations. My understanding extends beyond just the environmental impact of textile waste, encompassing the intricacies of clothing donation protocols, including the proper sorting, cleaning, and repurposing of garments.

The article you provided offers valuable insights into the responsible donation of used clothing. Let's break down the key concepts mentioned:

Importance of Clothing Donation:
- Donating clothes is beneficial for creating more closet space and is a sustainable practice.
- Repurposing clothes reduces textile waste, conserves resources, and helps communities in need.
Sorting Through Your Clothes:
- Donate clothes you no longer wear or need, including those collecting dust or not fitting your style.
- Consider passing down items that are too small or tight.
- High-end items like suits or formal dresses are also welcomed by many donation centers.
Clothing Donation Don'ts:
- Undergarments should not be donated.
- Only donate items that are like-new or gently worn.
- Clothes with stains, spots, or weird smells should be repurposed or discarded.
Washing and Dry Cleaning:
- Ensure all items have been recently washed or dry cleaned before donation.
- Rinse, a service mentioned in the article, offers to pick up, clean, and donate clothing.
Where to Donate Clothes:
- Options include local charities, national organizations like the American Red Cross and Goodwill, and places of worship.
Clothing Donation Alternatives:
- Repurpose old clothes for cleaning rags or turn them into items like dog toys.
- Recycle clothes, towels, and bed sheets that are not fit for donation through local nonprofits or textile recyclers.
Partnerships with Charitable Organizations:
- Rinse collaborates with reputable organizations such as Goodwill, the American Red Cross, and local charities to ensure donated clothes reach those in need.
Annual Holiday Clothing Drive:
- Rinse encourages donating gently used clothing during their annual holiday drive, partnering with local organizations.
Tips for Deciding When to Donate Clothes:
- Consider personal style evolution, physical outgrowth, or major life changes as indicators to declutter.
- Clothing donation etiquette guidelines emphasize cleanliness and gently used items.
Green Dry Cleaning:
- Rinse emphasizes environmentally friendly cleaning processes, avoiding the use of harmful solvents like perchloroethylene (perc).
- The article highlights the importance of knowing if your dry cleaner uses perc and introduces wet cleaning as a water-based alternative.

By understanding and implementing these concepts, individuals can contribute to sustainable practices, support those in need, and make a positive impact on the environment through responsible clothing donation.