Donating Clothes For The First Time? Know How To Donate Them With Style

When donating clothing for the first time, you might just grab a trash bag and throw in the clothes so that you can place them in the drop box on your way to work. What you might not realize is that this places a lot of extra work on the donation center workers. If you want your items to get to those in need quicker, follow these instructions before you donate:

Consider How Long You Have Had the Item

Everyone has that one piece of clothing they want to hang on to, whether they wear it or not. However, if you have clothing items that have been hanging in your closet for a couple of seasons and you haven't worn them, then this is the exact type of item you should consider donating.

Know What is Salvageable and What Isn't

As you are looking through all of your clothes, don't just grab them off of the hangers or out of the drawers and throw them into a bag. Instead, look them over carefully for damaged areas that cannot be fixed. Some of these imperfections may include:

  • Rips or tears that are not on the seams (these cannot be fixed)
  • Oil, paint, marker or ink stains (If a dry cleaner tells you it's a lost cause)
  • Clothing that is out of shape from improper washing and drying

If you notice any of these situations on your clothing, do not donate them. Instead, use them as rags around your home. Clothing that you donate should be ready-to-wear and in decent shape. Additionally, recycling centers, like Flannery's Drop Box Service, Inc., may not have access to special cleaners, just like you don't. Moreover, they can't fix an out-of-shape garment.

Launder Them Properly

Once you have your pile of clothing that can be worn by others, clean them up. Go through the process of washing, drying and folding them properly. Use all the same methods to clean these items of clothing that you would to clean clothing that you wear every day.

Package Them Neatly

Gather a few boxes to load all of your clothing in. Place the folded clothes into the boxes neatly, so that when the recycling service gets them they can quickly give them to the people who need them.

Add a Couple Extra Touches

To donate in style, separate everything that you are giving away. If you have a bunch of blouses, you can separate them by color and size. Use a separate box for jeans and pants, and hang dresses and suits in a garment bag.

Take the time to prepare clothing for donation so that the drop box workers can get the items to their destination faster. Not only will you be giving clothing to people who could really use it, but also you will be making the job of the recycling workers easier. Share this with your friends who are new to donating old clothing, so they too can do so in style.


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