Rude to donate summer clothes now?

12 years ago

For years, I went through my closet at the end of the season, pulling out what I didn't wear. I'd box it up and wait for the next year and then donate. (Pack summer clothes in September and donate in May.) Would Goodwill take them now? I'm tired of having a box around all season.

I prefer taking clothes to our local thrift store which supports the homeless, but it sure would be nice to get them out of the house now instead of waiting until May. (They don't accept out of season clothes because they don't have the room.)

How do you handle this issue?

Comments (12)

marge727
12 years ago
Keep looking until you find an organization that will take your stuff now. Salvation Army does. I just went through my closets and am giving business clothes to an organization that helps people find jobs and dress for job hunting. Our local high school is having a garage sale and they will get a bunch of kitchen gadgets, glassware, purses, baby things & toys that my grandchildren no longer use. Old furniture will go on Craigslist. On my way to work I will drop off the rest of the clothing at the Salvation Army. I found that when I left stuff at the curb for a group they would leave stuff behind and take the things they wanted, so I don't do it that way anymore.
Adella Bedella
12 years ago
I just donate whenever. I also buy clothes out of season for the next year so I've never thought about it.
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LuAnn_in_PA
12 years ago
"Rude to donate summer clothes now?"

I don't see how that's rude.... donate away!
Frankie_in_zone_7
12 years ago
I use Goodwill. I, too, need a place that will take things when I've got them ready. I try to channel as much as I can to my church's semi-annual rummage sale, but even there I've quit "saving up" more than a few weeks in advance. If I'm cleaning out closets in January, I'm not waiting until April to get stuff out of the house!
ks_toolgirl
12 years ago
I've wondered this, myself, & have also "put-off" donating till the clothes came back into season. (Or closer, anyway).

Then, of course, I had to re-wash everything - had to smell "fresh", & why? I don't know, it's just one of my hang-ups.

Or, my DS would find the box, see a favorite pair of jeans - & come down "ready to go" somewhere with jeans looking more like snug clam-diggers. (Usually when we should've been out the door 5 minutes ago...). Suddenly - half the too-small stuff is mixed back in with the rest. Again.

This thread has gotten me thinking... Goodwill is far better set up to store this stuff than my house is. They're getting it, when I need them to. I have enough roadblocks & derailing obstacles without letting that be one if them, anymore. :-)
mary_c_gw
12 years ago
Rude? How?

Donate when you decide to get rid of it. Why would you want to store it?

If your local thrift shop won't take them, then donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army.
jannie
12 years ago
"Rude?" No way. Keep looking till you find a charity that will take clithing. And get a receipt so you can get a tax deduction next year!
mommabird
12 years ago
Get it out NOW! The point of decluttering is not to "save" for the right season. The point is to GET IT OUT of your house! Let Goodwill worry about what season they want to sell.

A Goodwill employee told me the can sell stained, torn, etc clothing to fiber recyclers. He said to never judge things not good enough for Goodwill. They are happy to take all clothing, not matter what condition. If it can't be sold in their store they can sell it to a fiber recycler.

I wonder if that's what they do with out of season items, too?
sherwoodva
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks, all! Had a huge project at work, so I haven't been here since I posted (sorry!) I will definitely take the clothes to Goodwill on Saturday. Mommabird, I hope they don't do that to out of season clothes. These are nice items that I was wearing to work until this year.
trancegemini_wa
12 years ago
The thrift shops here take stained and damaged clothes too and they cut them up into rags and sell them by the bag to different industries (mechanics, industrial workshops etc). whenever I have stained or damaged clothes I just cut them up too and toss them in a box because we do a lot of diy and DH works on the car so we use them up fairly quick.
jannie
12 years ago
Look for one of those clothing donation boxes-they set them up in grocery store parking lots where I live, Long Island. Then dump in any clothing you want. At least it's out of your house. If the charity can't store or sell it now, that's THEIR problem. The point is, it's out of your home. Nothing rude about that!
cupofkindness
12 years ago
In Dallas we have an enormous Good Will Facility and I'm here to tell you that they have off-season storage down to a science. They use fork and scissor lifts to move and stack the enormous boxes of stored goods around the warehouse that is about the size of six football fields. It is almost a factory in there, good quality clothing is even steam cleaned. I was so impressed (this was a school field trip).

I was at a local thrift shop (not GW) recently and saw clothes moths flitting about in the mens buisness suits section. After seeing that, I will never buy used/worn woolens again.