Clothes, houseware and furniture donation: What do thrift stores accept?
Can you donate a table with scratches on it? Here are some tips that outline what charity thrift stores take and what may have to be recycled instead.
When it comes time to decide what to do with items you no longer need, making a donation to a charity thrift store is always a great option. At 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, we donate much of the gently-used “junk” we collect to charity, as a way to divert it from the landfill and help give back to the community.
The dos and don’ts of donating to charity
While charity thrift stores are thankful to accept a wide variety of donations, there are some limitations on what they can and can’t take. So how do they decide what to accept?
What can be donated?
There is a large range of items that can be donated to charity thrift stores including clothing, accessories, housewares, furniture, appliances, and collectibles. Sports equipment, musical instruments, toys, games, art, medical aids and food can also be donated to select stores.
The key thing to remember is that everything needs to be suitable for resale and in decent condition (nothing broken, damaged, dirty or incomplete). Clothing should be new or gently-used and should not need cleaning or repairs before sale. Furniture, housewares and appliances should be clean and in working condition. Any food should be non-perishable (please check with charities that accept food items).
What won’t be accepted?
With limited space to store and sell goods, there are restrictions on what charity thrift stores can accept. When a charity thrift store is unable to accept donations, it is mainly due to the items’ condition, resale value, safely regulations, and how easy it is to handle them. But if they do receive these types of goods, then they will have to arrange disposal of them – at a cost to the store.
In terms of the condition of items, anything that is damaged, torn or broken can’t be donated. This includes goods that are stained, dirty, frayed, torn, moldy, rusted, wet, have an odor, or have been damaged by pets or exposed to the elements.
Because of safety regulations, charity thrift stores cannot accept items that have been recalled, banned or don’t meet current safety standards. Many will also be unable to accept goods that are too difficult and costly to handle and dispose.
Don’t forget that not all charities accept the same types of items, so make sure you check in with your local thrift store or collection location before dropping anything off. That way, you can make sure that your gently-used goods end up at the right place!
My table has scratches in it, but it’s still good and I don’t want to dump it! Can I donate it?
If you’re willing to give that table some love–sanding and repainting–there’s a chance it can still be donated. Charity thrift stores don’t have time and resources to repurpose or improve upon donations, so if you’re adamant that an item is donatable, it’s better to be safe than sorry and ensure it’s 100% ready to go!
If you are working with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, our teams are well-versed on what can and can’t be donated, and what charities your gently-used “junk” should end up at. But by knowing how charities decide what items to accept, you can help us continue to divert waste from landfill and donate to those in need within the community.
Frequently asked questions
We price based on how much space your items take up in the back of our truck, broken down into ⅛, ¼, ½, ¾ of a truckload, all the way up to a full truckload. Our trucks hold the equivalent of seven pickup trucks.
Our prices vary based on location and there is a minimum charge for our teams to remove your items, which is different in each location, based on a number of factors, including local disposal and recycling fees.
We offer single item pricing for certain items such as mattresses or TVs, sometimes this will be less than our minimum charge.
For materials that have a heavy cubic weight like dirt, concrete, and gravel, pricing is based on the total volume that the material takes up in the truck, up to a maximum of one foot in height for a full truck.
Watch us load up a truck to see how our standard pricing works!
If you need service weekly, monthly, or quarterly, we offer bulk pricing discounts. This gives you better value compared to common alternatives, such as dumpsters or less professional junk removal services.
Interested? Call our business account team at 1-888-475-3461 to discuss your needs as well as pricing options.
On the day of your appointment with us, our friendly, uniformed truck team members will give you a call or text 25-30 mins before we arrive to let you know we’re on our way.
Whether your business has a single location or multiple locations, we can create a custom junk removal solution that works for you. We can coordinate pickups at multiple locations at a local, regional, and national level. Rather than work with dozens of regional or local companies, let 1-800-GOT-JUNK? handle the jobs across all your locations.
Absolutely! We take large items all the time. As long as it can be lifted and loaded into the truck by two people, we'll be happy to take it away for you!
We work with all types of businesses and can handle any type of job - cleanouts, bulk item removal, general junk removal and even specific items like cardboard or pallets. We can take pretty much anything as long as it's not toxic or hazardous. We can remove your items from wherever they’re located, whether it’s your office, store, site or anywhere else—all you have to do is point!
Yes, we're fully licensed, bonded and insured! We have insurance covering damages to both persons and property for every single booking.
While we don't quite service the entire map, we cover almost every greater metropolitan area across the US, Canada, and Australia. To see if we’re in your neighborhood, you can start a booking by entering your zip code here.
Our customer service center is open 24/7, so we’re here whenever you need us! While operating hours may vary in our franchise locations, we offer same-day and off-hours service, including weekends.
