What to do with old pillows and blankets
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Pillows and blankets don’t last forever. Maybe they’ve gone flat, frayed at the edges, or just don’t match your decor anymore. Once they’re worn out or no longer wanted, figuring out what to do with them isn’t always straightforward. Can they be donated? Recycled? Tossed in the trash? If you’re unsure, you’re not alone. Many people wonder how to dispose of pillows the right way. We’ll walk you through all the best and most responsible options to get rid of old pillows and blankets—whether they’re still usable or ready to retire.
How to get rid of old pillows and blankets
Here are a few ways you can responsibly say goodbye to old pillows and blankets:
Donate if they’re still in good shape
If your pillows and blankets are clean, stain-free, and in usable condition, some shelters or charities may accept them. Organizations like the Red Cross or Goodwill may take linens and bedding, though not all locations accept pillows. Be sure to check the donation guidelines before dropping them off.
Give to an animal shelter
Many animal shelters accept gently used bedding to help keep pets warm and comfortable. Old pillows can make cozy beds for cats and dogs. That said, not every shelter takes them due to sanitation concerns, so check with your local shelter or visit the ASPCA’s website for more information.
Use a textile recycling program
If your old pillows and blankets aren’t in good enough condition to be donated, recycling might be the next best step. Textile recycling centers break materials down into industrial rags, insulation, or fiber fill. Organizations like SMART support sustainable textile recycling. Some municipalities also host textile recycling events or drop-off bins.
Repurpose them at home
If you enjoy DIY projects, consider transforming your old bedding into something new. Use pillow stuffing for pet beds, packing material, or draft stoppers. Cut up blankets for cleaning rags or car blankets. With a little creativity, you can give your old pillows a new purpose.
Hire a junk removal service
Sometimes you just want it gone. If you’re short on time or clearing out multiple items, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? can help you get rid of old pillows, blankets, and other household items—we’ll even take your mattress. Book a pickup online or call us at 1-800-468-5865. Our team can take almost anything from anywhere in your home, and we do our best to recycle and donate items when possible.
Why it’s important to reuse or recycle old pillows
Pillows are often made from polyester fill, memory foam, or synthetic fabrics that don’t break down easily in landfills. Tossing them in the trash contributes to growing textile waste. According to the EPA, over 11 million tons of textiles end up in U.S. landfills each year.
While curbside recycling typically doesn’t accept pillows, textile recyclers and reuse programs offer a more responsible option. Donating or repurposing helps reduce environmental impact and gives your bedding a second life. Before you toss old pillows in the trash, check to see if someone—or some pet—might still benefit from them.
All you have to do is point
Pillows are bulky, and they can easily be forgotten when decluttering. If you need a hand getting rid of them, we’re happy to help. At 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, we make junk disappear with friendly, full-service pickup. We accept used pillows and blankets as part of our junk removal service, and we always try to recycle the recyclables and donate the donatables.
You can view pricing for junk removal on our website. We offer junk removal across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Call 1-800-468-5865 or schedule a junk pickup online today.
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.
