You have probably thrown some good things away because you just didn't want to take the time to donate them somewhere. Don't feel guilty, I have too. And often times that IS the best option. But before you throw things away or donate them, let me share what I learned from working at a donation center.
CONTEXT: I worked with a small non-profit for a long time. This non-profit, Hope Heals, collects clothing and house item donations and makes them into care packages to give to those in the community that have just moved into a home after being homeless. It is an amazing organization. Consider giving some of your donations to them if you live in Walla Walla, WA!
Working with Hope Heals taught me some important decluttering lessons that I'd like you to keep in mind:
Junk - Throw it away. Don't make a donation worker do it for you. Some things are obviously junk, but some things are less obvious. If it is the last bit of something, it's probably junk; the last bit of string on the spool, the last bit of wrapping paper on the roll, or a little bit of paper in a pack. If you have broken electronics, don't donate them to a regular donation place; see if there is a computer store or tech recycling location you would take them to. If you have something so worn down that you wouldn't give it to a friend, don't donate it; this could be old stained towels, socks with holes, books with torn covers, and chairs with broken legs.
Recycle - Some of the items listed in junk are actually recycle. Paper, metal, glass, and some plastics are easily recycled. Also, Terracycle is a company where you can buy a box and fill it with basically anything and send it back to them and they will recycle it all. Check them out!
Clothes - There are lots of non-profits, church centers, and thrift stores that receive only clothing donations. See if there is one in your area to donate your clothes. Many of them give clothes away to those in need. So if you can, find the place that helps others, rather than simply re-selling what you donate.
House goods - This category includes kitchen appliances, dishes, bathroom products, bedding, rugs, clocks, and kid's toys. Items like this can be donate to charities (like Hope Heals) who will give them to those in need rather than just re-selling.
Non-necessities - Unlike house goods, this category includes everything else in a home but not everyone needs it. This may include books, movies, electronics, weird gadgets, etc. Goodwill or another larger thrift store is a good place to donate these items because they can be purchased by someone who could use them, but it is not something people need to be able to get for free.
Books - You could donate books to a charity or thrift store like Goodwill. Also, you could donate kids books to a school or library. Then the can be enjoyed by more than just one person or child.
Furniture - Lots of furniture can be donated to charities and thrift stores, if those places don't accept it, you can always try selling it yourself (next category).
Stuff worth more than $25 - Do you have anything in the above categories, but you are having a hard time just giving it away because it is worth something? Pick a dollar amount (I picked $25 but you could make it a bit higher or lower) and anything that you research and find that it is worth less than that amount, just donate it. It's not worth your time to sell something if you aren't going to get anything substantial out of it. But, if it is worth more than the amount, sell it. Set up a yard sale for a weekend if you have a lot of items in this category (or if you don't have time for a yard sale, raise your dollar amount and donate more). If you have more expensive items, sell them online. There are so many options. Pick a platform and get paid! Just remember that it's not worth anything if no one will buy it. Either lower your price or donate it. Learn from your bad purchase and move on.
"My _______ would love this!" - Giving gifts to friends and family is great. However, be careful not to make them your donation center. Your loved ones don't need everything you are getting rid of. So unless you know they would really appreciate it or have specifically been looking for something like that, just donate your decluttered items.
Basic courtesies for donating:
Don't donate junk - Like I said for category 1, no donation worker wants to throw away your trash for you. It's just not cool.
Wash EVERYTHING - No matter if it's a jacket or a table, clean it! Nobody wants to sort through a dirty laundry donation or receive something with cobwebs on it. If you have a lot of clutter and it doesn't make sense to carefully clean everything before you donate, do your best. Quickly wipe down the dirtiest items and throw away dirty clothes if you don't have time to wash them... that's what most donation places will do anyway.
Take off Names, Marks, & Stickers - If you wrote your name in a book, erase it; if your kids drew on the table, scrub it off; or if you put stickers on a binder, peel them away. Donate things the way you would like to find them if you were shopping at a thrift store. Also, you don't want your name on things, you don't know who will be recieving them.
Add sizes - If you are donating clothes where the tags have been cut off or worn down, put a piece of tape on each item with a size (even if its general like "women's small"). As a donation center sorter (and shopper), its really nice to not have to guess the size.
The overall lesson I've learned is to think about who will be on the receiving end of my stuff. And, what is the best way I can help others, save the planet, and save myself some time while getting rid of what I no longer need.
But as always, just do your best. It's better to donate something imperfectly or throw it away, rather than keeping it cluttering up your space. You can get better about your donating methods and living low-waste AFTER you've taken back control of your life.
Click here to read my more recent post about clutter disposal methods.
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