(This blog post has been updated from the original 2016 post with new links).
If you’re planning a move, the best time to declutter is before you pack. Moving is the perfect opportunity to get rid of all those things that have piled up over the years. However, people tend to be hesitant about throwing away their possessions – even those that they consider to be clutter. Most people want to make sure that their belongings don’t end up in a landfill but instead go to someone who wants them.
Following are some ideas of where to donate, sell or recycle your no-longer-wanted possessions.
Clothing and Fabric
Everyday clothing
- Many charities happily accept donations of clothing in good shape. You can set up a free account with GoGreenDrop.com, which coordinates home pick-ups with Purple Heart, The American Red Cross, National Federation of the Blind, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Just put in the date you want a pickup, the number of bags you plan to donate, and leave them outside your front door for a pickup! Vietnam Vets of America also has an easy on-line scheduling tool and will take almost anything except large furniture, appliances and TVs.
Professional clothing for women
- Dress for Success (national) and Suited for Change (DC area) both accept gently used women’s clothing and accessories for women seeking jobs. Each client receives a suit, shoes and accessories to wear to job interviews, and if hired, receive appropriate work clothing for the job.
Professional clothing for men
- Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington specializes in providing professional attire for men seeking jobs, including belts, ties, suits, and shirts. Or you can do a web search in your local area for churches or shelters helping people find new jobs.
Designer or couture clothing
- Try one of the many online services available to sell your lightly used designer clothes and accessories. ThredUp, “the largest online consignment & thrift store,” provides you with a kit to bag up all your clothing in good condition and sell or donate it. Higher end designer clothes, jewelry and accessories can go to The Real Real, and ThredUp’s new offshoot, ThredUp Luxe.
Other fabric
- For those items that are torn, stained or otherwise unwearable, please consider recycling them responsibly. Local transfer stations often recycle fabric. Your old castoff clothing can be recycled. After recycling these items can be re-purposed to create cleaning rags, carpet padding, rubberized playgrounds and insulation. In addition, companies like Northface and H&M have recycling-and-reuse initiatives for fabrics and shoes. These programs aim to limit the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills.
Old linens, towels, and pillows
- Think about donating these to your local animal shelter. These items can be used to line pet cages, dry off wet animals, provide bedding, and cover kennel doors. Check with your shelter first as not all of them accept these items.
Household Goods and Furniture
- For items that are in good condition and may have some monetary value, try selling these on a local neighborhood listserv (many neighborhoods now have Yahoo Groups for the same purpose) or through Facebook Marketplace.
- If selling is not for you, consider donating used furniture and household goods. Some of the charities that resell and use their proceeds to help people in need, include Habitat Restore and Goodwill. Also check out your local thrift store or church. Freecycle is also a great option for easy local reuse and recycle
Electronics
- For an easy place to drop off out-of-date or non-working electronics or computers & peripherals, Best Buy is your best bet. All U.S. Best Buy stores offer in-store recycling of old, unused or unwanted consumer electronics, regardless of where they were purchased. Staples also offers this service, and the list of what they accept even includes old coffee brewers and fax machines.
- You can donate your unwanted working computers. There are local charities that will rehab and upgrade them for people with limited incomes. In the DC area, Project Reboot and RecycleMyComputer (sponsored by Washington Metro Oasis) recycle and refurbish PCs and donate them to people who cannot afford a computer. If you have an Apple device you no longer want or use, you can trade it in here and get an Apple gift card or have it recycled for free if it is not eligible for a gift card. You even get a free box and shipping to send the item back to Apple!
Books
- For books in decent condition (no mold, mildew, yellowed or torn pages), consider donating them to your local Friends of the Library or thrift store. Goodwill and most other charities will take book donations as well. If they are in poor condition, please recycle them in your paper recycling bin.
Whole House
- If you are disposing of a significant number of items and would rather have someone come in and just take care of everything for you, your best bet might be an estate sale. Estate and downsizing sales often sell just about anything and everything, including everyday items like tools and appliances. You can also take advantage of technology and use an online downsizing and estate sale auction company like MaxSold.
Since movers charge by the pound, it’s a good idea to declutter before you pack up your home. I hope these resources help you find good second homes for those items you no longer have use for! And if you’re in the market for a mover, here’s a great list of the top movers in the country from Architectural Digest.
If you’re in the DC Metro area, make sure to check out our Move Management services for more hands on help!
