8 Items You Should Toss Instead of Donating, According to Organizers
They’re just not worth it.
When you’re on a decluttering spree, it’s easy to get carried away with the “donate” pile. After all, no one wants to be unnecessarily wasteful, and deciding an item is going to a good cause is easier on the conscience than sending it to the landfill.
However, experts say that’s probably not how we should think about things. “Thrift stores and donation centers have limited space, strict guidelines, and they need items that are clean, complete, and truly usable and sellable,” says Lauren Saltman, professional organizer and owner of Living. Simplified. “My best advice is that donations should never be used as a guilt-free garbage bin.”
Ahead of your next big cleanout, take a few minutes to read this list of things you should always toss instead of donate. And before you take a pile of items to your local donation center, read their guidelines on what they accept and what they don’t.
VHS tapes
There’s a reason you’re looking to offload these—and it’s the same reason donation centers have trouble selling them. “Obsolete technologies, like VHS tapes, are not usually accepted since few of us still own the corresponding equipment to play them,” says Mindy Godding, professional organizer and co-founder of Abundance Organizing. “Like any analog media, the magnetic tape itself will decompose over time, rendering VHS tapes useless for future generations of users.”
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Clothing with identifying information
There might be all sorts of clothing in your closet that has your name on it, whether it’s a group T-shirt from a family vacation or your kids' clothes from camp. Either way, you should probably trash them: “I would never donate an item with identifying information on it,” says Lucy Milligan Wahl, professional organizer and owner of LMW Edits. “A first name embroidered on a pillow or something is fine, but full names that can link you and your family to a place or activity are just an unnecessary risk.”
Past-prime linens
“Clients often try to donate threadbare bedding and pillows, and I steer them towards the trash,” says Lucy. “Donation shops will refuse these at the door if they spot them on the way in, and throw them away later if they don't, because no one will buy old, ratty bedding when new items are already so inexpensive.” She also notes that pillows can’t be donated because they absorb so much biological material that can’t be cleaned.
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Used kids’ toys
Just because the toys are in good condition doesn’t make them appropriate to donate. “Sure, the plastic pieces aren't broken, but how is someone going to be able to tell from this motley bag of stuff that the toy is intact and ready for their child to play with,” says Lucy. “Donation is not a synonym for trash—we donate things that we truly believe others would find value in, not things we just want out of our house and have guilt about.”
Car seats
A compromised car seat could compromise kids’ safety, so donated ones aren’t usually accepted. “Infant and toddler products have rigorous safety standards and recalls are issued frequently, and so charities are usually reluctant to accept these items for fear of liability,” says Mindy. The seats are also fairly susceptible to messes that buyers want to avoid, such as spills, crumbs, and bodily fluids.
Damaged furniture
“It is very hard to donate furniture that isn't in pristine condition,” says Robyn Reynolds, certified professional organizer and founder of Organize2Harmonize. “Even if there is a small stain or a tiny tear, they won't take it, so it's better to give it away to someone who needs it.” She recommends Facebook Buy Nothing groups for these types of items instead.
Open toiletries and cosmetics
Most donation centers are required to discard these anyway, so it’s better to just do it yourself. “Feel free to offer these items to your friends instead,” says Saltman.
Stained clothing
Think about how you’d feel if you scored a vintage sweater at the thrift store only to realize the sleeve was stained a few days down the line. “If clothing is stained, ripped, stretched out, or has a strong odor, it shouldn't be donated,” says Saltman. “A good rule is that if you wouldn't feel comfortable giving it directly to a friend, it's not donation-worthy.” Your items’ second owners will thank you for it.
Juliana (she/her) is the deputy digital editor at Good Housekeeping, where she leads the lifestyle team and oversees coverage across entertainment, health, home, holidays, food, and travel. She brings more than a decade of experience to the role, including time as deputy features editor at HGTV Magazine and Food Network Magazine. Her bylines have appeared in Reader's Digest, Elle Decor, Editorialist, Best Life, Bloomberg News, and more.
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