Can I donate clothes that are stained or torn?

Most donation centers want clean items in wearable condition, because damaged pieces cost them money to sort and dispose of. Some charities and retailers do accept worn-out textiles specifically for recycling, so look for a textile recycling drop-off or take-back program for those, and keep them separate from your donation bag.

How do I deduct clothing donations on my taxes?

You can only deduct donations if you itemize, and only to qualified charitable organizations. Clothing must generally be in good used condition or better, and its value is its fair market value, what it would sell for secondhand, not what you paid. The IRS explains the record-keeping rules, including when an appraisal or extra form is needed, in Publication 526 and Publication 561.

What happens to clothes that donation centers cannot sell?

Items that do not sell in thrift stores are often sold on to textile recyclers and graders, who sort them for export to secondhand markets abroad, for cutting into wiping rags, or for shredding into fiber for products such as insulation. Some end up in landfill. Donating only clean, wearable items makes it more likely your clothes find a second owner.

What to Do With Old Clothes: Resell, Donate or Recycle

Most closets hold a layer of clothes that no longer get worn: things that do not fit, never quite worked, or simply belong to a past life. Letting them go is healthy. Letting them go well, so they find a second owner or a second use instead of a landfill, takes a little more thought, and that is what this guide covers.

First, the sort

Set aside an afternoon and work through your closet category by category, not shelf by shelf. Make five piles:

Keep. Worn in the past year, fits, and you like it.
Fix. You would wear it if a button, hem, zipper or seam were repaired, or if it were altered.
Sell. In very good condition, from a brand or era that has resale demand.
Donate or swap. Clean, wearable, but not worth the effort of selling.
Recycle. Stained, torn, stretched or worn out beyond use.

Be honest with the "fix" pile: give it a deadline, such as a month. Anything still unrepaired by then moves to another pile.

Before anything leaves, ask why it did not work. Wrong size, wrong fabric, wrong color, bought on sale, bought for an imagined occasion? Those answers are the best shopping advice you will ever get.

Sell what has value

Reselling makes the most sense for designer pieces, quality outerwear, leather goods, good shoes, vintage and anything still new with tags. The main US routes:

Peer-to-peer apps where you list and ship items yourself.
Consignment platforms and local consignment stores that sell on your behalf for a share of the price.
Mail-in clean-out services that accept a bag and pay for the items they can sell.
Local buy-sell-trade stores, which pay on the spot in cash or store credit for pieces they want.

Effort and payout vary considerably among these options; our guide to resale platforms covers them in detail. A quick rule: if an item would sell for less than the time it takes to photograph, list and ship it, donate it instead.

Swap with friends or your community

Clothing swaps are an easy, social way to refresh a wardrobe without buying anything. Invite friends to bring a handful of clean pieces each, lay everything out by category, and let everyone shop. Many libraries, community centers, schools and workplaces host swaps too. Agree in advance where leftovers will go, usually to a local donation center.

Donate thoughtfully

Donation works best when you give what organizations can actually use.

Do donate:

Clean, wearable clothing and shoes, ideally washed and folded.
Seasonally appropriate items; many centers welcome coats in fall and winter.
Professional clothing to nonprofits that help people prepare for job interviews.
Children's clothing, which is often in high demand.

Do not donate:

Wet, moldy or heavily stained items.
Single shoes or broken pairs (tie pairs together).
Items with broken zippers or large holes, unless the organization accepts textiles for recycling.

Local options are often the most direct: homeless shelters, refugee resettlement agencies, domestic violence shelters and school clothing closets may need specific items. Call or check their websites first, since needs change and some cannot accept unsolicited donations.

Recycle what is worn out

Textiles that cannot be worn again still have value as material. US options include:

Textile drop-off bins and municipal programs. Many cities and counties offer textile collection at recycling centers or farmers markets. Check your local solid waste or public works website.
Retailer take-back programs. Several apparel and footwear brands accept worn items, sometimes from any brand, often offering a store discount in return.
Specialty programs for particular categories, such as athletic shoes or denim.

Recycled textiles are typically sorted and graded: some are resold as secondhand clothing, some become wiping rags, and some are shredded into fiber for insulation, padding or new yarns. Fiber-to-fiber recycling of blended fabrics remains technically difficult, which is one reason single-fiber garments are easier to process.

States are also starting to act. Massachusetts added textiles to its list of materials banned from disposal in the trash, and California has passed legislation to create a producer-funded textile collection and recycling program. Rules differ by state and city, so check what applies where you live.

Repurpose at home

Some pieces can have a second life in your own household:

Old T-shirts and flannel make excellent cleaning cloths.
Worn-out towels can go to animal shelters, many of which welcome them for bedding.
Fabric scraps can become patches, gift wrap, or material for sewing and craft projects.

Special cases: kids' clothes, shoes, formalwear and textiles

Some items have better destinations than a general donation bin.

Children's clothing is outgrown long before it wears out. Hand it down within your family or community, sell it at a consignment shop or seasonal kids' sale, or donate to family shelters and school clothing closets.
Shoes in good condition can go to donation centers with laces tied together. Worn-out athletic shoes can go to take-back programs that grind them into material for surfaces such as playgrounds and tracks.
Formalwear, including prom dresses and suits, is welcomed by nonprofits that provide outfits to students and job seekers.
Bras in good condition are collected by some nonprofits for redistribution.
Linens, towels and blankets are often needed by animal shelters and homeless shelters.
Wedding dresses can be resold, donated to charities that resell them to fund their programs, or remade into heirloom pieces.

Getting the tax deduction right

If you itemize deductions, donations of clothing to qualified charitable organizations may be deductible. Key points from IRS guidance:

Condition matters. Clothing and household items generally must be in good used condition or better to be deductible.
Value is fair market value, meaning what similar items sell for in thrift stores, not the original price.
Get a receipt from the organization, and keep your own list of items with their condition and estimated value.
Larger donations have additional record-keeping requirements, including a written acknowledgment above certain amounts and an extra form for noncash donations above a set total.

The IRS explains these rules in Publication 526 (Charitable Contributions) and Publication 561 (Determining the Value of Donated Property). Thresholds and rules can change, so check the current versions at irs.gov or ask a tax professional.

Breaking the cycle

A closet clear-out is satisfying, but the real win is needing fewer of them. Keep a short note of what you let go and why. Before your next purchase, check it against that list. Over time, the "donate" pile shrinks, the "keep" pile grows, and the clothes you own are the ones you actually wear.

What to Do With Clothes You No Longer Wear: Resell, Donate or Recycle