When you’re decluttering, it can be tempting to throw away anything you haven’t used in a while. But plenty of everyday household items still have value to someone else, even when you’re completely finished with them.
Goodwill welcomes many clean, usable items that can be resold, including housewares, seasonal goods, and collectibles. Before your next cleanout ends with several bags headed for the trash, consider whether you could donate these eight things instead.
Seasonal Clothing
Coats, sweaters, boots, and other seasonal clothing can sit for years because they no longer fit or suit your style. If they’re still wearable, donating them gives someone else the opportunity to use them.
Seasonal demand matters at thrift stores just as it does at traditional retailers. Warm layers and boots are particularly useful donations as cooler weather arrives.
Collectibles and Limited-Edition Items
Old toys, memorabilia, collectible decor, and limited-edition pieces can look like clutter when they’ve been sitting around your house for years. But these are precisely the kinds of unusual items some thrift shoppers enjoy searching for, and collectibles and limited-edition goods are welcome donations.
Before donating, take a moment to identify anything that looks particularly old, rare, or unusual. You may discover it’s something you’d rather sell yourself.
Crockpots and Slow Cookers
That slow cooker collecting dust in the back of a cabinet doesn’t need to go in the trash simply because you upgraded or stopped using it. Working crockpots are useful donations and can be an affordable find for someone who needs one.
Make sure it’s clean, works properly, and includes important pieces such as the lid and removable insert.
Cookware
Pots, pans, baking dishes, and other cookware can have plenty of useful life left even after you’ve replaced them. Good-quality cookware is among the housewares thrift stores can resell instead of sending to waste.
Pieces should still be safe and practical to cook with. Severely damaged cookware belongs elsewhere, but a perfectly usable saucepan or baking dish may be worth donating.
Small Kitchen Appliances
Blenders, toasters, coffee makers, mixers, and other countertop appliances are easy to accumulate and forget about. If yours still works and you no longer use it, consider adding it to your donation pile.
Small electrical appliances should be clean, functional, and complete.
Dishware
Old plates, bowls, mugs, and serving pieces don’t automatically become trash when you replace your dishes. Usable dishware is another household item you can donate or resell.
Even if you don’t have a complete matching set, individual mugs, serving pieces, and dishes can still be useful. Check everything for significant cracks or damage before donating.
Holiday Decorations
Holiday decorations tend to multiply, and it’s easy to end up with bins filled with ornaments and decor you haven’t displayed in years. Usable pieces don’t necessarily need to be thrown away just because you’ve changed how you decorate.
Festive home decor and other holiday-related goods can be especially useful donations as the holiday season approaches.
Artwork and Pottery
One person’s outdated decor can be another person’s thrift-store treasure. Original artwork, pottery, and other distinctive decorative pieces are worth donating rather than automatically tossing during a home cleanout.
Unique pieces fit particularly well with the treasure-hunting side of thrifting, where shoppers often look for things they won’t find at traditional retailers.
