Donating Used Clothes To Charity The Most Popular Spring Cleaning Idea

Spring cleaning means something a little different to everyone. It can constitute tidying up your garage and getting rid of all those cobwebs and dust bunnies you’ve been putting off. It can mean giving your entire home a makeover from top to bottom, vacuuming and tossing out unwanted items and rearranging the furniture. For others, it’s the perfect time to give back to their community and save a little cash. Helping military families and your neighbors has never been easier than contributing to charitable clothing donations. When you don’t wear some clothes because of size or style reasons, donating them to charity instead of throwing them out does the entire country a major favor.

Landfills And Their Impact

We’re all familiar with the function of a landfill. They’re meant to gather up all sorts of waste and keep it away from everyday people, as an accumulation of garbage is a notorious breeding ground for bacteria, insects and disease. However, landfills are notoriously harmful on the environment and end up costing the country quite a lot in terms of money and labor. A 2006 study showed over two billion pounds of fabric kept out of landfills through the aid of used clothing donations and purchases alone.

Taxes And Your Contributions

Nobody likes tax season. However, your spring cleaning session can be a great way to make this time of year a little easier. Donating a few used clothes is considered a tax-deductible act, that of which can be put toward saving you as well as your community money. The IRS requires a qualified appraisal to be submitted alongside your filed tax return if you donate any single clothing or household item that’s not in used condition or new condition. Men’s overcoats and suits are considered around $60 as a tax write-off, while a coffee maker can net you $15. Remember to keep your receipts!

Environments And Your Help

We’ve touched on landfills and how they put a lot of strain on the environment. But what, exactly, do charitable clothing donations do for helping out plant life and animals? Turns out textiles account for an impressive 5% of municipal waste because a mere 15% of clothes are donated on a regular basis. The average American will throw away a total of 70 pounds of clothing and linens. Nearly 100% of household textiles can be recycled, however, and can be put back into your economy without sacrificing quality. Cotton, linen, spandex and wool are just a few of the materials that countless industries need!

Communities And Thoughtful Habits

People love visiting thrift stories and charities for their bounty of stylish, gently used clothes and accessories. The average American will buy at least twice as many pieces of clothing than 20 years ago. Common reasons for this include changing lifestyles and fluctuating fashion trends. Helping military families by donating that sweater you no longer wear or pair of jeans that no longer fit is just the gift that just keeps on giving. A popular rule of thumb when it comes to choosing which clothes to donate is whether or not you’ve worn a particular item in six months or more.

Make Spring Cleaning A Way To Give Back

Now for a little review as to why you should consider donating your used clothes and helping military families, students and neighbors in your community. A clothing donation keeps materials out of landfills, reducing strain on the environment while simultaneously putting useful textiles back into your local fashion and repair industries. Donating clothes to charity is tax-deductible after a certain amount and can be put toward your next tax return, while green charities are devoted to helping military families and people of all backgrounds and budgets in your neighborhood. If you’re struggling with a tight schedule, keep in mind that most charities offer donation pickup services. Now go have fun with spring cleaning!