Spring is finally in the air, and that means spring cleaning. As you scour your home and rid it of the dust and debris that built up over the winter, keep an eye out for items you can donate. Most people only think about charitable donations of goods during the holidays or if there’s been a crisis covered by the local media. However, those organizations need help all year long. Here are a few ideas of things you can collect and donate during spring cleaning.
Clothes
Switching out winter clothes for warm weather clothes is a big task. So as you’re piling up your seasonal clothes to pack away and unpacking your warmer weather clothes, pick out ones you don’t wear anymore. Whether it’s because you no longer like them or they don’t fit, organizations such as Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and local thrift shops will be glad to have them. And the people who ultimately wind up wearing them will be grateful for clothes they can afford.
Non-perishable Food
Many people use spring cleaning to clean out their cabinets and pantries. Over the winter, you’ve probably stockpiled cans of soup, bags of rice, and boxes of pasta. To make room in your pantry for springtime food, create a shopping bag of non-perishable food items you can donate. Your local soup kitchen or food bank has to feed people all year, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas when turkeys come flying in from generous donors.
Household Décor
For many people, spring cleaning also means revamping. New throw rugs, furniture, or wall décor often make their way in. Instead of bringing those gently used items to the dump, consider donating them to a local thrift shop or organization like Goodwill, Savers, or the Salvation Army. Many people want to change their décor but can’t afford to replace everything with brand-new items. Your gently used items will be given new life in their homes.
Kitchen Gadgets and Appliances
If you toss your junk drawer(s) as part of your spring cleaning process, you’ll likely come across many great items for donations. That extra peeler, the coffee mugs you haven’t used in years, the stack of food storage containers stuffed in the back of a cabinet taking up space…these are all great items to donate. Organizations like Habitat ReStore and Goodwill will be glad to have them to pass on to someone who will use them.
Refurb Leftovers
Have you been storing half-empty paint cans or sections of ductwork or wood? Spring is the time to get rid of them. When you donate these items to places like Habitat ReStore, your leftovers become the key to someone else’s refurb project.
Donating items during spring cleaning benefits you, your community, and the planet. Sign up for our Newsletter!
