Sometimes the MOST obvious things can be the hardest.
Oh how my heart sang when Hubby decided it was time to get rid of this hole-ey t-shirt.
But then came the question, “What do we do with it?”
It feels weird to throw fabric in the trash. (Though I’m not against that.)
But it also feels wrong to donate clothing that isn’t wearable, so I thought I’d share some things I’ve learned about this very subject.
1. Many donation places WANT stained/ripped clothes because they sell it by the pound to rag-makers. I have been told this by two different places in my town. Actually, they were begging people to share this information.
If you want, you can put the stained/ripped clothing into a different box/bag and label it for them. Neither place I spoke to asked for this though.
2. Old jeans, t-shirts, etc. make good cleaning rags to use in your own home.
I shared how I do this here.
3. Many animal shelters use stained clothing to make rags or pet bedding.
From a comment by Jessica on this post:
“We use t-shirts and old sweaters to line Kitty and doggie carriers. If they get dirty we throw them away.”
If you’re worried, call the place where you donate and ask.
Just don’t keep them in your home because you don’t know what to do with them.
--Nony
If you keep old clothes for use as rags but don’t cut them up into full on rags, be sure to do something obvious to mark them as rags or fabric to be reclaimed. I cut from the neck to the sleeve, or along the crotch seam for pants and one side seam for undies. Until I started doing this, I can’t tell you how many times the rag bag ended up back in the laundry/pile system. Ugh!
I mark on them with sharpie if they aren’t getting cut down into rags. Sometimes a bigger piece can be helpful so I don’t always cut them, but I want to make sure they are distinguishable.
I like using tee shirts for cleaning rags, too, though my stain-fighting laundry skills can mean an overabundance of them. I do have a great use for other stained, or otherwise useless, articles of clothing.
My dog, Jack is a nearly 100 pound pit bull mix who likes to chew on things. When he was a puppy (a really big puppy), I spent a small fortune on chew toys. Virtually indestructible? Right. Not for Jack. He once had one in tiny pieces in under ten minutes. His favorite toys, though, are those that are braided/knotted, and he can still destroy some of those in an hour or two.
Eventually I found that knotting wide strips of old sheets helped the doggy entertainment budget. And then I found jeans helped even more because they last a lot longer. So now, whether the zipper is broken, whether they have tears, or are stained … jeans are earmarked for Jack. It’s best to cut all metal parts off, and then have a second person to help with the knotting.
I always have a hard time dumping things I think can be used for something. I had the intention of making draft stoppers out of old pants instead of discarding them However, they seem to have gotten lost in the clothes clutter, so I haven’t made them. I just hope they don’t end up in my closet again! Thanks for the great tips, Nony!
Here is yet another idea for what to do with some of that fabric–Have a “Sole party”!
“Every single piece of fabric you cut with clothe the feet of children and will protect them from jigger infestations. It will provide jobs for a woman in Uganda who sew the shoes. It will change her family’s life and give her pride in her skill and workmanship and provide income to care for her family.”
http://www.solehope.com/shoe-parties/
Thank you so much for this link! Love it!
I work in a place where we care for developmentally disabled adults and we like to cut tshirts up the sides and use them as a coverup at meal times like a bib but because it is a tshirt it covers the whole body and works great. May also work for children.
That’s a fantastic idea!!
I just saw a tutorial to make a flat or prefold cloth diaper from t shirts. I also like to use old shirts or socks as cleaning rags.
you can also tear or cut things into strips (t-shirts, sheets, etc) and make them into rag rugs if you’re crafty.
The rag buying thing is totally true . I used to work for a company that bought clothes from donation places and we had women who had cutting machines that would cut it up into rags.
Love this thread AND your site! (Several life-threatening illnesses this year awoke me to the fact that my house is JAMMED with “stuff” that my only son will not want and shouldn’t be left to clean out.)
For old socks: Cut the toe open and use as a “snood” for your dog(s). Especially in this year’s horribly cold winter. (I’d post a photo but I don’t see a spot; easy to see what they look like; just Google-Image search Dog in Snood.)
To Lee in Iowa~ THANK YOU for thinking about your son ahead of time! I loved my mom dearly and lost her this February. I spent the entire summer digging through her “Stuff” and made maybe a quarter of the dent. I wish more people would think beyond. If you get a chance.. http://thedearies.blogspot.com/2014/08/what-i-have-learned-in-six-months-about.html
The braided tug toy recommendation for the dog is absolutely correct, and T-SHIRT tugs work great too. Do you know that most shelters don’t get toys for their dogs because they can’t afford toys AND food? This would be a great way to get your kids involved doing some community service without having to worry about them actually falling in love with a puppy and bringing it home. Old sweatshirts can be turned into a pet bed (check Pinterest) and old sheets and blankets are the mainstay of pet bedding at animal shelters. They NEVER have enough towels, and they don’t care if the towel has a rip or a pull. If you go to the shelter? Throw in a roll of paper towels. I guarantee they can use it.
Thank you! This came at the perfect time. I am in the midst of cleaning my elderly momma’s home. She is in a nursing home and we are buying her house. Anyhow, so many pieces of clothing have stains or are torn. Now, I know what to do. 🙂
A lot of people like denim jeans and skirts for crafting purses, rugs, etc. They can just cut out stained or torn parts or incorporate them into the design.
I love reading your blog! Honestly some of the responsibility toward things that you seem to feel is strange to me. A t-shirt you don’t want that is damaged? Throw it out. There. No calling places, no making up a donation pile that is going to cause further stress. I think you add too many steps sometimes. Like asking someone what to do if you want to get rid of an item they gave you? That is just too much. If someone gave you something, it’s yours. Donate or toss at will. Just my 2 cents.
I appreciate that you are attempting to be thoughtful in your decluttering.
It is challenging sometimes to determine what is trash, and what still has a useful life.
Our old tees become garage rags for hubby…when the project is done then they’re tossed.
Same with old towels–great for cleaning, washing cars etc.
You’ve also given some great donating tips.
I do think separating the ‘rags’ would be a kindness to the sorters.
I was cleaning this morning and finally figured out what to do with all of the orphaned socks. I am going to put them all immediately in the rag bag. THEN, when I find other orphaned socks, I will put those in the rag bag, possibly reuniting them with their lost mates. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before…
cut up soft clothes like thicker t shirts into squares and put in the bathroom…..great nose rags. You can either toss them or have a pail sitting by the jiffie that they are tossed in and next hot water load you put thru the wash dump them in….spray out the pail & go agian. We’ve saved TONS of kleenex & TP this way. They also make just the right size for dampening and using to wipe small mouth smudges off. I also know people who make thicker softer rags for baby wipes or trainers bottoms. Follow the same guides….put in hot wash cycle….add extra borax or Oxyclean if you like…. Much nicer softer than wipes.
I Have 2 teenage daughters that wear Black opaque Tights for school ..i always use them for rags or cut them up for tying rubbish up/old newspapers etc
My mom always did this! She would use them to bundle large bunches of trimmed branches.
With my partners t-shirts, I cut the front and back out and sling the rest, then give him them back immediately and make sure he puts them in his rag storage. With our youngest child, whenever she grows out of anything, we sort through it and partner often swipes a few items to use as a staining rag for his clock repairs.
If you’re very attached to the shirts because of what’s displayed on them, maybe you can cut, that part off and make a fun pillow or blanket out of them.