What to Do With Clothes That CANNOT be Donated
This article was last updated in 2023
When I donate items to charities I stick by the “if you wouldn’t give it to a mate, don’t donate” principle and I set the bar high – clothes need to meet a certain standard if I truly want them to help those in need and not end up in landfill.
More often than not, the article of clothing I want to get rid of is worn out or destroyed beyond repair, so donating to charities is not an option.
But that doesn’t mean clothing needs to end up in landfill.
Clothes that can not be donated to charities can be reused as rags or upcycled. If you are not great at DIYs, then give away your old clothes to someone that can make use of it. Otherwise, consider take-back schemes, composting or textile recycling centres if the clothes are beyond use.
That’s a summary of the options available. Below you will find a breakdown of these ideas, as follows:
- Use as cleaning rags
- Use as makeup wipes
- Use as tissues
- Use in kid’s dressup and crafts
- Use in a DIY upcycle project
- Donate to Boomerang Bags
- Donate to animal shelters or your local mechanic
- Post to a Facebook freecycle group
- Check if there is a textile take-back program
- Throw it into your compost
- Send it away for recycling
More details on these options can be found below.
1. Cleaning rags
Depending on the material, you could cut up the item and use it as rags for cleaning – it could be used as tea towels, as a replacement for paper towels, or left in the garage or car to mop up spills. You get the idea.
I have found not everything works well as cleaning rags. Different materials are suitable for different purposes.
There was a good article about this in The Guardian. Here are some interesting points from this article:
- Polyester and synthetic fibres are not good for cleaning
- Soft natural fibres like cotton are best for cleaning because they can absorb liquids
- Flannel (typically used in pyjamas) is great for dusting
- Poplin (material typically used in men’s business shirts) is good for polishing
- Denim is good for polishing leather and wood as it is better at taking on and applying creams and wax polishes
If your clothing is made from something entirely different, don’t rule it out – test out its absorbency. If it works, then cut it up into squares/ rectangles to use as a rag.
If you have old socks this option is a good one – provided they are not too worn out! You don’t need to cut them up, you can pop your hand in the sock and use it to dust and clean surfaces.
I use pinking shears to cut the material to prevent cut-up rags from fraying. It doesn’t always work to prevent frays but it does the job and I don’t mind a little extra fraying when I am washing these items.
For more options to prevent fraying check out this WikiHow article: https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Fabric-from-Fraying
To wash rags it is recommended that you use a hot wash cycle to kill any bacteria from cleaning food spills etc.
It is also recommended you do not wash cleaning rags with clothing you wear – this is considered very important to prevent the bacteria from socks and underwear ending up on something used to clean eating areas.
I tend to use our cleaning rags once and then put them in a bucket to collect over a week or so, along with hankies we have used during the week. Then they all go into a hot/warm water soak in the washing machine along with a DIY natural bleach mix. After 2 + hours of soaking in the natural bleach mix, the washing cycle kicks in and they are washed with a mild detergent. Once washing is done, I hang them out to dry outside, relying on sunshine to kill any bacteria that might remain.
Been doing this for years with no issues.
Clothing used as rags can be reused over and over until of course it gets to the point where it is no longer effective in cleaning or cleaning has destroyed it. At that point consider recycling or composting.
2. Makeup wipes
Old clothing can work really well as make-up wipes – but again material choice matters.
- brushed cotton
- jersey
- fine corduroy
- fine velvet
- cotton
- denim
- muslin
- linen
- towels
- microfibre
- waffle cotton
You could use the material as is, or you could team it up with another piece of fabric, so one side is used to remove makeup and the other side is used to finish up.
If this is something you would like to make, here is a great YouTube video that gives clear instructions on how to do this:
I think all the fabrics mentioned (besides denim maybe) can be used on their own, without having to sew them onto something else softer on the other side. But it is a matter of personal choice and you will just have to test the material and see how it feels.
Absorbency is key as you will need to use these with your favourite makeup remover, oil or water to remove makeup. Again test it out before you go ahead cutting up squares for use.
To prevent fraying, I use pinking shears to cut the fabric. Admittedly it doesn’t completely prevent fraying but it does prevent most of it.
Also, it can look a bit messy so you may want to consider sewing up the sides for a neater look. Have a look at the sewing options under: https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Fabric-from-Fraying
And yes, the material will get stained – that’s just an inevitable fact with reusable make-up wipes. But this does not mean that reusable wipes are unhygienic – stains are colouring bonded to the fabric. This doesn’t breed bacteria.
If you want to reduce staining, it is recommended that you hand wash make-up remover pads immediately after use in warm water using a gentle liquid soap. Hand soap does just fine.
The makeup wipe should not need further washing after that.
If you wash them in the washing machine, it is recommended you use a mesh bag so that it does not get lost in the wash and does not get caught on other clothes. And like cleaning rags, you don’t want to wash these items with underwear or socks otherwise the bacteria from these items can transfer to something you regularly use on your face.
Once these reach the end of their life, consider textile recycling or composting.
3. Tissues
You could reuse your old clothes as tissues (aka hankies) – very handy when you live in a household of allergy sufferers and you can easily go through a box of tissues a week!
I haven’t done this with clothing, but I have done this with old bed sheets and I promise you, reusing tissues is not as gross as it sounds! They clean up well in the wash – if you wash them right.
I don’t use them while out and about but I do use them at home. I have a wooden tissue box to store clean tissues and an empty jar nearby to store used tissues, which is emptied periodically:
Mine look ratty because I went down the lazy new sew route and used pinking shears. There are other options to prevent fraying covered here: https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Fabric-from-Fraying
The washing instructions are the same as they were for cleaning rags – wash in a hot/warm wash cycle. That should kill any bacteria.
Some articles recommend opening up the tissues before you put them in the wash and I have to admit I don’t do that. My son and I tend to blow our nose a lot (allergies) and if I had to manually handle all the tissues I would go nuts!
I have not found it necessary to open up the tissues. I just collect them in a bucket over a week or so with our cleaning rags and then wash them all together, pre-soaking first in hot water and then running a hot wash cycle with detergent after that.
I know, a lot of hot water usage but it is necessary when dealing with items that harbour bacteria.
Sometimes the tissues do not come out 100% clean – it’s rare but it does happen. It usually happens when the mucus has dried up and bonded the material together.
In these cases, and anytime the tissues have reached their end of life, I throw them into our compost bin – provided the material is natural, this is an option. If composting is not an option, this is one instance where I would put the material into landfill.
4. Kid's dressup and crafts
If you have kids, hold onto the items for their dress-up box or to use in craft projects.
You don’t want to hold onto too much – these things tend to clutter up a home! But set aside a box with different materials that your child can use.
If the clothes are intended for use in crafting projects, help them out by cutting the clothes into sections of material that can be easily used – so cut off any buttons, zippers etc. and even cut away any seams that would get in the way of whatever creative project they may think up.
You would be surprised at how inventive kids can be – I know my daughter has surprised me on many occasions and I’m glad I have set aside items for her to use.
This is how she used a piece of red cloth for a book week costume (she was dressed as Sally from Cat in the Hat). One of many examples.
5. Upcycling projects
Speaking of craft, there are a multitude of ways old clothing can be transformed into something totally different. It’s a way of upcycling textile waste into something you can use or admire.
Here is a list of ideas for upcycling old clothes that can’t be donated:
- Upcycled clothes (jeans into shorts, dresses into tops etc)
- Upcycled accessories (bags, purses, wallets, chokers etc)
- Hand warmers
- Draft stopper
- Use as gift wrap
- Patchwork curtains
- Pillowcase or cushions
- Turn shirts into a blanket
- Rag rug
- Animal bed cover
- Frame a shirt as a keepsake
- Make a picture frame
- Create toys
I’m not the best at crafts, so I can’t give instructions on this! But if this is something that interests you, I have linked some websites below that will help you put these ideas into practice:
Here is one idea not mentioned in any of the websites mentioned above, that you might consider if this was your thing:
Bras are often not in a condition to donate to charities so upcycling is a good option – if you have the talent and patience for it.
6. Boomerang Bags
If you have no idea how to turn your clothes into something useful or you would like to connect to a group of local, like-minded people, then you have to check out Boomerang Bags: https://boomerangbags.org/
As mentioned on their website “Boomerang Bags is a global, grassroots movement, connecting and empowering local communities to tackle plastic pollution at its source… Boomerang Bags is about making bags, diverting waste, starting conversations, connecting with each other, fostering sustainable behaviour, and having fun!”
Can you believe it is Australian-born? And there is a group that meets at my local high school – and I did not know about this until now?? Oops.
So if you are interested in joining a local group, to learn how to convert clothes into something useful, check this out. There seem to be a lot of local groups out there so there should be one around you (especially in the eastern states of Australia).
And you don’t have to join the group to take advantage of what they do – they also accept donations. So if you have an item of clothing that can not be worn, donate it to Boomerang Bags.
7. Animal shelters or your local mechanic
If you have an animal shelter or local mechanic nearby and the clothes are the type that could be of use to them, then this is an option you can take advantage of.
It needs to be a sizable piece of material for them to use as bedding or for rags.
Bed sheets and towels are best to donate, but they may be interested in old t-shirts.
Keep in mind, mechanics can not take synthetic materials since plastics can catch on fire.
8. Facebook freecycle group
If none of the ideas above appeal to you and you want to get the items out of your home, list them on Facebook and post the listing to a freecycle group.
Because there might be someone in your local area that would jump at the chance to grab some old clothes, so they can turn them into something of use.
If none of the last 8 options worked out for you, downcycling is the next step. The next three options are along those lines.
9. Textile take-back programs
Textile take-back programs allow customers to send old used clothing back to the original retailer for reuse or recycling. It is recognised by climate action advocacy groups as a key component to creating a more circular fashion industry.
There are not many retailers in Australia that truly offer this service. Some that do include:
- Underwear for Humanity – via post
- Patagonia – in store
- Uniqlo – in store
(Note: While Uniqlo take back all Uniqlo products, they only reuse the down jackets to make other down jackets. Other products are downcycled through other means).
There is a lot more that can be explored in this area, so if you are interested in other options, let me know by commenting on this post – it’s something I can look into further.
10. Compost
You could consider composting your worn-out, impossible-to-wear clothes. However, not all textiles can be composted.
In general, natural fibres can be recycled while man-made fibres can not.
There is a comprehensive guide on this at https://yuzumag.com/can-you-compost/old-clothes/
Worth checking out if you are interested.
If you want a first-hand account of textile composting and if it’s recommended, let me know in the comments below.
11. Textile recycling
The textile recycling industry in Australia is still in its infancy, with very few operators in the field. The few that operate do not deal with consumers directly – they deal with sorting facilities or charities that collect donations.
Still, there are several options available for individuals wanting to send their clothing off for recycling. Far too many options to cover here.
But you can find all the information you need here: Where to Recycle Clothing in Australia – All Options Covered
Final thoughts...
As you can see there are a number of options available to deal with clothing that can not be donated or used for wear.
There are no right or wrong options here – you go with the one that suits you and is easiest for you.
It’s just great that you are not dumping old clothes onto charities or throwing them into landfill 
.
.xxx Tahsin
After more information? You may be interested in....
What to Do With Unwanted Old Clothes – A Complete Guide – for a full list of options, based on how many items you have and what condition they are in
The BEST Places to Sell Clothing Online in Australia – a full guide that will help you choose the best place sell your clothes, covering all clothing types and situations
Is Selling Your Clothes Worth It? Tips to Help You Out – a deep dive into selling clothing online, what price to set and what you can do to make the process easier for you
Where to Donate Clothing In Australia – A Full Guide – the best places to donate your fit for wear clothing, including what to do with a bulk lot of clothes
What REALLY Happens to Donated Clothes in Australia – an exploration of the second hand clothing market in Australia and whether its a good idea to donate clothing to charities
Donating Clothing? Know What You Can or Can’t Donate – if you need to know what charities do or do not accept and the condition clothing should be in before you donate
Do charity and thrift stores wash donated clothing? – if you were wondering if charities wash clothing and why clothes from charities smell the same
Throwing Away Old Clothes – Can You and Should You Bin Them? – if you want to know what happens when clothes are thrown into landfill, charity or recycling bins
Where to Recycle Clothing in Australia – All Options Covered – a full list of places that accept clothing for recycling, along with details on what REALLY happens when they take your clothes
What To Do With Old Underwear and Bras – Practical Tips – if you want to know whether you can donate underwear and bras, as well as practical reuse and recycling options
Hello
I read most of this, bras and underwear, I thought what you say is the case. There was a charity collecting bras in usable condition, I cannot remember the name of that one though.
I grew up with “rags” for hankies (handkerchiefs) and these were made mostly from old flannelette sheets, before ’tissues’ became commonplace. Nothing like the softness of those rag hankies on a cold-suffering nose! I generally run around the edges with a machine, but not always.
Toilet paper. I found myself coming into the covid mess with three rolls of toilet paper. This necessitated quick thinking. As my children had proper cloth nappies, I was used to dropping them in the bucket of napisan and then washed later. I had quite a few face washers on hand, so, problem solved! I try to do this still, as it is quite amazing how much toilet paper is saved. Good for the planet and the pocket. Cut them in four, hem them, and they will then be about the size of a toilet roll square. Old towels serve the same purpose.
Hope the hints are usable. I like your site.
Thank you so much for your feedback – it is very kind!
I am making small improvements where I can and discovering so different ways to move away from disposable items.
Absolutely amazing the steps you have taken – and clever thinking there with the toilet paper. It works for kids diapers so why not for us?
Glad you have shared and hopefully your comments inspire others 🙂
Tahsin