Donating feels like the easiest way to clear clutter and help someone else at the same time, but not everything in a closet or pantry is actually useful to charities. Some items create safety issues, extra costs, or flat-out headaches for staff and volunteers. Before dropping off another overstuffed bag, it helps to know which things are better tossed, recycled, or handled another way entirely.
1) Underwear and Intimate Apparel
Underwear and intimate apparel sit at the top of the list of items you should never donate. Multiple guides on Items You Should Never Donate To a Thrift Store point out that Used Underwear and Socks, Used Socks and Undergarments, and Pre-owned underwear are treated as hygiene risks, even when they look clean. Hygiene laws treat underwear and swimsuits as intimate-wear biohazards once they have been worn, and even freshly laundered pieces are usually rejected.
Many donation centers spell this out bluntly, saying that Used Underwear should not be donated under any circumstances. When people ignore that guidance, staff have to sort, bag, and pay to dispose of those items, which drains money that could support programs. For anyone wanting to help, the better move is to donate brand-new packaged underwear or give money so organizations can buy exactly what their clients need.
2) Used Personal Care Products
Used personal care products, like half-empty foundation, opened mascara, or partially used lotions, are another category that charities cannot safely pass along. Lists of Things You Should Never Donate to a Thrift Store explain that Beauty Products and other opened toiletries are almost always discarded because they can harbor bacteria, be contaminated, or trigger allergic reactions. Once a seal is broken, there is no way for staff to verify how the item was stored or how old it really is.
That reality matters for both liability and dignity. No one wants to receive a sticky bottle of shampoo with someone else’s hair on the cap, and no organization wants to be blamed if a donated eye cream causes an infection. Instead of donating used products, people can finish what they already own, buy smaller sizes in the future, or donate unopened hygiene kits that shelters can distribute confidently.
3) Expired or Recalled Baby Gear
Expired or recalled baby gear, especially car seats, strollers, and cribs, is a hard no for most donation centers. Guides on items you should never donate explain that baby equipment has strict safety standards and expiration dates, and older models may have been part of a recall. A car seat that has been in a crash or has aged plastic can fail in another accident, even if it looks fine on the surface.
Thrift stores and charities do not have the capacity to check every model number against recall lists or verify whether a seat was involved in a collision, so they protect themselves and families by refusing these donations outright. Parents who want to keep gear out of landfills can look into manufacturer take-back programs or local recycling options, but they should not assume that passing along outdated baby gear is a favor to anyone.
4) Mattresses and Bedding
Mattresses and bedding sound like generous donations, yet they are some of the most commonly rejected items. Advice on things you should never donate to a Thrift Store notes that mattresses, box springs, and even bulky comforters can carry bed bugs, dust mites, and lingering odors that are nearly impossible to remove. Once an infestation enters a store or warehouse, it can spread quickly and cost thousands of dollars to treat.
Beyond pests, there is the issue of stains and allergens. Staff cannot verify whether a mattress was exposed to smoke, pet dander, or bodily fluids, and customers are understandably wary of buying used bedding. Some cities have mattress recycling programs that break down the metal and foam, and in other cases, the most responsible choice is to pay for proper disposal instead of shifting that burden onto a charity.
5) Outdated Kitchen Appliances
Outdated kitchen appliances, like a decades-old toaster or a microwave with a cracked door, often feel too “good” to throw away, but they are rarely a win for donation centers. Moving experts who list items you should never pack when moving point out that clunky, inefficient gadgets waste time, energy, and money, and the same logic applies when dropping them at a Thrift Store. If an appliance is unreliable in one home, it is not suddenly dependable on a resale shelf.
Charities also have to think about electrical safety and liability. Staff may not have the tools or training to test every blender or slow cooker, so broken or unsafe items end up in the trash, after volunteers have already spent time handling them. When a toaster scorches bread or a coffee maker leaks, it is better to recycle it through an e-waste program or manufacturer take-back service than to pass the problem along.
6) Spoiled Perishable Foods
Spoiled or nearly expired perishable foods create serious headaches for food banks. Lists of items food banks wish you would stop donating highlight dairy, raw meat, and produce that is already wilting as top offenders, because these items can spoil in transit or storage. Once they are past a safe temperature window or printed date, staff are required to throw them away to comply with health regulations.
Those rules exist to protect the very people donors want to help. A family relying on a food pantry cannot afford a bout of food poisoning from questionable yogurt or leaking chicken. Instead of cleaning out the back of the fridge, donors can focus on shelf-stable staples like canned beans, rice, and peanut butter, and check that “best by” dates are comfortably in the future before they give.
7) Repackaged Household Cleaners
Repackaged household cleaners, such as bleach or all-purpose spray poured into a cute unlabeled bottle, should never be donated. Advice on home items you should never decant explains that moving chemicals into new containers can compromise safety instructions, dilution ratios, and hazard warnings. Once the original label is gone, no one knows exactly what is inside or how strong it is.
For charities, that uncertainty is a liability. Staff cannot hand a mystery liquid to a client or sell it on a shelf without risking chemical burns, toxic fumes, or accidental mixing with other cleaners. If a product has already been decanted, the safest choice is to use it up at home and recycle the container, not send it to a donation bin where it becomes someone else’s problem.
8) Worn-Out Electronics
Worn-out electronics, from cracked tablets to tangled piles of Old Tech that is Not Yet Vintage, are another category that tends to be turned away. Lists of Things You Should Never Donate to a Thrift Store and the Reasons Why point out that broken chargers, outdated DVD players, and dead laptops usually end up as e-waste. Staff may not have the expertise to test every device, and customers are unlikely to gamble on something that looks heavily used.
When donors offload nonworking gadgets, they shift disposal costs onto organizations that would rather spend money on services than landfill fees. A better route is to use manufacturer recycling programs, municipal e-waste drop-offs, or certified recyclers that can safely handle batteries and circuit boards. If an electronic item is still fully functional, clearly labeled, and reasonably current, it might be welcome, but anything worn-out should skip the donation pile entirely.
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