What to Do With Your Old Clothes
Different people have different reasons for wanting to get rid of their old clothes.
Maybe you feel that they have become too old for you, or they have become too small, or you have stopped wearing silk or leather or wool – sometimes you may have just gotten bored with them… whatever your justification is, it is not right to just throw away wearable clothes.
So, what do you do with them? 5 tips:
- Donate! Donate! Donate!
Did you know that U.S. households generate a whopping 25 billion pounds of textiles, including clothes, shoes, and bedding, annually? The EPA and the Council for Textile Recycling estimate that only about 15% of that is either donated or recycled. The rest just ends up in the trash – what a waste! Donate your old clothes to charity organizations, homeless shelters, charity garage sales, and to a lesser extent, thrift stores. The reason we have some reservations about thrift stores is that there have been reports of the clothing ending up in developing countries and crippling their own textile industries.
- Recycling & Upcycling
Even when your old piece of clothing is not wearable by another person, it may still have a lot of material that can be recycled or upcycled. In fact, upcycling or turning “trash” into entirely new and useful items is emerging as another great practice. Crafty and creative persons are turning clothes into new practical products, including other clothes. From home care rags to bags and new wardrobes, there is a myriad of ways you can repurpose your used textiles!
- Restyle the Clothes
This point is related to the recycling and upcycling above but we decided that it deserves to have its own entry in our list here to emphasize its importance. Sometimes you may find that your only issue with your old clothes is simply that they are out of fashion. In this case, you can restyle them to your own liking! For instance, you can add a new embellishment or alter the piece of clothing into something different. Make “new” cut-off shorts out of your old jeans. Sew on a new patch or iron one on. Cut your used jeans wider or make them skinnier. Dye its fabric to make something entirely different. You can also pair your old clothes with new ones to make surprising stylish outfits – look for Neiman Marcus promo codes at Discountrue to get new apparel at a budget price!
Also, tens of thousands of cutting machines have been sold nationwide, and these machines make it so easy to make boring clothes exciting. You are able to choose from millions of designs online or create your own custom transfer. A plain t-shirt can instantly become a real statement piece! Heat transfers made from vinyl are easily pressed onto both old and new clothes with a household iron or a heat press machine.
- Sell Your Used Clothes
When you have clothes that are still in very good condition but you want to replace them, consider selling them. This way, in addition to recouping some little cash out of them, you will also be saving the environment from unnecessary trash. Look out for a consignment shop or garage sale in your community or neighborhood. Also, there are plenty of ways you can do this online in this digital age. You will find that a top pick in a cloth steamer shopping guide by Steam Cleaning very useful.
- Swap with Other People
If you live in a place like Portland, Oregon, you can attend one of the “swap positive” clothing swaps that are held there year-round. The idea behind them is that you don’t have to ever buy new clothes, unless of course when you need to replace your old underwear! In fact, clothing swaps are taking root in other parts of the country as well. They are a fun and eco-friendly way of passing on your old textiles and getting new ones. You can also look for online clothing swaps!
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