Most of us have cupboards that are perhaps not overflowing to the brim, but that at the very least contain quite a lot of items we don’t use anymore.  Tackling the mountain of clothes, shoes, bags and accessories is something very hard to do.  Many of us feel that we may still wear certain items once more or, that we will grow back in to them if we lose some weight or have another baby for instance.  However, there comes a point that we do really have to face the facts and get rid of a couple of things, even if it is just to make some space with our old clothing.  However, there is no need to throw everything in the bin, because there are quite a lot of things you can do with your old clothing.

Give Them to Charity

The first and most altruistic thing you can do with your old clothing is give them to charity.  It is likely that you will regularly receive bags from charity organisations asking you for old items of clothing.  If you don’t, there are probably some charity shops near you that you could go to and give your clothing to.  Do make sure, however, that you check your clothing is still wearable.  Anything with bad stains, moth holes or tears should not be given to charity, it would just be disrespectful.  So, if you are going to give to charity, you will need to have a good look through what you’re actually donating.

Sell Your Old Clothing

Another option is to sell your old clothing.  There are a number of organisations that will buy your clothing by weight.  They will send you a bag in which you can place your clothes, they pick it up for you and then they will provide you a certain amount for every kilo of clothing that they deem acceptable.  Do check what their rules are on clothing that is acceptable.  For instance, many of these companies don’t accept cultural clothing, no matter how beautiful it may be.

Naturally, you could also place your clothing on a number of online bidding websites and let others fight over how much they will give you for it.  This is certainly a great option, although you do risk that nobody will buy your items and you will lose out on the listing fees.

Recycling Saves the Planet

Your last option is to recycle.  Old clothes, for instance, make excellent rags that you can use in your garage or for DIY project.  It is difficult to see something that you really loved and wore with pride turned into a rag covered with oil stains.  However, if your other option is to just dump it into the environment, it should be clear that recycling is better.

You could also turn your old clothing into funky jewellery and accessories and you don’t even have to be particularly good with sewing to achieve that.  You could cut some strips of clothing and attach them to old bags to give them a brand new look for instance.  Or, you could cut three thin strips of different materials and braid them together, adding some beads or old pieces of jewellery here and there.  Attach both ends to a key ring and you’ve got yourself a bracelet, anklet or necklace.  You can make mobile phone charms in similar ways as well.  The best thing about this is that you end up with a truly original item.

It is really hard to get rid of old clothing, particularly if it’s a really nice item like an Elvis Jesus t-shirt.  However, you may make someone else really happy with it, or make a contribution to a better planet.