What to do with clothing in need of mending, zippers, etc?

[amyamanda]

Or clothing that is noticeably stained?

I need to get stuff out of my house; I can't get bogged down in trying to mend, fix, or creatively reuse things in this category.

Where can you donate them? I just read the discussion about expired food at the food bank, and it got me thinking that maybe clothing in need of mending really wouldn't be welcome at shelters, etc.

I have a consignment shop I take the best-condition stuff to, a charity thrift shop I take the good-condition stuff to, and there two shelters in town that take clothing and other donations. I figured that the stained and more worn stuff would be okay to donate to the shelters. But I am at a loss regarding the things in need of mending. Jackets with broken zippers, for example; lightweight pants that just need the crotch-seam restitched, and shirts missing one button, among other things.

What can I do with this stuff to get rid of it quickly besides throw it out???

[pilesoflaundry]

I either toss it : or I put it on freecycle and make it very clear in the post it's stuff that is in need a button etc. I also do this with stained clothing, I list it as stained but wearable playclothing. I've had people very happy to pick up stuff like that, they can keep their kids nice stuff for school and free playclothes are always good!

[ombra*luna]

I bag it up and bring it to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Where we are, you can drive around the back and put it in these big dumpster-like bins. I understand they go through it and take out what it saleable, then sell the rest as rags. (I think I may have read that here - or somewhere online, recently.)

[our3boys]

Some stuff can be fixed by the future buyer (especailly the buttons and the crotch seam ones if it is just that the thread pulled out). I have seen on HGTV that some houses are being insulated with shredded denim and that it works very well. Many things get sent off to third world countries where people are desperate for anything. So I guess I would agree w/PP that you should probably donate it and let them sort it into various piles. Unless it is truly ready for the garbage, which it sounds like your things may not be.

One of the donation bins we have around here is called "Retex". They actually want the donations for future garments. I had a friend who obtained a vest for her son with a Retex label in it. It was adorable.

[JefsJen]

i end up stuffing stuff that needs mending wherever I can fit it. Then when I do a major over-haul in the house I end up tossing it out. Everything that leaves here, just about, goes to Salvation Army, since it's so close to my house, well, a few blocks anyway...

[Free Thinker]

If it's really nice, then I go ahead and put it in teh goodwill bag. If it has stains, I toss it. This used to be a real problem for me, b/c I would think "well, my kid is the one who stained it, and I don't care to put it onher again, but no one else would want this cruddy shirt on thier kid" so I'd keep it, just because I was the only one who would potentially use it. Now I toss it!