Clothes are one of the easiest household items to pack and move to another house, if not the easiest ones. Why?
First of all, they are not breakable like glasses, or kitchen plates, or porcelain figurines so you don’t really have to worry about how your clothes will reach the new place. Yes, they might get wrinkled during the move, but in most cases, that’s not a problem at all since some post-move ironing will resolve the issue.
Secondly, clothes will usually conform to any size of box you pack them into – small boxes, medium boxes, large boxes, or best of all – wardrobe boxes, your clothes will fit into the packing boxes without complaining, and they will be perfectly safe there too.
And thirdly, clothes are not heavy which means that you can use the largest boxes you have to pack in your clothes and still be OK to lift and carry those containers without the need of a moving dolly. Some clothes can be rather voluminous (winter clothes, for example), but even they are not too heavy to cause any inconveniences or difficulties.
So, if clothes are relatively easy to pack and move to another home, then why is it that most people tend to NOT pack and move all of their clothes? The chances are that you also won’t pack and move all of your clothes when moving between two homes.
Which begs the question, What should you to do with unwanted clothes when moving?
Reasons why you’re not moving all of your clothes
You’re unlikely to move all of your clothes to the new home for a number of valid reasons:
- They were gifts you never really liked. You know how it is – sometimes you get pieces of clothing as a present and you pretend to like them because you don’t want to hurt the feelings of whoever gave them to you… but you know right there and then that you’re really unlikely to wear them, like ever.
- You thought you’d wear them but… You buy clothes because you like them in the store but as time passes, you realize that the chances of you actually using them are becoming slimmer and slimmer with each passing day. What were you thinking?
- You’ve bought them on sale. Sales can be so tempting that the question of whether you will actually wear those discounted clothes often gets completely ignored for the sake of the bargain.
- They are no longer fashionable. Fashion changes quickly and clothes that were in fashion a few years back can be now obsolete. Even if some of the clothes have been worn only a few times (or never worn for that matter), you don’t see yourself putting them on again, so there’s really no point in taking them with you.
- There’s not enough space in the new place. You may wish to pack and move all the clothes you own, but the new home may be (much) smaller – in case of downsizing your home, so there won’t be enough storage space for all of your garments. And that can be a real shame, especially when you seem to like almost all the clothes you own.
- Your children have outgrown their clothes. If you have children, you know how quickly they can outgrow both their clothes and shoes. So, in case you’ve got a serious amount of children’s clothes that are already too small for your kids, then it makes no sense to move those garments with you.
- The clothes are too worn out. Some of your clothes may be too worn out to be of any use to anyone, so the best thing you can do in that case is to recycle them properly… and then look for sales on clothes in the new city.
See also: How to pack clothes for moving
What to do with clothes in excellent or good condition
Some of your clothes will be in good or even excellent condition, worn only a few times or maybe even never worn, still with their tags on. Nevertheless, for reasons mentioned above, you may have still decided not to move them to the new home.
So, what should you do with clothes that are almost as good as new?
Gift clothes to your friends
Take a closer look at the clothes you’re not taking with you and think about for a moment whether a friend of yours might like something.
You know your friends well, you know how they dress and what types of clothes they like, so in most cases, it’ll be a matter of getting that peculiar feeling that they will love a particular piece of clothing you have. Or maybe some of your pals have already expressed openly their admiration for some of your clothes on previous occasions.
Another way to approach the situation is to take photos of the clothes you don’t plan on packing and moving, then show those pictures to your closest friends and let them pick whatever they want. Just don’t offer a piece of clothing to a friend who has gifted it to you in the first place!
Donate your clothes
Without a doubt, the most honorable thing you can do with the clothes you’re not moving is to donate them to variable charitable organizations that will take them. It’s always a win-win scenario for you – you’ll be helping strangers who are less fortunate than you are and you’ll be decluttering your closet for an easier and cheaper move.
By giving your clothes a second chance, you’re also getting the sense of satisfaction that your clothes are going to a worthy cause. Find a list of charitable organizations in your area that will accept unused or gently used clothes. Some charities to consider donating your clothes to are:
Read also: Where to donate stuff when moving
Sell your clothes
If you’re really up to it, you may try to sell some of the expensive designer clothes that you’ve decided to leave behind. After all, it won’t hurt to add any money you get from the sale to your moving budget.
The easiest way to do it is to sell designer clothes online but you may wish to organize a garage sale prior to moving out, so you can try your luck there as well.
Related: How to sell stuff online when moving
What to do with outgrown baby or children’s clothes
If you have children, you know just how fast they can outgrow their clothes. What this means is that you probably have tons of children’s clothes to sort through and wonder what to do with before you get down to packing them for the upcoming move.
Luckily, you’ve got choices.
- Save the most special pieces. Without a doubt, some children’s clothes will be more special than others. What you can do is create a keepsake bin with the most cherished pieces of clothes of your children – ones that hold special memories and you’ve love to keep forever. Pack those unique baby or children’s outfits in a durable plastic bin that should keep them safe for many, many years.
- Hand them down. You can save any children’s clothes that are in good shape for your next child. If you don’t plan on having any other kids, then check with friends or family members who are expecting and might be interested in your offer.
- Donate them. Look for a local charity that will accept donations of gently-used children’s clothes, including local churches or women’s shelters. If you have no luck finding such charities, then leaving your kids’ clothes at thrift stores is also an option.
Good to know: How to pack a house with children around
What to do with old worn-out clothes
If the reason you’re not moving some of your clothes is that those pieces of garments are worn out or damaged beyond repair, then there’s little you can do with them but to recycle them properly.
But before you throw away the damaged clothes, consider donating them to Planet Aid. Now, most charitable organizations will only accept clothing that’s in good condition, but Planet Aid functions a bit differently. The charity will accept all clothing (even ones with holes or tears) except articles of clothing that really dirty, wet, or moldy. It will also accept other textiles such as bedding, towels, and curtains.
The mission of Planet Aid is to keep textiles from the landfill, thus helping protect the environment. The clothes that the non-profit organization collects are sold and reused in developing countries, with the proceeds going toward development projects to fight poverty in those areas.
All you have to do is pack all your unwanted clothes in bags and drop them off at the thousands of Planet Aid’s drop-off bins across the entire country.
Good advice: How to declutter your home before moving
