So you’ve decided what clothes you are keeping and what you are getting rid of. One of main dilemmas I had was deciding what to do with the clothes I was getting rid of. Here are a few things I tried:

1. Giving to close family/friends. I guess this depends on what your relationship is like with your close friends/family but I tried to keep to a minimum the items of clothes I offered to my family. Mainly because I didn’t want to run the risk of burdening them with things they might take off me under a sense of obligation or for fear of offending me. So I only offered them a handful of items which I thought they would really like.
2. Selling some of your clothes or shoes or handbags yourself on Adverts, Done Deal, EBay or Depop or similar websites/apps. This is a good option once you have the time and patience for this. It can take a while to sell things and you have added hassle of dealing with potential buyers and arranging delivery/collection. Put a time limit on it – if you don’t sell them in a month then do something else with them. I put a few good quality things up on Depop. I sold a handbag and ring fairly quickly but there were no takers for the rest after about a month so I gave them away instead.
3. Consignment – I rang a few consignment clothes shops about some of my clothes but they were only interested in high end designer clothes and not the high street clothes I had. But if you do have high end designer clothes or handbags then this takes the work out of selling these items and you can get some money for them albeit less consignment fees.
4. Charity Shop – If clothes and shoes are still in good condition then your local charity shop will gladly take them off your hands and the proceeds will go towards a good cause.
5. Local Women’s Refuge – These usually take women’s and children’s clothes, bedding, equipment etc for those who are fleeing domestic abuse and who often have to leave their home suddenly without many things. Demand for certain items fluctuates so it is best to ring ahead to see if they will take any stuff you may have to give.
6. Local Parish Fete / Sale of Work – Locally these are not that frequent so it depends on your timing but in my area certainly there are a handful throughout the year that would gladly take clothes and handbags that are in good condition.
7. Cash for Clothes – This is where you get money based on weight for clothes, shoes, curtains, bedding, towels, handbags, belts, soft toys, hats, scarfs, ties and pajamas. The heavier the bags the better. Some local schools or community groups organize a clothes drive in conjunction with one of these companies where funds raised go to charity / local projects etc. I think this is particularly useful for getting rid of old stuffed toys as sometimes they are not accepted by charity shops.
8. Freecycle – If you post a bundle of clothes of a particular size/age on your local Freecycle website or Freecycle Facebook group then these are usually taken very quickly by those locally who you can meet or who can collect from you.
9. Local Recycling Clothes Bank – in Dublin at least there are individual clothes banks for different charitable organizations dotted around the city and suburbs where you can go to drop off clothes. I’ve found that sometimes they are full and so instead of leaving them beside the clothes bank (which you are not supposed to do) I’ve just returned after a few days or the following week instead. So that is potentially one further delay in getting rid of your stuff but you can also go to your local recycling center that accepts textiles including old clothes, shoes, curtains, bed linen and blankets. They don’t accept soiled clothing, cushions, carpets, duvets or pillows.
10. Finally I think if clothes are in bad condition with holes or bad stains on them then you can rip them up yourself into smaller pieces for use around your home as cleaning cloths or dusters etc. If you are more creatively minded then there are other ideas on Pinterest to turn old clothes into other more interesting things. Otherwise unfortunately it is the bin for them if they are particularly bad.

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