Donating your furniture and oversized household items is a fantastic way to help charities in your area. Some charities will accept these donations at drop-off centers, and others even offer pickup services to help make your donation process easier. These services provide donations to those in need in the community, local thrift stores, homeless shelters, domestic abuse shelters, and other organizations which continue to do good for the community. Donating your furniture is a rewarding and uplifting experience for both you and those you are helping with. Charity Dispatcher is here to help guide you through the process of donating your furniture and what steps you can take to simplify the process.

Clean Up Your Items

It is a good idea to give your donations a thorough cleaning. Sometimes this can be as easy as wiping down wooden and glass surfaces with a safe disinfectant. For upholstery services, you might want to consider buying a safe upholstery cleaner, airing the furniture out, or washing couch cushion coverings whenever possible. Always follow the instructions on the lining of these items to ensure you are not damaging the materials by cleaning them. If you are unsure how to clean things, at least freshen them up before donating with a fabric freshener. It is also best to use one that is not strongly scented as this could irritate others’ allergies. 

Create an Inventory List

It can help to write a short inventory list of what you are trying to donate. This will make the next steps of donating your furniture and oversized household items easier. You can do this on pen and paper or on a laptop, which can be helpful to keep track of for future reference.  You can even use this list to create a list of items you might want to shop for in the future, find other similar items to donate, and to share with others.  

Find Where to Donate in Your Area

Next, you need to find places in your area that accept donations for larger household items and furniture. Sometimes there are regulations on which items places will take. For instance, a mattress may be accepted in some places, but not others. This is where your inventory list will be helpful. You can use your inventory list to write down places that take each item and their procedure for receiving the items. You can also write down their contact information and any helpful links for future reference. This makes it easy if you decide to donate more furniture items in the future. 

You may need to call some places to learn more about what they will accept. This step is essential, especially if you have to drop off the items yourself; it could save you a lot of time and energy if you make a quick phone call. 

Set Up a Pickup Time For Your Furniture Donation

If the donation centers you contact offer a pickup service, your next step is to set up a pickup window according to their hours. Make sure to offer help and follow the pickup procedures directed by the service you are working with.

Call Family and Friends to Get Involved

If you are donating your furniture, perhaps you will inspire others to donate theirs as well. One way to do this is by creating a phone chain where you tell others what you are doing and invite them to do the same. You can also share the resources and information you saved on your inventory list to help them out, and they can help you with your donations as well. 

Have Help Loading Items Up for Your Furniture Donation

If you are donating items somewhere that requires you drop them off, make sure you call for backup. Most future items are large, heavy, and awkward to move. As a result, it’s not a good idea to attempt to move them on your own. Call a family member, friend, or close neighbor to help you safely move them. This can also be a wonderful bonding experience for you and your loving helpers. Helping others can bring people together and leave them feeling satisfied. 

After Your Furniture Donation, Look into Other Ways to Help Your Community

After you have donated your furniture and large household items, you may be feeling very content. This feeling comes from the rewarding experience of knowing you have helped others in your community. You may want to continue to enrich your life and the lives of others. Find other ways to get involved and help your community out. After donating your furniture, you can expand your outreach to the community by seeking local organizations that need other donations, food donations, and volunteer help. There are always numerous ways to help those around you and enrich your community. This can make the world a better, more loving place for us all.  

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