What Goodwill Won’t Take

When many people think of getting rid of junk or excess items, they think of donating it to Goodwill. But did you know that there are many items that can’t be accepted there? So what is it Goodwill won’t take? (But we will!)

Broken or Stained Items

Goodwill and other thrift stores count on selling your donated items to raise money for their causes. They cannot sell items that are broken, damaged, soiled or missing parts.

Mattresses and Bedding

Goodwill cannot accept bedding items such as mattresses, box springs, pillows, hospital beds and waterbeds due to sanitation and safety concerns.

Large Appliances

Small appliances like a working toaster or coffeemaker are accepted, but large appliances like a refrigerator, stove, freezer, trash compactor, washer, dryer, dishwasher or hot water heater cannot be taken to Goodwill.

CRT TVs

Want to get rid of your old CRT television? Goodwill won’t take that either. Only flat screen televisions (digital) are accepted for resale.

Items Covered With Animal Hair

When you own a dog or cat, you’re bound to have animal hair on your furniture. But according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Goodwill and other thrift stores can’t accept upholstered chairs, sofas or other items where animal hair is present.

Moldy or Mildewed Items

Moldy, mildewed, wet or damp items are a health hazard and cannot be accepted due to the fact that these mold spores may spread to other items.

Recalled Items

It is illegal for stores to sell any item that has been recalled, states the CPSC under Section 19 of the Consumer Product Safety Act. “If a product is hazardous, does not comply with standards, or has been recalled, the product should be destroyed and not sold or given away to others.” Some items used in nurseries, including cribs and bassinets, for example, have caused deaths and have numerous recalls. When it doubt, toss it out.

Related: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Resellers Guide to Selling Safer Products

Hazardous Materials

Hazardous materials that cannot be accepted include chemicals, solvents, fuels, oil or acids.

Overly Large Items

Do you want to get rid of a swingset, exercise equipment, large furniture, swimming pool or hot tub. Guess what…Goodwill won’t take those either. Their stores are limited in size and extra-large items just won’t fit!

Building Materials

We know you hate to throw out perfectly good building materials like windows, doors, sinks, tubs and window blinds. But there are charities like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores that would love those items.

Miscellaneous Items Goodwill Won’t Take

• Bean bag chairs
• Sleeper sofas
• Firearms and fireworks
• Food and beverages
• Cosmetics
• Hair products
• Auto parts including tires, wheels, batteries, and chemicals
• Cribs with dropdown sides

What Do You Do With Items Goodwill Won’t Take? Call 123JUNK.

The best course of action for items that Goodwill and other thrift stores cannot or will not take is to call 123JUNK. With plenty of trucks covering our local communities in Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC, we can take all of these items off your hands (except for hazardous materials…we’re not allowed either).

We’ll Donate

When you dispose of items that are accepted and perfectly usable, we’ll take them to donation sites we’ve arranged with our charitable partners. They, in turn, can supply them to needy families or sell them in their resale stores to raise money. We’ll provide you with a receipt for your tax deduction purposes!

We’ll Recycle

All items we pick up are sorted into Donate-Recycle-Dispose piles and disposed of accordingly. For electronics, metals and other recycle items, we’ll take them to the area recycling centers for proper processing.

We’ll Dispose

Any items that are not donate-able or recyclable are then disposed of at the area landfills.

Contact 123JUNK Today

When you need to get rid of items that Goodwill won’t take, contact 123JUNK.