The Cleaning Essential You Should Never Donate To The Thrift Store

There are some tried and true strategies that work best for decluttering your home — whether it's because of seasonal cleaning or moving house, getting rid of unwanted items can create a better living space. While working through the clutter, it's helpful to organize items into three piles: Those to discard, those to keep, and those to donate. While donating to a thrift store is a great option to clear your home and let others benefit from your reusable goods, some things should just go right to the discard pile. There are some things you shouldn't be donating to thrift stores — when it comes to cleaning essentials, you should never donate your vacuum.

Not donating a vacuum to a thrift store may seem counterintuitive. In fact, many thrift stores actually allow vacuum donations, so why should it be avoided? Even though thrift store websites list vacuums as an allowable donation, they are typically only accepted for sale if they are relatively new and in spectacularly clean condition. Unfortunately, most people who would be donating a vacuum are parting with a dirty or broken one. In these cases, while the thrift store might accept the donation from you, they wouldn't be able to sell it on the floor, and it would likely end up in the landfill.

Instead of taking this cleaning essential to the thrift store where it's most likely too used to be sold, take steps to dispose of your vacuum cleaner ethically. This means skip the garbage can and thrift store; opt for an e-waste recycling center instead. Since vacuum cleaners often contain hazardous materials like lead and mercury (especially in older models), they are typically prohibited from being thrown out in your standard neighborhood garbage. Check with your city or town to find your nearest e-waste facility — these designated locations can safely dismantle and reclaim recyclable components, keeping hazardous materials out of the environment.

Another way you can get rid of your used vacuum is to find a retailer or manufacturer take-back event or location. Retailers like Best Buy offer electronic take-backs, where you can drop off your old electronics for recycling. It's best to call your local retailer before loading up your car, though, since some places have quantity restrictions. And if you're looking to upgrade your old vacuum, look to the manufacturer to see if they offer a trade-in program. Some, like iRobot, will take care of the recycling for you, while giving you a potential trade-in credit for your new vacuum.