Where to Donate Towels, Blankets, and Linens

It might seem counter intuitive, but summer time is my favorite time to get rid of old towels, blankets, and linens.

If you didn’t use them the whole winter spring or fall, you probably do not need them.

We recently refreshed our guest bathroom and got all new towels.

I wanted to share where we donate old towels – the animal shelter!

Animal Shelters (our local one is Pet Helpers) love receiving linens. Old sheets and blankets are used for bedding for dogs and cats.

While I usually don’t advocate donating damaged items (check out this post about when you should donate vs. trash something), linens are an exception to that rule.

The pets don’t care if they are faded or have holes – and honestly they probably have a pretty short lifespan once a puppy gets ahold of them!

Towels and rags are also great for cleaning up all around the shelter.

I would suggest calling ahead before bringing a big donation, but we have found that they always have a need for blankets and towels.

Many animal shelters will also accept pillows and duvets to use as bedding for dogs!

If there isn’t an animal shelter convenient to you, try veterinarian offices. They often take similar donations, either for themselves or for smaller rescues that they work with.

Goodwill and other similar thrift shops often do not accept towels or linens, especially if they are damaged. If you donate there, they will just be thrown away!

Other things that we have found that pet shelters love:

• Newspapers (for bedding)
• Plastic bags (for poop pick-up)
• Empty toilet paper rolls (cats play with them!)
• Paper towels
• Cleaning supplies
• Office supplies
• Pet supplies and food

Of course, if you have never donated to a location before, give them a call in advance to be sure that they do accept them.

But, in my experience, they all do! Here is some other great advice on how to recycle old linens.

Do you have any favorite donation tips?