Would you ever give away a perfectly good condition sheet set that was stained in one area on the bottom fitted sheet? I mean to Saint Vinnie's or Goodwill?
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Kindness not only makes the coffee. Kindness says good morning.
Giving away stained linens
Posted on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 3:15pm
We give all of our used sheets, blankets, quilts, etc to the homeless shelter. It's all stuff that I can't put out for paying guests but the folks at the shelter love it when we call. They also get the pillows I am retiring. Because they never know who will walk thru the door, in what shape and with what problems, having a lot of back up linen is very helpful to them. And they send the clients out the door with a 'care' pkg when they find housing of their own.
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Spare me the perky.
But then the charities keep on calling...just took another call and then I saw this thread...sure we can donate...tee hee hee, oh you want a two night stay in our best room on a peak weekend? Well how about some gently worn sheets that guests shouldnt sleep on? DOH!
We give to a friend of ours, a single guy who doesn't have much money and gets by month to month. He loves our discards, sheets, robes, etc since he can't afford to buy new and their still fine, but a little stained. The really bad stuff we would use for our own pets.
I washed them again, so might give them to the local Vet as he takes in strays/litters - when I go in they have a sign asking for old linens.
The torn or a hole in a set we keep for painting, etc. The stain is in the middle, so when you pull back the covers VOILA! It is not super dark, but dark enough and big enough, looks like a puddle right in the middle. The pillowcases I can keep (but would give away as a set if to charity).
you have to be very, very careful when offering anything.
i would recommend going through a church or organization and not offer directly to a person you don't know well.
i learned that a local family ... in very dire straits ... was insulted by things being donated to them (torn and dirty things) and put them out with the trash. i did not see the items, but the feeling was 'if it's not good enough for you, why would you give it to me?'
one man's trash is another man's treasure ... it's so hard to know which.
and i believe stained bed linens would be discarded by goodwill, not sold. check first, but they'd probably only take the cases and top sheet. having shopped there, i have never seen stained clothing or sheets.
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' not all those who wander are lost ... ' jrr tolkien
We used to get the name of a family that "fell through the cracks" for Christmas. My kids were told that if you would not want to get that item as a present, you do not give it to someone else.
The knew what I meant because after DH's wife died the church they had been attending "adopted" them. At Christmas a huge box of food was delivered (they did not ask first or I could have told them we did not need it - I had just done the shopping from MY wallet!) and there was a present for each of the kids. Toys that were dented, paint peeling, things that were only fit for the garbage. Had they asked I could have told them DH was working and was not in need a year after she died - besides by then he had met me!
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Most thrift shops, food pantries, poor families would love to have them. Really and truly.
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The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue and gives kisses freely and enthusiastically to everyone!
One place for sheet/towel donations that doesn't care about stains of any kind is the Humane Society or SPCA. They always need those items for the animals and stains don't bother them!
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Jeanne
depends on how big/bad/dark a stain. i'd probably keep it myself ... or offer it to folks i know.
bad stain and nothing wrong with the pillow cases and top sheet? i'd pair them with a neutral bottom sheet and tear up the bottom sheet for my 'rag bag' if no one wanted to use the stained sheet.
Save for painting projects.
-KathleenM
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Twin Gables Bed and Breakfast
On the Lower Columbia Water Trail
depends on the size of the stain and how obvious it was...but YES I would