How To Recycle, Reuse, and Donate Your Old Bedding

Where To Donate Bedding

If you want to mix up your bedroom's décor by updating your bedding with a new comforter, duvet cover, or quilt, you’re probably wondering what to do with the old one. Donating your old bedding to a noble cause is a great option if it is still in decent condition. 

Charitable Donations and Homeless Shelters

Whether it’s to charities that help with disaster relief or helping your local homeless population, there are usually resources to donate to either. For example, the American Red Cross accepts clothing and bedding donations through the Green Drop program. 

Considering that homelessness has only increased in the United States over the years (18% just between 2023 and 2024), another great place to donate lightly used bedding is to homeless shelters or directly to the homeless. If you search online, you can almost always find local homeless shelters with drop-off donations for items like warm bedding, which is almost always needed. Smaller throw blankets can also be used to make homeless care packages as well.

Animal Shelters 

Animal shelters tend to be happy to receive old bedding and towels to help create warm and snuggly places for rescued animals to feel safe and cozy. Animal shelters tend to be big fans of blankets, but some may not accept comforters, as the filling from comforters can be a choking hazard for some animals. Call your local animal shelter and see which items they are willing to take and find a drop-off location.

Thrift Stores

If the bedding is only lightly used, you could consider donating to a thrift store, such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Goodwill tends to have easy-to-access donation locations all across the U.S. According to Goodwill Greater Washington, Goodwill will not accept sleeping pillows, but they will accept the following bedding items as long as they are clean and free of stains:

• Blankets
• Sheets
• Throw pillows 
• Bedspreads

How To Reuse and Recycle Old Bedding

For bedding that is beginning to display signs of wear and tear in some areas but is generally in decent condition, you could consider repurposing it. The items that cannot be repurposed should be recycled. 

Ideas for Reusing Old Bedding 

For bedding that has experienced mild damage but isn’t beyond repair, you could upcycle pieces to be used for other purposes. For example, you could: 

• Use an old comforter as your designated picnic blanket
• Use old quilts for sewing projects, such as making funky upcycled curtains or aprons
• Use an old top sheet as a projection screen for outdoor movie nights
• Use old sheets as drop clothes for painting projects

Bonus tip: Once the blankets become too old (and possibly stained), old blankets can be used to insulate the home or garage. Put old blankets behind furniture to block drafts and/or use old sheets as grease rags in the garage. 

Recycling Old Bedding 

For bedding that is beyond repair but not soiled, you can usually find options for it to be recycled for free. Generally, you will have to find a drop-off location for textile recycling centers, such as American Textile Recycling Service or Earth911. 

There are also online options for recycling, such as Trashie, where you order a bag (or multiple bags) and send in your bedding. Services like these do charge for the recycling bags, but you generally receive points or rewards when you shop at other places. 

Shop Southshore Fine Linens’ luxury bedding accessories today.

How Do You Know When Your Bedding Needs an Upgrade? 

In most cases, any bedding that is beginning to look worn out, faded, or showing any other signs of wear and tear is likely ready to be replaced. While longevity with bedding does depend on the material, most bedding will last several years when cared for properly. 

In most cases, it is best to replace the following pieces of bedding within these time frames: 

Pillows: Once a year

Pillowcases: Every one to two years

Sheets: Every five years

Quilts: Every three to five years

Comforters: Every 15 to 20 years or when signs of damage become apparent

Duvet covers: Every three to five years

Bed skirt: Every five years

Updating your bedding is always fun, but don’t let the excitement distract you from the joys of donating and doing what’s right for the planet. At Southshore Fine Linens, you can continue your eco-friendly journey by shopping for environmentally-friendly bedding materials, such as bamboo bedding or cotton bedding. Instead of letting old bedding collect dust in the linen closet or waste away in a landfill, upcycle, recycle, or donate old bedding to give it new life.

Are you looking to upgrade your bedding? Shop Southshore Fine Linens’ bestsellers today.