Do You Have to Wash Clothes Before Donating Them?

Plan on washing them first, and don't assume the charity or thrift store will do it for you.

Charity Navigator tells donors to wash their clothing, look it over and fold it neatly. A January 2026 TV news report, summing up the advice of one charity that runs thrift stores, says clothing should be washed or dry cleaned before you hand it over.

Two things make it worth the trouble. A spokesperson for another charity that runs thrift stores, quoted in a 2023 FOX Television Stations report, said "wet or soiled textiles must generally be disposed of," so a dirty piece may never reach anyone who could wear it. As for washing it later, the general manager of a Boston-area thrift store chain said most thrift stores don't wash clothes before putting them on the racks, according to a TODAY article first published in 2019.

If you haven't decided what's going yet, sort your closet into keep, fix and pass on first, then wash the pass-on pile the way you'd wash it for yourself. Charity Navigator also says to leave stained or damaged clothing out of what you give, with animal shelters a possible exception for damaged pieces.

There's no single rule here: Charity Navigator adds that its advice may not apply to all clothing and leaves the call to you. The charity in the 2026 report has a full list of what it takes and what it doesn't, and that list varies by region. So if you're unsure about a piece, say a bulky coat that won't fit in your machine, ask the place you're taking it to before it goes in the bag.

Once the bag is ready, it needs somewhere to go. Ezfit, coming soon to iPhone and Android, will find charity shops, secondhand shops and clothes banks nearby, from OpenStreetMap.