Do animal shelters take old pillows? That is the question we’re about to answer. Pillows have a three-year lifespan on average. You must replace those old pillows with new ones after three years; thus, you might be wondering what to do with your old pillows and other beddings such as blankets. It’s as if you’re catching two birds with one stone in this way.
Donating pillows and blankets assists you in decluttering your belongings while either making others comfortable or benefiting your society.
Do Animal Shelters Accept Old Pillows?
Yes, animal shelters accept used pillows, comforters, and other bedding that help shelter operators to provide the best care to the pets. Donating your old pillows is a wonderful trade-off and by doing so, you help hundreds of animals feel a little extra comfort in unknown settings.
If you don’t have the imagination to repurpose your old pillows, don’t worry; your local animal shelter will accept them.
Since they were used as bedding for animal cages, these animal shelters are in desperate need of old pillows. You can contact your preferred organization ahead of time to see whether they accept old pillows for donation and set up an appointment to drop off the bedding by calling or sending an email.
Where to Donate Your Old Pillows
You can donate old pillows to the following places:
- American Textile Recycling Service
- Donate to local homeless centers if they accept used pillows.
- Donate to Goodwill if they take used pillows in good condition.
If you want to save some time while also helping some dogs and cats, contact your nearest animal shelter and inquire about dropping off your used bedding. What is the reason for this? Animal shelters will also use your old comforters or pillows as bedding. It’s a great trade-off, because you’ll be able to make animals feel more at ease in new situations.
Also, double-check with your shelter to make sure they accept your donated bedding before you drop it off, just in case. You don’t want to overburden a shelter with unnecessary products. Since the demand for comforters and pillows varies from shelter to shelter, a simple phone call will save both of you time.:
You can donate your old pillows and other beddings to animal shelters in your area, and you should first check with your local homeless shelter to see if they accept old pillows because they are concerned about safety and the environment. Before you donate your pillows, make sure they’ve been thoroughly washed and sorted.
But the question is whether Goodwill really accepts such gifts.
Not all shelters take donations
I once planned to donate some items to a children’s home and the management demanded that I pay them for donating. Their argument was that I was dumping old items in their orphanage. I understood this because many people might have been taking advantage of their facility to dump so many useless items.
Fortunately, this has never happened for me when working with an animal shelter. I can only recall one occasion when a shelter informed me that they were closing down and were no longer accepting items.
So, as long as the facility is still operating, they will 9 out 10 times say yes to your offering.
Remember these Before Donating Old Pillows
It is most likely that the bedding you’re about to offer to the animal shelter is used and has lost its cushioning. It is probably ripped and gathered dust in your closet.
Before you pack and wrap them nicely for delivery, remember the following tips:
- Be courteous and wash them before donating them. Even dogs don’t want to sleep on dirty linen infested with alien insects.
- Ensure the bedding do not have holes. Pillows or comforters with holes are not safe for humans. That is also true for pets. Holes may cause clumping and cause discomfort for pets too.
- Do not donate bedding that are torn or have strings hanging out. Hanging staff could wrap around a cuts neck or leg and the consequences may not be pleasant.
- Cut larger comforters into smaller pieces. An extremely large comfortable would help several animals. So, cut it into pieces rather than donating it as whole. Some animals do not like to share bedding especially old ones that prefer sleeping without young ones nearby.
- Find out if the shelter accepts donated bedding. Do not just show up to the shelter with a ton of items ready to drop-off. Call them first and let them know how many pieces you want to give. You never know whether they just received a whole lorry of items yesterday and no longer need any.
Pillows and comforters are some of the most common household textiles, just like curtains and rugs. It is typically difficult to recycle them through the regular curbside recycling program. So, what solution do most people have? Using them to make new products or putting them to fresh use.
What if the Animal Shelters Refuse to Take My Millows?
Don’t worry about it. Do a quick online search to locate linen recycling. You can use Earth911’s locator. Also, search for a textile recycling facility near you. However, it may be a little difficult to find companies that recycle pillows. Even still, you have other options.
Post them online on social media and specify that pet owners who are interested can pick them for free. This is a good idea that helped me a while back. I have donated three comforters and 12 pillows to random strangers who wanted to give their pets a little extra comfort.
There is always someone looking for bedding for their pet. You never know when your donations become a blessing to their cute little cats or dogs.
If animal shelters refuse to take them, there are many other things to do with old pillows. Some of them include Goodwill.
Does Goodwill Accept Old Pillows?
Goodwill stopped taking old pillows for a while after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. The best way is to find out is to check their websites which gets updated with the list of items they accept. Although Goodwill values all donations, there are certain items for which they cannot accept them due to legal, safety, or environmental concerns.
The following are some of the things that Goodwill CANNOT consider as donations: (A full list of donation items that the store cannot allow can be found on their website:
- Furniture that is coated in animal hair, stained, damaged, or missing pieces
- Washing and drying machines, stoves, refrigerators, and air conditioners are examples of large appliances.
- Pillows for the bed, mattresses (!)
- Sinks, toilets, lumber, concrete, and bricks are examples of building and plumbing materials.
- Firearms and fireworks are also prohibited.
- Trash of some kind, as well as dangerous materials
- Cosmetics and hair care products are two types of cosmetics.
As you can see, Goodwill clearly states that pillows and mattresses are not appropriate. Furthermore, most secondhand stores would not allow them due to hygiene and hygienic issues.
Many charity or thrift stores accept used pillows, in addition to donating them to animals or a homeless shelter. You may also distribute them to your local groups or post a notice offering free old pillows.
Can You Throw Pillows In The Recycling Bin?
Pillows are not recyclable in any way, shape, or form. As a result, you won’t be able to recycle your old pillows. If they are worn out or dirty, you can give them to a garment recycling facility instead.
Although these facilities are not well-known, you can use them to dispose of your old pillows if you are at a loss about what to do with them. You can use your search engine to find a cloth recycling facility near you to see if they take pillows.
I didn’t know where to put all those items that I no longer needed until a friend enlightened me about donating some of them to an orphanage. Since then, I have never bothered with my extra items whenever I am relocating. I just find an animal shelter near, call them and ask if they are willing to take a few items.
And for hygienic reasons, it may be impossible to donate those items to secondhand stores.
Cat and dog shelters will take old pillows
What I know is that cats and dogs love soft and nice bedding. So, in most cases, I would receive a yes as soon as I make an inquiry. However, if the animal shelter is for large animals or birds, then your used pillows may not be quite useful to them.
You can make packaging materials out of old pillows.
Use your pad to fill in the gaps, particularly if you’re moving out and packing your belongings. This will help protect your items from scratches and harm while in transit. Since they can be cut into small sizes, these are ideal for memory foam pillows.
You should make pet beds for your animals.
You’ll need two to four pillows to make a pet bed, and you’ll need to sew them together so they’re large enough to suit their body.
Having lived in different apartment, I would be confronted with the problem of what I should leave behind any time I’d relocate. While planning my next move, I would have unused electronics, clothes, pillows, blankets and so much more. We hope the article has answered ‘do animal shelters take old pillows?’