What to do with a bag of very stained boys' clothing?

[rowan1971]

I have a binliner full of Dss' castoffs. They're a bit gammy in parts and I doubt that the charity shops would be able to sell them as they are. I rang my local Oxfam to see if they could get any use out of them (ie, for rags, or selling on to used clothing dealers) and they said not. But this was just the woman on the till, so she might not have been fully clued up. I have one of those through-the-door leaflets from a profit-making company that collects clothes and sells them on in developing countries. Is this the only option other than the dump? Or could any charities make use of them?

Stick them in the clothing bank at the supermarket. Any leftover rags will be sold. I don't suppose you could dump them in vanish overnight in the bath though first?

If I don't think a charity shop will take them then I put them in the recycling box.

Rag recycle.

Bernardos has a rag recycle bin.

I'm taking a course on rag rugging.

Def put in the clothing bank.

rag rugging great. I remember those fondly!!
I know some shoes can be turned into sports courts, I guess some sold, and the rest???

take them to a local nursery to use as spares for when kids have little 'accidents' - our playgroup is always asking for old clothes cos they never get back any of the ones they send the kids home in

"I have one of those through-the-door leaflets from a profit-making company that collects clothes and sells them on in developing countries."

Steer well away from this, its not a charity, as you said its a company who portay themselves as a charity to con people to give them clothing thinking that gtheyre a charity and its a good cause.

Thanks for all the ideas. Will try to locate a clothing bank, and will also try the nurseries.

rowan1971, is the one by the shops in Leigham Vale, Streatham, any use to you? (I know you're somewhere round here from the meet-up thread ).

Ta, Hallgerda. Look forward to meeting you! I'm actually out in Surrey - coming to the meet-up for nostalgic reasons. Maybe I'll bring the clothes with me and kill two birds.

Try the environment section of your local council's website - you'll probably find a clothing bank closer to home. The one I suggested is not very near the park. See you on 20th!

OK - I've just done exactly what you suggest, and it turns out that my nearest clothing bank is... about 500 metres from my front door. I am FANTASTICALLY unobservant.

I send raggy stuff to Oxfam in a bag labelled "rags" - DH always takes our stuff there, maybe he flings them through the door and runs away but I've never had anything rejected that I know of.

They don't chase him down the street trying to make him take it back, then?

I'll never understand how people manage to hand over perfectly respectable-looking used kids' clothing. By the time my two are finished with something, it usually needs to be incinerated.