HomeDecluttering

DECLUTTERING

There are many worthy organizations that will take the “stuff” you’re ready to part with and put it to good use. See below for some suggestions. For more ideas, visit www.charitychoices.com/page/who-takes-what-dc-area, a list of the DC-area charities that accept donations of various items.

Be sure to contact these organizations for updates on their hours and policies.

See also:
From Senior Planet: Too Much Old Stuff, How to Bust the Clutter

From Washington Consumers' Checkbook:

Decluttering Strategies (be sure to check out the links under "Related Content"), including:
How to Get Rid of Stuff; Our A-to-Z Guide from Apple Cores to Zillions of Books

Organizing Tips - notes from a May 2020 Village of TP Aging Well event

View a recording of a July 2022 Village of TP Aging Well event, "Psychology of Clutter" at https://vimeo.com/735451934. Password is "Village". Many of the attendees of this event shared tips in the zoom "chat". Here is a compilation of the tips and resources mentioned.

CLOTHING, HOUSEHOLD GOODS, ETC.
Organization	What they take	Particulars
Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington	clothing, shoes, accessories, linens, small appliances, kitchen/household items, toys, home décor, books, flat screens, and laptops (less than 5 years old)	Drop off hours: Mon - Thurs 9am – 2pm at 501 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring. Questions? Call Joyce at 301-565-0190. www.acsgw.org.
Goodwill of Greater Washington	clothing, furniture, small appliances, house wares, computers, electronics and toys	Visit www.dcgoodwill.org or call (202) 636-4233 for details.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore	home improvement items including appliances, furniture, antiques, doors, windows, tile and lighting fixtures.	Drop-off locations:1029 E. Gude Dr., Rockville, or 12006 Plum Orchard Dr., Silver Spring. For donation hours, visit. www.habitat.org/restores
Homes Not Borders	Their mission is to provide refugees and other forced migrants in the D.C. area with what they need to thrive and feel at home in the United States. Accept household items, not clothing.	https://www.homesnotborders.org/donate-items/
Interfaith Works Clothing Center	Clothing and home goods (provided free of charge to low-income families)	751 Twinbrook Pkwy,Rockville (301-424-3796) Donation hrs: Tues-Fri.: 9am-4:30 pm; Sat.: 9am-2pm.
N Street Village	Gently used clothing and new, In-Kind Gifts, such as toiletries	Contact Adam Brunell atabrunell@nstreetvillage.orgor 202-939-2058 to schedule a drop off time or for donation assistance.
Suited for Change	Professional women’s clothing and accessories in good condition and on hangers	Visit suitedforchange.org/clothing-contributions for full details.
Value Village/Unique Thrift	gently-used clothing, furniture, household goods, books, and many other items for resale; a for-profit company that champions re-use	Closest store is 10141 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring.
A Wider Circle	furniture, kitchenware and home goodsfor families transitioning out of shelters, escaping domestic violence, or otherwise living without basic need items	9159 Brookville Road, Silver Spring; for drop-off hours or to arrange pick-up, call 301-608-3504.
BICYCLES
Bikes for the World	bicycles, spare parts & accessories, hand tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, and hammers), and portable sewing machines, for lower income people and select institutions in developing countries to enhance their lives and livelihoods through better transport.	Visit www.bikesfortheworld.org/ for local collection scheduleor call 703-740-7856 to make arrangements.
BikeMatchDC	BikeMatchDC matches no-longer-used but ride-ready bicycles with people who need them for essential work: commuting, running errands, or helping in community relief efforts. www.potomacpedalers.org

BOOKS
Montgomery County Friends of the Library	books, movies, music, and magazines	Drop off donations at the Wheaton Bookstore Wheaton Library and Community Recreation Center 11701 Georgia Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902 Visit www.folmc.org/bookstores/items-we-accept/ or call 301-933-1110. SEE folmc.org/bookstores/ for updated information.
Friends of the Takoma Park Library	books for the library’s twice a year book sale	Storage space is limited, so before delivering books call the library at 301-891-7259.
Mary House	new and lightly used children’s books for immigrant and refugee parents and children	Call Sharon Murphy at 202-635-9025 or email casademary@aol.com to make arrangements.
BUILDING SUPPLIES
Community Forklift	surplus, gently-used, and salvaged home improvement supplies	Visit http://communityforklift.org/ for donation information
OTHER WAYS TO REHOME, REUSE, and RECYCLE
Freecycle- Silver Spring MD	unwanted/reusable items to share with neighbors in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Wheaton, and Kensington	To sign up, follow this link:http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Freecycle-SilverSpringMD/
Craigslist	items you wish to sell or give away	http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/
College Hunks Hauling Junk	Unwanted goods	For a fee, will pickup, sort, donate as much as possible to local charities.https://collegehunkshaulingjunk.com/
Takoma Yard Sale Facebook Page	items you wish to sell or give away	https://www.facebook.com/groups/TakomaYardSale/

MORE WAYS TO GIVE AWAY "STUFF":
Living and Giving in Takoma Park Facebook group: This private Facebook group says “We are a community group in Takoma Park with the purpose of Neighbors Helping Neighbors. We give members the opportunity to give freely of their own abundance whether that take the form of gifts or services.” Membership in this group is open to anyone in Takoma Park. To learn more, visit facebook.com/groups/320044478719042/

Buy Nothing Facebook group: The Buy Nothing Project (buynothingproject.org) was founded with the mission to build community by connecting people through hyperlocal gifting and reducing our impact on the environment. You can post anything you'd like to give away, lend, or share in a Buy Nothing community group. And you can ask for anything you'd like to receive for free or borrow. Buy Nothing works much the same way as Living and Giving in Takoma Park, but while Living and Giving in Takoma Park covers the whole city, there are three separate Buy Nothing groups, each covering a smaller geographic area:

Buy Nothing (Philadelphia/Piney Branch/Maple): facebook.com/groups/buynothingtakoma
Map: google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?

Buy Nothing (Flower/University/New Hampshire): facebook.com/groups/702165130498879 Map: bit.ly/3smx9sf

Buy Nothing (Ethan Allen/New Hampshire): facebook.com/groups/800506940528679
Map: bit.ly/35A6C0u
Everyone who lives in Takoma Park can be a member of both the Living and Giving AND one of the three local Buy Nothing groups.

Disclaimer: Note that in its "Links and Resources" pages, the Village of Takoma Park seeks to share information passed along by presenters at our Aging Well events and gathered from the City and County governments, area non-profits, and friends of the Village. Please be aware this is not an exhaustive list, nor are we endorsing particular resources.