What to Do With Your Unwanted Clothes in Singapore
Here’s a list of options for you to dispose of the items you don’t want to keep after you’ve decluttered your wardrobe
One of the most important things to do after you’ve just finished decluttering your wardrobe is to dispose of the items you don’t want to keep. Otherwise, you may start a new pile of clutter. Or end up rummaging in your castaway pile and put some back into your wardrobe. Or have someone coming in and questioning the decisions you’ve made – trust me, I’ve seen it and it can turn ugly!
Here’s a wide range of options for you to consider so you won’t be stuck with your castaways – whether you just want to give them a second life, make some money out of them, or need to be reassured they won’t finish in the landfill.
Here’s a wide range of options for you to consider so you won’t be stuck with your castaways – whether you just want to give them a second life, make some money out of them, or need to be reassured they won’t finish in the landfill.
Donate
There are plenty of charities in Singapore that would be delighted to have your unwanted clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories, provided they are in good condition, including the
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore,
Salvation Army,
the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations and
Touch Community Services.
There are plenty of charities in Singapore that would be delighted to have your unwanted clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories, provided they are in good condition, including the
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore,
Salvation Army,
the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations and
Touch Community Services.
Some charities collect only a specific category of items, such as:
Dress for Success that collects women’s work clothes
Soles4Shoes that collects shoes
BRA Girls and Uplift Project that collect bras
Angel Hearts that collects wedding gowns.
Dress for Success that collects women’s work clothes
Soles4Shoes that collects shoes
BRA Girls and Uplift Project that collect bras
Angel Hearts that collects wedding gowns.
Give away
You can give away your castaways to someone you know such as your domestic helper, relatives or friends. Just make sure they are genuinely interested by the item. You don’t want to it to become somebody else’s clutter!
Or you can offer them to a perfect stranger who can’t afford to buy what you have to offer. Blessing items for low income families, FreeGood, Give Away Singapore and Singapore Freecycle are a few online places for you to connect.
If you prefer a physical exchange, check Singapore Really Really Free Market.
You can give away your castaways to someone you know such as your domestic helper, relatives or friends. Just make sure they are genuinely interested by the item. You don’t want to it to become somebody else’s clutter!
Or you can offer them to a perfect stranger who can’t afford to buy what you have to offer. Blessing items for low income families, FreeGood, Give Away Singapore and Singapore Freecycle are a few online places for you to connect.
If you prefer a physical exchange, check Singapore Really Really Free Market.
Recycle
Clothes that are not in good condition can be sent for recycling to GreenSquare,
H&M or Uniqlo so they won’t finish in the landfill.
Clothes that are not in good condition can be sent for recycling to GreenSquare,
H&M or Uniqlo so they won’t finish in the landfill.
Old bras in poor condition can be sent to Wacoal where they’ll be incinerated to generate power.
And old towels to animal shelters such as Causes for Animals, SOSD and SPCA.
And old towels to animal shelters such as Causes for Animals, SOSD and SPCA.
Repurpose
Maybe you still feel hesitant about getting rid of an item because you’re emotionally attached to it. What about repurposing it into something different?
One of my clients had a dress inherited from her late mother that was taking a fair bit of space in her wardrobe but that she knew she would never wear. To ease the decision to let go of the dress, I suggested she make a cushion cover out of it. She was happy to have a memory of her mother that she could enjoy and that was not taking any space. Kill two birds with one stone!
Maybe you still feel hesitant about getting rid of an item because you’re emotionally attached to it. What about repurposing it into something different?
One of my clients had a dress inherited from her late mother that was taking a fair bit of space in her wardrobe but that she knew she would never wear. To ease the decision to let go of the dress, I suggested she make a cushion cover out of it. She was happy to have a memory of her mother that she could enjoy and that was not taking any space. Kill two birds with one stone!
If you need inspiration to repurpose your clothes, consider attending one of Agatha Lee’s workshops. Lee is a textile artist passionate about reconnecting people with their clothes through techniques such as repair and transforming them into creative wearables (aka upcycling).
Return
If the item doesn’t belong to you, it’s a good time to return it to its owner. If it’s a recent purchase that you haven’t used yet and you still have the receipt, return it to the shop where you bought it.
If the item doesn’t belong to you, it’s a good time to return it to its owner. If it’s a recent purchase that you haven’t used yet and you still have the receipt, return it to the shop where you bought it.
Sell
Of course, you may want to make money out of the stuff you’ve cleared. Bear in mind that selling can take time so make sure that the item you want to sell is worth the time you’ll spend selling it.
You can organise a garage sale or an open house, or sell online through platforms like Carousell, CraigsList, eBay or a Facebook group such as East Coast Preloved Sales.
If you have maternity and nursing clothes to sell, check the Facebook group PreLovedBaby Goods, and for designer clothes, shoes and accessories Reebonz, Style Tribute and The Fifth Collection.
Madam Milan specialises in European pre-owned designer bags.
Of course, you may want to make money out of the stuff you’ve cleared. Bear in mind that selling can take time so make sure that the item you want to sell is worth the time you’ll spend selling it.
You can organise a garage sale or an open house, or sell online through platforms like Carousell, CraigsList, eBay or a Facebook group such as East Coast Preloved Sales.
If you have maternity and nursing clothes to sell, check the Facebook group PreLovedBaby Goods, and for designer clothes, shoes and accessories Reebonz, Style Tribute and The Fifth Collection.
Madam Milan specialises in European pre-owned designer bags.
Swap
Maybe you’ve identified some gaps in your wardrobe when decluttering and need to add a few ‘new’ pieces to it. So what about swapping your unwanted clothes with someone else’s without breaking the bank?
Swapaholic and Your Clothes Friend Swap both organise several swapping events a year.
Maybe you’ve identified some gaps in your wardrobe when decluttering and need to add a few ‘new’ pieces to it. So what about swapping your unwanted clothes with someone else’s without breaking the bank?
Swapaholic and Your Clothes Friend Swap both organise several swapping events a year.
The options are plenty, none is right or wrong, just select the ones that appeal to you. In fact, having clarity on how you are going to dispose of your items before you even start the physical decluttering can help you let go of stuff you might not have intended to part with in the first place.
TELL US
Are there any other options that we didn’t list above that you would like to recommend? Please comment below.
Are there any other options that we didn’t list above that you would like to recommend? Please comment below.
Sponsored
Ok, I’m playing the devil’s advocate here, but have you asked yourself first whether you’d wear the item of clothing if it did fit you? If so, it may be worth considering getting it altered by a professional.
That’s something I did when I was on my year-long clothes shopping diet and it felt great to make my wardrobe work hard for me.