Pros and Precautions of Thrift Store Shopping and Donating

Personally, I do not buy clothing from thrift stores as I did when I was younger because there has been a bed bug epidemic in New York for a few years now. For instance, the movie theater that I frequent was infested, as well as my husband's job as he deals with the public daily. As much as I am for reusing things, I don't think the money saved or the environmental impact is worth the cost and annoyance of dealing with a bed bug infestation. That said, I still purchase household items from thrift shops, as they have many unique items.

I do not completely deter others from buying clothing from thrift shops because there are many advantages. Just be very cautious. Furthermore, don't overbuy as if you do get an infestation, you will have to wash and dry all your clothing.

There are many advantages of shopping in thrift stores:

• It is good for the environment as clothing does not end up in landfills. Of course the down side of this is that most thrift store end up throwing away 50% of their donations because the donations are not in good enough condition or because they don't have the space.
• You can find good quality items at a very affordable price. The downside to this is of course that others have worn the clothes, and you can get rashes if you have sensitive skin like me. You can also get bed buys as noted in this article. You can combat this by washing items as soon as you get home in hot water or sealing items in bags until you are able to wash them. Hot water will disinfect clothing so you will not get rashes and also kill bugs.  In most cases, thrift stores wash their clothing before selling, which will eliminate these problems, so I would not worry about it too much unless furniture and bedding are sold in the same floor as the clothing.   I never try on clothing in the store and I seal, then wash clothing if I buy from stores that sell matresses, bedding or fabric funiture. All in all, thrift store shopping is mostly safe, good for the enviornment, good for your budget and helps causes, but just take these small precautions. In fact, I have never gotten rashes or bed bugs from my years of buying thrift store clothing because I take these precautions. I actually got a bed bug (which gave me very painful bites) once from a new, decorative pillow at National Warehouse Liquidators.

So, the lessons here are:

1. Even with cheaper clothing, do not go crazy and fall into the consumption trap. Buy only items you need.
2. For those who donate to thrift stores, realize that just like you, customers at thrift stores want good quality items.  So, donate items that are in good condition so that the stores can actually sell them.
3. Don't over shop at anytime (whether at thrift stores or not) and make the excuse that you will just donate it if you do not use it because thrift stores don't always have the space. It is better to make conscious choice and buy the things you actually need, and take care of them so that when you donate them thrift stores can actually sell them.
4. Remember the minimalist rule, if you bring one item in, send or donate one item out, unless of course.