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Do you keep outgrown stained kids' clothes?
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Isramom8




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 12 2009, 1:28 pm
I used to store stained and faded clothes, but in recent years I got rid of them. Gemachim can't use them, and neither will I.

I saved some clothes, threw some away, gave some that just never fit my babies or I just never liked to my disbaled uncle's non-Jewish foreign worker who was helping me with this major project to sell in his home country, and donated the rest to a gemach. What a relief!
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GAMZu




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2009, 2:46 pm
The only clothes in bad condition that I save are things that go under the clothes or something that's hard to find again. I saved some footie pants, which I found work great under overalls or under stretchies to provide more warmth. I have a couple that are a bit stained, but under a stretchie, only the feet peek out, like socks.
Or for example a woolen pair of pants that is very thin and I like to put under a kid's pants in the winter. It's pilled and all, but it works.
Otherwise, like flower said: when you put it away, the stain doesn't seem like a big deal. But when you pull it out... ehhh, you don't wanna use it.

Bottom line: things that you know deep down you will end up throwing out or not using, do it right away and save yourself valuable space.

On the other hand, I have some favorites that aren't wearable anymore that I have a hard time parting with. Those I allow myself to keep until I come to terms with getting rid of it.
There's a stretchie that I loved that my first baby wore... then my 2nd... then my first leaned over the playpen where my 2nd was hanging out and squeezed his chocolate milk box drink onto his bro. LOL the sleeve of the stretchie got stained, but I saved it anyway. Now I don't really want to use it, although I love it.
I'm going to take some pics of the baby in it and then say goodbye. Wink
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Isramom8




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2009, 3:14 pm
Gamzu, I'm getting emotional Hug
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GAMZu




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2009, 4:49 pm
*sniffle* LOL
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louche




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 17 2009, 7:52 am
Yes, I do. But only if they're 100% cotton knit, in which case I carefully cut off any buttons and other impedimenta, cut them up into manageable pieces, and stash them in my rag bag. Why in the world would anyone who isn't desperately poor keep stained clothes that are outgrown? For arts and crafts and other messy projects, each kid gets one of dh's old fit-only-for-the-rag-bag shirts, and that's it!
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Ima'la




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 17 2009, 10:51 am
louche, Let me introduce you to some obsessive-compulsive packrats. (Where's the "bowing" emoticon???)
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MamaBear




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 22 2009, 8:49 am
The book is Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. My kids love this book! I've given it many times as a gift.

http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-L.....78553
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Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 22 2009, 9:54 am
No, that's not it MamaBear. It's called Something from Nothing. It's a Scholastic book...sitting on my sons' bookshelf, but they're sleeping & I can't get at it.
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NotInNJMommy




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 22 2009, 10:03 am
I don't keep stained clothes, unless it's onsies, etc. that are other wise in good condition.

What I don't keep, I either turn into a shmatteh or throw away because I rarely get rid of something that is in good enough shape that someone would want it.

I wouldn't accept stained, damaged clothes (other than a button missing), and I don't pass them on either.
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Ima'la




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 23 2009, 1:12 am
The book I was thinking of is "Something from Nothing," but it apparently it is based on a folktale, so it is likely that "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat" has a similar storyline.

NotinNJ, what you said about a missing button is a dilemma I frequently have. Sometimes a garment just needs a button sewn on or a seam mended - no big deal - but since I don't particularly care for it (nothing wrong with it objectively - I just don't like it) or my child happens to have a million others (say, white, button-down shirts, or something) it's not worth my time to mend it. But it might be worthwhile to someone else, so I give it away - but I hope it isn't just being discarded by the gemach because it's damaged, when all it needs is minor mending...
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Seraph




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 23 2009, 4:02 am
there was a song in a jewish video about the chagim I had growing up....

it was about a person who had a jacket... "he wore it here and he wore it there, he wore it practically everywhere. Until he wore it out you see. Now this was a jacket that he didn't want to lose, so he looked it over carefully to see what he could use, so he made himself a vest, the cutest little vest that you ever did see, he wore it here and he wore it there, he wore it practically everywhere..."
and so on and so forth. I dont remember the video or its name, but I remember that song clearly, as it went from a jacket to a vest to a hat to a button to a song....

Anyone know what movie I'm talking about?
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louche




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 23 2009, 7:49 am
Ima'la wrote:
I hope it isn't just being discarded by the gemach because it's damaged, when all it needs is minor mending...


gmachs do not have time to do "minor mending", and it's insulting to give someone a garment that "needs work". either fix it before you give it away, or throw it out. No one wants it if it's damaged.

I know, because I volunteer at a clothing gmach. Anything that's not in wearable-right-now condition gets thrown out. It takes too much time just to sort and fold the clothing, no one is going to take the time to fix things, especially when there's no guarantee the garment will be taken by anyone.
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Mrs Bissli




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 23 2009, 8:59 am
Can you find a textile bank in your neighbourhood? I know they often send not-pristine (to say the least) clothing either overseas (eg developing countries with cheap labour where they don't mind minor mending) or for shredding them into stuffing or for industrial uses.

Agree with others that gemachs probably won't appreciate something that's not in wearable conditions. My rule of thumb is an item is not wearable if I/my kids don't want to be seen outside the house wearing it.
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Ima'la




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Feb 24 2009, 11:40 am
louche wrote:
Ima'la wrote:
I hope it isn't just being discarded by the gemach because it's damaged, when all it needs is minor mending...


gmachs do not have time to do "minor mending", and it's insulting to give someone a garment that "needs work". either fix it before you give it away, or throw it out. No one wants it if it's damaged.

I know, because I volunteer at a clothing gmach. Anything that's not in wearable-right-now condition gets thrown out. It takes too much time just to sort and fold the clothing, no one is going to take the time to fix things, especially when there's no guarantee the garment will be taken by anyone.

I didn't mean that the gemach should mend it. I haven't shopped at gemachim, but I would think that if I would see something I like that only needed minor mending (such as sewing on a button or mending a small seam) I would take it. If I would mend it myself, I would still use it myself, but for whatever reason I don't feel like taking the time, probably b/c I personally never cared for the garment in the first place.

Anyway, I hear what you're saying that it's probably not worth donating it b/c the gemach will just have to throw it out - I just wanted to clarify that I did not mean that I thought the gemach should do the mending!
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DevorahMonsey




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Mar 02 2009, 5:55 pm
I generally put everything, wanted or not, into the plastic storage box that I'll use for that size. I find that later, when there's a new baby to wear the size, I'm much less attached to the individual pieces. For example, if I couldn't give away a dress that my SIL gave us, even though I couldn't stand it, it would still go in the box, but 2 years later, I could look at it in a more detached way and add it to the gemach box. I also have a South American cleaning lady who sends things back home, and she doesn't care if it's not in the best condition. The people it's going to there don't have many options.
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ruthla




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 14 2009, 1:57 pm
When my kids were little, I saved any clothing that was in good enough condition to use again. I personally don't mind stains on little kid clothes, so I'd have no problem saving stained items.

However, if something was just worn out and I didn't think we'd have another use for it, I'd give it away (or cut it up for cleaning rags or put in the scrap bag for small sewing projects.) Even if it was in good shape, but I never used it and didn't think I'd use it in the future (say, an itchy sweater for a toddler), I'd give that away too. I also did any mending before putting clothes away, so the clothes would be ready to use when the box was opened up again.

No, I woudln't give "unwearable" clothing to a gemach or thrift store, but I have offered stuff on freecycle, being totally honest about the condition. This way, if somebody is willing to do their own mending, or wants the clothes for crafts projects, or whatever, they can choose to take the clothes or now.

Now that I'm single, I don't keep outgrown kids' clothes. When they're outgrown, they get given away (or occasionally sold.) If I ever remarry and have another baby, I'll purchase what I need at that time (and I may not purchase brand new items.)
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