9 Things Indiana Thrift Stores Won’t Take, Even in Perfect Condition

Dropping off a donation should feel like an easy good deed.

But Indiana thrift stores turn away some items that look perfectly fine, and Hoosiers can end up hauling them back home.

Here’s the no-no list to check before you load your car.

1. Cribs

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana lists cribs among the donations it can’t accept at its thrift stores.

The Salvation Army’s Bloomington donation page gets more precise and turns away cribs made before June 2011.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says cribs made before the June 28, 2011, compliance date are very likely unsafe and illegal to sell.

Older cribs can have wider gaps between slats and dangerous drop-side mechanisms.

Looks don’t enter into it.

If your attic holds a crib from 2008 that looks brand new, you can’t hand it off to either charity.

2. Car Seats

Car seats are on Goodwill’s list of thrift store donations it can’t accept.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publishes a used car seat checklist that asks for no recalls and no history of a moderate to severe crash.

The labels on the seat list its date of manufacture and model number, which is how you check for a recall or learn whether it’s too old.

History beats shine.

So if your kids have outgrown a seat that looks new, Goodwill’s list still says no.

3. Mattresses and Box Springs

Goodwill asks thrift store donors to leave mattresses at home.

Its household donation list repeats the point and adds bed springs and sofa beds.

The Salvation Army’s Bloomington page lists mattresses and box springs too.

Two lists, one answer.

Even if you kept your guest-room mattress under a cover from day one, both lists still name it.

4. Tube TVs

Box and tube TVs are on the list of donations The Salvation Army’s Bloomington thrift store can’t accept.

Goodwill lists televisions and points you to recycling programs run by many communities, the state and some stores.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) says Indiana’s E-Waste Law took effect on July 1, 2009.

It bars households from putting televisions in trash headed to a landfill or incinerator.

A working picture changes nothing.

If the TV in your basement still turns on, IDEM’s list of registered E-Cycle collectors by county shows where it can go.

5. Paint and Household Chemicals

Goodwill’s donation list tells thrift store donors to skip paint, household chemicals and insecticides.

A sealed can of paint is in perfect condition.

The list makes no exception.

IDEM says paint should never go down the drain or into the trash unless it has dried out.

Good, usable paint can go to theater or community groups, or you can recycle it.

6. Recalled Products

Recalled products are off the table at The Salvation Army’s Bloomington thrift store.

Working order doesn’t clear a product from a recall.

CPSC points resellers to its Reseller’s Guide to screen for hazardous products and others that violate the law.

Condition isn’t the test.

You can read the same guide before anything from your garage goes in your trunk.

7. Big Appliances

The donation page for The Salvation Army’s Bloomington thrift store turns away large household items such as a fridge, stove, washer and dryer.

A washer that still runs like new is in perfect condition.

Goodwill’s list names air conditioners, hot water heaters and furnaces.

Does a running dryer count?

Your old dryer that still runs needs a different drop-off spot.

8. Medical Equipment

Medical equipment is a no at The Salvation Army’s Bloomington thrift store.

If your family’s spare room holds a hospital bed that works fine, Goodwill’s list names it, and the Salvation Army’s list turns away medical equipment too.

It needs another home.

9. Personal Documents

Goodwill says its thrift store disposal costs, especially secure shredding of loose papers, cut into money for its employment and education services.

Goodwill's thrift store list also turns away paper, starting with bank statements and passports.

Paper counts too.

If you clear out a home office, check every folder before anything goes in your trunk.