All items · Bedding & textiles
Duvets and pillows
Also covers: quilt, duvet, pillow, bedding
Can you donate duvets and pillows to a UK charity shop? It depends.
Why shops may refuse it
Hygiene rules — filled bedding can't be washed to a resale standard (duvet covers and blankets are fine).
What to do instead
Some animal shelters take clean duvets for bedding, but policies vary and feather-filled items may be refused. Ask before travelling.
Charity by charity
91 mentions-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Used pillows and duvets (although pillow cases and mattress covers may be accepted)”
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Can't accept
Listed under large household items alongside bulky curtains.
Their wording
“duvets, pillows and bulky curtains”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Used or soiled duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
The same line also refuses mattress protectors.
Their wording
“Used duvets; pillows; mattress protectors”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Used pillows, duvets and quilts”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Pillows and duvets”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Towels, duvets and pillows”
- Can't accept
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Can't accept
Their wording
“duvets, bedding, mattresses, electric blankets”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Used duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvet and pillows”
- Can't accept
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Can't accept
Listed under 'Are there any items you cannot accept?'.
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Beds, mattresses, duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets, pillows and rugs”
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Can't accept
Pillow cases and mattress covers are accepted.
Their wording
“Used pillows (except pillow cases and mattress covers)”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Used bedding and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“linens, bedding, duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“used pillows/duvets/quilts”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Bedding, mattresses, duvets, pillows”
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Can't accept
Their donation-hub search returns this standard refusal when searching 'Duvet' or 'Pillow'.
Their wording
“Thank you for thinking of us. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept this item for health and safety reasons.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets or pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Pillows, duvets, eiderdowns”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Mattresses, duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Used pillows and duvets”
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Can't accept
Pillows and duvets listed under items the charity cannot take.
Their wording
“Mobility equipment or aids e.g. commodes, fire extinguishers or fire safety equipment, pillows and duvets, petrol or diesel fuelled garden equipment”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Linen, pillows, duvets and bedding”
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Can't accept
Also restated under 'Other Items' as 'Used pillows and duvets'.
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“duvets, pillows”
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Can't accept
Refused for resale; clean but worn duvets may still be accepted for recycling (see 'We can recycle material!' FAQ on the same page).
Their wording
“Used pillows or duvets”
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Can't accept
Feathered cushions are also refused.
Their wording
“Pillows, duvets, feathered cushions”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“duvets, pillows, furniture or other bulky items”
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Can't accept
Quilts treated as equivalent to duvets in this line.
Their wording
“Mattresses, pillows, quilts.”
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Can't accept
Duvets are explicitly excluded from soft furnishings; pillows are not separately mentioned in this text.
Their wording
“Soft furnishings - smaller items and not mattresses and duvets”
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Can't accept
Charity states these can't be sold or recycled
Their wording
“NOT ABLE TO ACCEPT DUVETS OR PILLOWS (can’t be sold or recycled)”
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Can't accept
General bedding is listed among items not accepted.
Their wording
“Bedding, mattresses and towels”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Duvets or pillows – we're afraid it's too expensive to get them cleaned.”
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Check first
Only accepted if brand new and in original packaging.
Their wording
“Pillows and duvets (unless brand new in packaging)”
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Check first
Pillows and quilts only accepted new and unused.
Their wording
“Mattresses, pillows and quilts that are not in new, unused, condition”
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Check first
only accepted new/unused, not used
Their wording
“Used pillows, duvets, mattresses (new items can be sold)”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are refused; new ones seem acceptable.
Their wording
“Used duvets, pillows, and sleeping bags”
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Check first
Duvets and pillows accepted only if new and sealed.
Their wording
“Duvets, pillows (unless new & sealed), electric blankets & hot water bottles”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are refused; new ones are not addressed.
Their wording
“Used Duvets, Pillows and Mattresses”
- Check first
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Check first
Only accepted if brand new; used pillows and quilts are refused.
Their wording
“Pillows and quilts unless brand new”
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Check first
Pillows and duvets only accepted if brand new and still in original packaging.
Their wording
“Upholstered furniture, without a fire label and all items donated as sets, blankets, pillows and duvets unless brand new and still in its original packaging”
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Check first
Must be in sealed packaging as sold.
Their wording
“Duvets, pillows and bed linen (in sealed packaging as sold)”
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Check first
Only used duvets are refused; new ones appear acceptable.
Their wording
“Used duvets and mattresses”
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Check first
Only accepted if new and still in original packaging.
Their wording
“Pillows and duvets that are new and in packaging”
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Check first
Only used quilts and pillows are refused; new ones are not addressed.
Their wording
“Used Mattresses, Pillows, Quilts, Sleeping Bags”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are covered by the source; new ones are not addressed.
Their wording
“Used pillows, duvets, and mattresses”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are refused; new ones are not addressed.
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows that have been used”
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Check first
Only used pillows and quilts are refused; new ones are not addressed.
Their wording
“Used mattresses, pillows and quilts”
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Check first
Only second-hand duvets and pillows are refused; new ones are not addressed.
Their wording
“Second-hand duvets and pillows.”
- Check first
- Check first
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Check first
Pillows and quilts (duvets) accepted only if new and unused.
Their wording
“Mattresses, pillows and quilts that are not in new, unused, condition (hygiene reasons).”
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Check first
Only duvets and pillows that have been used are refused; new ones are not covered by the wording.
Their wording
“duvets and pillows that have been used”
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Check first
Used duvets and pillows not accepted (covers and pillowcases are fine); new ones accepted.
Their wording
“used duvets (except duvet covers), used pillows (except pillowcases)”
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Check first
Unless new or sealed; grouped with sleeping bags and mattress toppers.
Their wording
“Duvets, pillows, sleeping bags, mattress toppers”
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Check first
Only used bedding, duvets and pillows are refused.
Their wording
“used bedding, blankets, duvets, pillows or towels”
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Check first
Accepted only if sealed in original packaging.
Their wording
“Duvets or pillows (unless sealed in original packaging), worn or dirty linen”
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Check first
Only accepted if new and in original packaging
Their wording
“Quilts & Pillows (unless new & in packaging)”
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Check first
Used duvets/pillows not accepted, but pillow cases and mattress covers are fine
Their wording
“Duvets or pillows (used) (except pillow cases & mattress covers)”
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Check first
Accepted only if new and sealed.
Their wording
“❌ Duvets and pillows (unless new and sealed)”
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Check first
Accepted only if new and sealed in original packaging.
Their wording
“Duvets, quilts, and pillows (unless new and sealed in their original packaging)”
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Check first
Only accepted if brand new and in original packaging.
Their wording
“Pillows or duvets unless they are brand new and in original packaging”
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Check first
Duvets must be clean.
Their wording
“Bed linen, pillows, clean duvets, towels, table cloths & napkins, throws, bedspreads & eiderdowns.”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are refused.
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows that have been used”
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Check first
must be new or in pristine condition, no marks or stains
Their wording
“Single and double duvets (must be new or in pristine condition, no marks or stains)”
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Check first
Only accepted if new and in original packaging.
Their wording
“Pillows & duvets (unless new in original packaging)”
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Check first
Accepted only if sealed in original packaging; children's pillows are excluded outright.
Their wording
“duvets and pillows (unless sealed in original packaging)”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are refused.
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows that have been used.”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are refused; pillow cases and mattress covers are accepted.
Their wording
“Used duvets or pillows”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are refused; new ones are not addressed.
Their wording
“Used duvets/pillows”
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Check first
Only accepted if unused and in original packaging.
Their wording
“Divan beds, mattresses, duvets and pillows UNLESS unused and in their original packaging”
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Check first
only accepted if still in original packaging
Their wording
“Duvets and pillows (unless in original packaging)”
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Check first
Only used bedding is refused; new bedding is not addressed.
Their wording
“Used bedding”
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Check first
Only used duvets and pillows are refused.
Their wording
“Used duvets and pillows”
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Accepted
Their wording
“Soft furnishings and bedding”
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Accepted
Their wording
“Bedding, curtains etc”
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Accepted
Their wording
“Bric a Brac and household items: Bedding, curtains etc”
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Accepted
'Bedding' listed among accepted items (generic term).
Their wording
“Curtains, towels, tea towels and bedding.”
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Accepted
Listed as 'bedding' rather than duvets/pillows specifically.
Their wording
“Textiles: bedding, curtains, rugs & towels”
Not mentioned in 62 charities' guidance
Absence from a charity's list doesn't mean they accept it — it just isn't singled out. Ask your local shop.
- Acorns Children's Hospice
- Ardgowan Hospice
- Ayrshire Hospice
- Barnsley Hospice
- Bolton Hospice
- Claire House Children's Hospice
- Cransley Hospice Trust
- Crisis
- DEBRA
- Derian House Children's Hospice
- Douglas Macmillan Hospice
- East Lancashire Hospice
- Great Oaks Hospice
- Heart of Kent Hospice
- Helen & Douglas House
- Hospice in the Weald
- Hospice Isle of Man
- Hospice of the Valleys
- Jersey Hospice Care
- Katharine House Hospice (Stafford)
- Katharine House Hospice, Banbury
- Keech Hospice Care
- Martin House Children's Hospice
- Moya Cole Hospice
- Nightingale House Hospice
- North Devon Hospice
- North London Hospice
- Nottinghamshire Hospice
- Octavia Foundation
- PDSA
- Pilgrims Hospices
- Primrose Hospice
- Prospect Hospice
- Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People
- Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care
- Rotherham Hospice
- Saint Francis Hospice
- Save the Children
- Scope
- Sense Scotland
- Severn Hospice
- Springhill Hospice
- St Andrew's Hospice (Lanarkshire)
- St Barnabas Hospice (Lincolnshire)
- St Catherine's Hospice (Lancashire)
- St Columba's Hospice
- St Luke's Cheshire Hospice
- St Luke's Hospice (Harrow & Brent)
- St Margaret's Hospice Care (Somerset)
- St Raphael's Hospice
- St Richard's Hospice
- Strathcarron Hospice
- The Kirkwood
- The Myton Hospices
- The Prince of Wales Hospice
- The Shakespeare Hospice
- Treetops Hospice Trust
- Tynedale Hospice at Home
- Weldmar Hospicecare
- Willow Wood Hospice
- Wisdom Hospice
- YMCA (England & Wales)