All items · Clothing & accessories
Used underwear
Also covers: pants, knickers, bras, underware, underpants, boxers, thongs, y-fronts, briefs, g strings, g-strings, lingerie
Can you donate used underwear to a UK charity shop? No.
Why shops may refuse it
Hygiene — though new-with-tags underwear is fine, and several charities do accept bras in any condition for reuse schemes.
What to do instead
Bras are wanted by specialist recycling schemes; other used underwear goes in textile recycling banks.
Charity by charity
27 mentions-
Can't accept
Accepted only if it has a hygiene strip.
Their wording
“Worn underwear or swimwear without hygiene strip”
- Can't accept
-
Can't accept
Only new underwear/tights/stockings are listed as accepted (women's and men's sections both say 'new only'/'(new only)' for underwear); used underwear is not accepted.
Their wording
“Bras, underwear (only new items) tights, stockings (only new items), underskirts and full slips”
-
Can't accept
Used underwear is refused; only brand-new underwear and socks with tags are accepted.
Their wording
“Donated underwear and socks must be brand-new with tags.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Used undergarments”
-
Can't accept
New underwear/swimwear still with tags is accepted (see 'Underwear, socks and swimwear still with tags' in the accepted list).
Their wording
“Used underwear, socks and swimwear”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Underwear, nightwear”
-
Can't accept
Used underwear cannot be sold for hygiene reasons.
Their wording
“Whilst we are grateful for every donation, there are some items we simply cannot sell for hygiene, quality or safety reasons. This includes heavily worn or damaged clothing, items with stains or holes, used underwear or swimwear, and broken or incomplete goods.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Used Underwear and Swimwear including socks.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Used underwear”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Second-hand underwear, pyjamas, and socks.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Used/Worn underwear or socks”
- Can't accept
-
Can't accept
Used underwear is refused; the hygiene-strip condition applies to new, unworn items.
Their wording
“used underwear/swimwear without hygiene strips”
-
Can't accept
Underwear/pyjamas need new tags; swimwear needs new tags plus a hygiene strip.
Their wording
“underwear or pyjamas without new tags”
-
Can't accept
Listed simply as 'Underwear'; charity-shop donations are inherently secondhand.
Their wording
“Underwear and nightwear, worn swimwear”
-
Can't accept
From the 'Underwear' entry; brand new/unworn items with tags are accepted.
Their wording
“Please do not donate items that are: ❌ Previously worn - used underwear is not hygienic for donation ❌ Damaged - torn, stretched or frayed fabric”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Personal items: Used underwear, piercing jewellery, used cosmetics or toiletries, and prescription eyewear.”
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Can't accept
Underwear listed under items the charity cannot take.
Their wording
“Underwear, safety equipment, safety helmets, safety harnesses, cycle helmets, life jackets or buoyancy aids, weapons, prescription glasses, items made from ivory, personal items, such as shavers (unless unused and in a sealed box)”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Underwear without labels”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“underwear”
-
Can't accept
New and unworn underwear, including bras, is accepted.
Their wording
“Used underwear and soiled swimwear”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Underwear, pyjamas, dressing gowns, socks, swimwear”
-
Can't accept
Used underwear is refused; only brand-new underwear and socks with tags are accepted.
Their wording
“unless brand new and labelled/with tags”
-
Can't accept
Stated as a blanket exclusion of all underwear, not only used items.
Their wording
“Underwear, swimming costumes, bikinis.”
-
Can't accept
Listed under 'Underwear' in the 'Only donate if new' section; used underwear is not accepted, only brand new/unused.
Their wording
“We can accept them as long as they are brand new or completely unused.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Used dressing gowns, nightwear and underwear”
Not mentioned in 126 charities' guidance
Absence from a charity's list doesn't mean they accept it — it just isn't singled out. Ask your local shop.
- Accord Hospice
- Acorns Children's Hospice
- Age UK
- Ardgowan Hospice
- Ashgate Hospicecare
- Ayrshire Hospice
- Barnardo's
- Barnsley Hospice
- Blythe House Hospice
- Bolton Hospice
- British Red Cross
- Butterfly Hospice Trust
- Butterwick Hospice
- Children's Hospice South West
- Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)
- Claire House Children's Hospice
- Cornwall Hospice Care
- Crisis
- DEBRA
- Demelza Hospice Care for Children
- Derian House Children's Hospice
- Dogs Trust
- Douglas Macmillan Hospice
- Dr Kershaw's Hospice
- East Lancashire Hospice
- Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria's Children's Hospice
- Ellenor
- Emmaus
- FARA Charity Shops
- Farleigh Hospice
- Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity
- Forget Me Not Children's Hospice
- Garden House Hospice Care
- Great Oaks Hospice
- Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice
- Heart of Kent Hospice
- Helen & Douglas House
- Hope House & Ty Gobaith Children's Hospices
- Hospice Isle of Man
- Hospice of the Good Shepherd
- Hospice of the Valleys
- Jersey Hospice Care
- Julia's House
- Katharine House Hospice (Stafford)
- Katharine House Hospice, Banbury
- Keech Hospice Care
- Lindsey Lodge Hospice
- Longfield Community Hospice
- LOROS Hospice
- Marie Curie
- Martin House Children's Hospice
- Mountbatten Isle of Wight
- Moya Cole Hospice
- Nightingale House Hospice
- North Devon Hospice
- North London Hospice
- Nottinghamshire Hospice
- Octavia Foundation
- Overgate Hospice
- Oxfam
- PDSA
- Pendleside Hospice
- Phyllis Tuckwell
- Pilgrims Hospices
- Primrose Hospice
- Princess Alice Hospice
- Prospect Hospice
- Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People
- Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care
- Rotherham Hospice
- Rowans Hospice
- Royal Trinity Hospice (London)
- Saint Francis Hospice
- Salvation Army (SATCoL)
- Samaritans
- Scope
- Sense Scotland
- Severn Hospice
- Southern Hospice Group
- St Andrew's Hospice (Lanarkshire)
- St Barnabas Hospice (Lincolnshire)
- St Catherine's Hospice (Crawley)
- St Catherine's Hospice (Lancashire)
- St Christopher's Hospice
- St Clare Hospice
- St Columba's Hospice
- St Cuthbert's Hospice
- St David's Hospice Care
- St Giles Hospice
- St Helena Hospice
- St John's Hospice (London)
- St Luke's Cheshire Hospice
- St Luke's Hospice (Harrow & Brent)
- St Luke's Hospice Basildon & Thurrock
- St Luke's Hospice Plymouth
- St Luke's Hospice, Sheffield
- St Margaret's Hospice Care (Somerset)
- St Mary's Hospice
- St Oswald's Hospice
- St Peter & St James Hospice
- St Peter's Hospice
- St Raphael's Hospice
- St Richard's Hospice
- St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)
- St Vincent's Hospice
- Strathcarron Hospice
- Sue Ryder
- The Children's Trust
- The Kirkwood
- The Myton Hospices
- The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice
- The Prince of Wales Hospice
- The Shakespeare Hospice
- Traid
- Treetops Hospice Trust
- Tynedale Hospice at Home
- Wakefield Hospice
- Wales Air Ambulance
- Weldmar Hospicecare
- Willen Hospice
- Willow Burn Hospice
- Willow Wood Hospice
- Willowbrook Hospice
- Wirral Hospice St John's
- Woodgreen Pets Charity
- YMCA (England & Wales)