ThredUp is an online thrift store that offers a large selection of secondhand clothing and accessories for men, women, and kids. Their vast inventory comes in part from people who donate their pre-loved items using their easy, pre-labeled cleanout kits. As a serial closet-editer, I have used ThredUp for years to sustainably recycle my unworn clothing. The Clean Out Kit program is a way to recycle your clothing with practically zero effort and feel good about it. What is a ThredUP Clean Out Kit, you're wondering?
(Disclosure: I may make a small commission if you click a link within this post.)
One of the absolute easiest ways to get rid of unused clothing is with a ThredUP Clean Out Kit. It's as simple as stuffing the bag and dropping it off at the post office. That's it. Seriously!
The best part? Once ThredUP processes your cleanout kit, you can even use the clothes to buy BRAND NEW favorites from luxury sustainable brands like Reformation and Cuyana. I've gotten some beautiful Cuyana leather bags and brand-new Reformation pieces, just from cleaning out my closet. It's such a great way to purge your closet of things that no longer fit your lifestyle and replace them with ones that do.
Honestly, I've been using this service for at least five years now, and I am the biggest fan ever. I love how easy it is, I love that they handle the recycling of any items that aren't worth reselling, and I love that you have options on how to handle your payouts.
For a busy mom with enough on her plate, there is simply no better way to recycle unwanted clothing than by using the ThredUP Clean Out Kit. And, let me just say, this is not a sponsored post. This is just me talking about a service that I truly love and use multiple times a year.
There are a few different ways you can receive a ThredUP Clean Out Kit. The first is by shopping at some of their Resale-As-A-Service retail partners. These include Reformation, Cuyana, Athleta, Banana Republic, and Rent the Runway, to name a few (see the full list here). When you shop online at these brands, they usually send a complimentary Clean Out Kit with your order, so that you don't even have to request one. You can just fill up the bag, use the prepaid label, and send it to ThredUP for credit to be used at that retailer.
If you prefer cold hard cash (which, let's be honest, is totally reasonable, too), then you can simply go to their website to request a Clean Out Kit at any time.
Great question! If ThredUp doesn't take all of your clothes, then you have the option to either have them donate them or return them to you for a small fee (about $10). If the clothing is in good condition and on-trend, they will add it to their online inventory for resale. If not, they responsibly recycle it for you with zero extra effort on your part!
You can do that, too! Simply choose the "donate" option when requesting your kit and ThredUP will donate your unwanted items to charity on your behalf. It's a super-easy way to give back!
I totally understand this question. The payout is totally dependent on the types of clothing you are sending in your Clean Out Kit. If you're sending some great handbags and shoes that have light wear and tear, or if you're sending some higher-end clothing that still looks like new, then you're likely to receive a great payout. You can check out their Payout Estimator Tool to see if the payout is within your comfort level. (For me, personally, not having to keep the clothes in my home while I'm waiting for them to sell or dealing with the extra hassle of shipping things out one by one is totally worth it. I've also found that I'm more likely to pull things back out of my "get rid of" pile if I leave them in my home while waiting for them to sell. And 9 times out of 10, I still don't wear it.)
Depending on whether you request credit at a RaaS partner, or if you just request cash for clothes, the payout process is different. I've almost exclusively sold my clothes for store credit at one of their partner sites (again, this has allowed me to purchase some clothing and leather goods from my favorite sustainable brands, Reformation and Cuyana). If you choose the cash for clothes option, your credit will build up on your ThredUP account. You can either use it to purchase items from ThredUP or request a payout through PayPal or Stripe.
If you're still on the fence, feel free to leave a comment below with your questions. As I said, I've been using the ThredUp Clean Out Kits for years and I think it's the absolute best option for busy moms!
