| How to Recycle Clothes Posted: 16 Aug 2019 01:00 AM PDT Recycling is often associated with collecting and reusing paper, plastic, and glass. But you can also recycle your clothes! You may think it would be easier to simply discard unwanted clothing, but clothes can clog up landfills and harm the environment, too. Whether you donate, swap, sell, or repurpose, no matter what condition your clothing items are in, there is a way you can recycle them! [Edit]Donating Clothes - Choose good quality clothing items to donate. You shouldn't donate clothes that are stained, ruined, or wouldn't be used by somebody else. That only makes more work for people who work or volunteer at a donation center or store. Set aside the clothes that you don't wear anymore, but are still in good condition to be donated.[1]
- Wash and dry and clothes you plan to donate. Many donation centers and thrift stores cannot accept dirty or wet clothes as they can be a safety hazard.
- Separate clothes into similar groupings: put shirts with shirts, shoes with shoes, and pants with pants to make it easier for the people who will sort them.
- Find a local donation center to donate your clothes to. Go online to search for donation centers in your area that will accept your clothes to save on transportation costs and to support a local center. Additionally, many larger charities like Habitat for Humanity often have drop-off locations where you can donate clothes.[2]
- Contact the organization to make sure they'll accept your clothing items before you drop them off. Some charities only accept specific clothing items for donation.
- Donate your clothes to Goodwill to help fund their employment mission. Goodwill has a location in almost every major city and most accept walk-in or drop-off donations at any time and without an appointment. Goodwill uses part of its profits to provide training and employment services for people who are looking for a job, and you can help fund their mission with your donations.[3]
- Go to Goodwill.org to find a location near you.
- Contact your local Goodwill by phone to see if they have specific times for you to drop off your donations.
- Give your clothes to a local thrift store for secondhand shoppers. Local thrift stores rely on donations to stay in business and to provide low-priced clothing options for people in your community. You can recycle your clothes back into your local economy by providing your local thrift stores with good quality clothing items.[4]
- Call the Salvation Army to pick up your clothes. The Salvation Army is a charity organization that uses parts of its profits to support educational programs and initiatives to help the homeless. They also make donating easy by offering a pickup service that will come to your house to pick up your clothing donations. Call your local Salvation Army to arrange a pickup.[5]
- Go to SalvationArmy.org to find a location near you.
- Contact a local homeless shelter to see if they will accept donations. Homeless shelters are often in need of clothing items, especially items like shoes and coats. Call or visit a local shelter and ask them what items they are in need of before you donate, because they often do not have the resources to sort your items, and can only accept what they can use.[6]
- Go online to find a shelter and get their contact information.
[Edit]Swapping or Reselling Your Clothes - Select lightly used clothing items to be resold or swapped. If you have clothing items that are still in great condition but you still want to get rid of, you can make a little bit of extra cash by reselling them or you can exchange them with someone else for another item that you will use. Choose good quality clothing items to set aside to be sold or swapped for something else.[7]
- Make sure the clothes are clean and dry.
- If you still have the tags on the clothing item, all the better! It shows that the item wasn't worn and even shows the original price.
- Host a clothing swap to exchange clothes. Invite friends who wear close to the same size (and maybe style) of clothing as you to bring their surplus clothing items and you can compare and exchange items. Clothing swaps are a great way to recycle clothes by giving them to people who like them and will use them.[8]
- Make a Facebook event to invite people to a clothing swap. They can also post pictures of items they plan to bring to event.
- Bring your clothes to a local consignment shop to sell them. Go online to search for consignment stores in your area that you can bring your clothes to. Consignment stores accept good-quality clothing items to sell in their shop, and will pay you for your clothes if they think they are able to sell them.[9]
- Sell your clothes to an online consignment store. Just like brick and mortar consignment shops will purchase clothes from you to resell, there are online consignment stores that will pay you to send them your clothing items that are in good quality. They often will mail you a package that you can use to mail back your clothing items, so you don't have to do anything but mail your clothes to them and get paid![10]
- Major online consignment stores include: ThredUp, Poshmark, Kidizen (children's clothing), Worthy, and The RealReal. But there are many different online shops that will purchase specific items, so check online.
- Hold a yard sale to sell your clothes. Sometimes, the tried-and-true yard sale is the best way to sell a bunch of your clothes. Post signs around your neighborhood and post on social media advertising the date and time of your yard sale. Organize your clothes into neat sections and wait for people to come through and purchase your clothes.[11]
- Choose a Saturday morning with nice weather to host your yard sale to attract more people.
- Label the prices of your clothing clearly.
- Use an online marketplace to sell your clothing items. If you want to control the selling process, you can sell your clothes using an online marketplace to advertise the clothing item and the price. Sell used clothing on eBay or use Facebook Marketplace to clear out your closet and make a little cash.[12]
- Take lots of high-quality pictures to use in your online listing.
- Set a reasonable price, and mention whether you are open to negotiating the price.
- Clearly label the brand, color, and size of the clothing item.
[Edit]Repurposing Your Clothes - Recycle clothing that is in poor condition. Your clothes that are just too-far-gone to be worn by someone else can still be reused to make items like car seat stuffing, home insulation, and can be recycled to make new fabric. There are recycling programs that will accept many different clothing items to be repurposed and reused.[13]
- Contact the Council for Textile Recycling to recycle scrap textile. If your clothes have fallen apart or you have strips of fabric or textile, you can recycle them by contacting the Council for Textile Recycling to find a donation center or a drop-off location to bring your clothes to. Visit their website at weardonaterecycle.org to find a location near you.
- Some donation centers will only accept certain fabrics, so make sure you can recycle your clothes with them before you drop them off.
- Give your old shoes to Soles4Souls to be recycled. Soles4Souls will accept used shoes to be recycled or repurposed and distributed to people in need all over the world. Visit soles4souls.org and use their Find a Location tool to find a donation center near you.[14]! Contact Soles4Souls to request a free box to ship your donation.}}
- Give the clothes to a clothing company to be recycled. Some companies like Patagonia or North Face will accept their own brand of clothing back to be recycled. They may even offer you a discount on a new item of clothing. Other clothing retailers like H&M and American Eagle have clothing recycling bins in their stores and allow you to donate clothes of any brand to be recycled.[15]
- Contact the brand of clothes you plan to recycle by going to their website and find out if they will recycle your item for you.
- Reuse your old clothes to make new things. You can make new clothes out of your old clothes, use the clothing material for arts and crafts, or turn the material into cloths and rags you can clean with. The textiles in your old clothes can be recycled into a number of items that you can still use![16]
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| How to Make IKEA Furniture Look Vintage Posted: 15 Aug 2019 05:00 PM PDT IKEA furniture is stylish and inexpensive, but sometimes, nothing beats a piece of upholstery that looks well-worn and well-loved. Because IKEA furniture tends to look modern and inexpensive, it doesn't always have a vintage feel, so your new furniture may not fit your home's aesthetic. By remodeling your furniture to make it look worn, you can match your IKEA furniture to the style of your home. [Edit]Remodeling Glass or Metal Furniture - Spray paint your metal furniture. Hold the paint can several inches away from the object's surface and spray it in sweeping layers. Make the first coat any color of your choice and the second a faux-rusty brown. Once you've reached the desired aged look, let your spray paint dry.[1]
- To make the furniture look even more weathered, sand the furniture's edges down after spray painting it.
- You can purchase spray paint at most craft or home improvement stores.
- Gold spray paint in particular can add an older, regal feel to furniture. You can spray paint the entire piece gold or use it to embellish specific parts of the furniture (like the knobs, siding, or crown molding).[2]
- To spray specific sections of the furniture gold, cover any areas you don't want to paint with kraft paper and masking tape.
- Spread marble contact tape over the top of glass or metal coffee tables. To make coffee tables look older and sturdier, add a layer of marble contact tape over the top. Cut out a sheet of contact paper that's the same size as your coffee table top and remove the adhesive backing. Place the contact tape carefully over the tabletop and smooth it out to get rid of any lines or bubbles.[3]
- Marble contact paper can be purchased online or at many home improvement stores.
- Add felt handles to make furniture look worn. Remove your furniture's current knobs or handles and replace them with felt for a softer, aged feel. Cut a strip of felt to the size of your handle, using the old handle as an approximate guide. Make two holes on either side of the strip and fasten it onto the furniture with nails or screws.[4]
- You could also make leather handles as an alternative if you want to use a sturdier material.
- Make your metal furniture rust. To age your metal furniture quickly, rust it with vinegar, salt, and peroxide. Rust your metal gradually to avoid over-aging your furniture and accidentally damaging its functionality.[5]
- If you decide that you don't like the look of rusty metal, restore it with a chemical rust remover, acidic solution, or electrolysis. These methods can repair the object but may not return it to its original state, so think carefully before you rust your furniture.
[Edit]Renovating Wooden Furniture - Stain your furniture's wood. A stain finish can make your furniture look older and more expensive. Find the right finish for your furniture's wood and either hire a professional or stain it yourself.[6]
- Swap the furniture's wooden legs for more vintage-looking pieces. IKEA furniture tends to have inexpensive and new-looking legs. Purchase higher quality furniture legs online or from an antique store to make your furniture look more expensive.[7]
- Metal or stained wood furniture legs tend to look more aged.
- For an especially vintage touch, swap the legs with legs from antique furniture.
- Dent the furniture yourself with a hammer. For an older and weathered look, take a hammer and make dents or dings into the surface. To add scratches, drag a sharp object like a screw across the surface of the wood.[8]
- Try not to overdo self-aging the furniture. A few tasteful dings and scratches will look much better than overly-damaged furniture.
- If your furniture has a varnish or stain, sand it down first.
- Install brass corners to the edges of wooden furniture. A wooden coffee table or crate can look distinctly more vintage with brass corners. Purchase a set of 4 brass corners and either glue or screw them into your furniture.[9]
- Wrap your wooden chair sides in yarn. A little yarn can make wooden IKEA chairs look softer and well-worn. Wrap the yarn tightly along the sides of the chair's back so the yarn stays snug, then knot the edges to secure it in place.[10]
- Thicker yarn tends to look better and stay in good condition longer.
[Edit]Decorating Fabric Upholstery - Rub your fabric upholstery with sandpaper. Unused sandpaper can wear the weave of the fabric and give it an older, more softened feel. Rub fine-grit sandpaper evenly around the fabric to keep the wear looking natural.[11]
- If you're not sure what specific grit of sandpaper to use, bring your fabric into a craft or home improvement store and ask an employee which sandpaper grit would work best to soften but not damage it.
- Put a slipcover over IKEA chairs or sofas. A slipcover can make inexpensive-looking furniture look older and sophisticated. Purchase a slipcover accessory through IKEA's website or find a similarly-sized slipcover from another retailer and fit it to your furniture for a simple fix.[12]
- Purchase an old slipcover in your furniture's size for an instantly vintage look.
- Age black or white cotton furniture in the sun. Rinse your upholstery fabric with cold water and leave it to dry under direct sunlight for 2-3 days. After several days, white fabric should start yellowing and black fabric should turn grey for an older, faux vintage color.[13]
- Check your weather forecast ahead of time to make sure you'll leave your furniture out in good weather.
- Try tea-dying fabric covers. If your furniture cover is small enough to soak, you can dye it to achieve an aged look. Boil a large pot of water and add 4-6 tea bags to the water. Let the tea steep until the water turns reddish-brown, then immerse your fabric cover into the solution for up to 10 minutes.[14]
- If you would prefer a darker color, you could also dye your fabric with coffee.
- For a shortcut to vintage furniture, you can also buy older IKEA furniture online from previous decades.[15]
[Edit]Warnings - Making modifications to your IKEA furniture can void its warranty. Keep this in mind before you adapt your furniture in any way.
[Edit]References __ |
| How to Prepare for a Weekend Camping Trip Posted: 15 Aug 2019 09:00 AM PDT Get ready for a fun weekend outdoors by preparing for your camping trip strategically. Pick out a campsite for your needs, and try to reserve your spot ahead of time. When packing, plan out things like which meals you'll eat and which outfits to bring that are versatile. Create a checklist to make sure you don't forget anything super important, such as your camping gear and a first-aid kit. [Edit]Choosing the Right Campsite - Choose the ideal campsite for your needs. If you want to completely submerge yourself in nature and be entirely secluded, there are camping spots you can select that will give you this experience. However, if you want to camp but also want access to bathrooms, running water, and electrical outlets, you might search for a campground that advertises these amenities.[1]
- Go online to find out campsite options in places such as your nearest national park.
- Websites of campgrounds should list all of the amenities they have, if any.
- Pick a campsite that has fun activities nearby. Think about which activities you want to do on your trip, such as hiking, fishing, kayaking, or swimming. This will help you narrow down your campsite options, choosing a site that has at least 1 or 2 of your desired activities.[2]
- Make sure you pack the gear for any activities you wish to do, if necessary.
- Check to see if your campsite rents out kayaks, canoes, or fishing gear for campers to use.
- Reserve your camping spot beforehand. This is especially important if you've chosen a campground that's more crowded. Either go online to reserve your spot for a selected date, or call the campground to speak to an employee about your visit.[3]
- Be aware that many campgrounds have a camping fee that ranges from $5-10, to a little under $50.
- Some national parks require permits to camp there, so check with the national park to see what you need to do, if necessary.
- Check the forecast to prepare for any rain or inclement weather. Ideally you'll be camping in sunny or cloudy weather, but it's a good idea to look at the forecast for the weekend before you go. If you know there will be inclement weather, think about which camping location you choose—a campsite on low ground won't keep you as dry as a campsite on higher ground with lots of trees to protect you from the rain.[4]
- If there's a chance of rain, make sure you have clothing that will keep you protected, as well as any tent gear needed for the rain.
[Edit]Planning Your Meals - Decide which meals you'll eat while camping. When choosing meals, you want foods that will travel well and will take minimal effort to cook. Think simple meals like sandwiches, easy breakfast foods, or foil meals you can heat over a campfire. Write down what you'll have for each meal to make sure you don't forget any ingredients.[5]
- Other meal ideas include pancakes, oatmeal, pasta, tacos, and nachos.
- Don't forget to bring s'mores to roast around the campfire!
- Pack bread and peanut butter to make easy peanut butter sandwiches.
- Choose simple snacks that can be eaten on the go. If you're on a hike or out swimming, you won't be able to fix a complete meal. Pack snacks like trail mix, fruit, crackers, or granola bars to eat while you're having fun, or to tide you over until the next meal.[6]
- Bring snacks in your backpack if you go on a hike or away from the campsite.
- Pack a large cooler strategically to keep everything cold. All of your cold items will need to fit in your cooler, so it's important to pack it well. Place lots of cooler packs on the bottom, stacking things that won't break, such as drinks, on top of the cooler packs. Load up the cooler with the most fragile items (like eggs or bread) on the top.[7]
- Keep anything that can melt, such as chocolate for your s'mores, in the cooler too.
- Bring your own water to ensure you don't run out. Even if your campsite has promised to have drinkable water, it's best to bring your own. Bring bottled water you can take with you on hikes or other activities, making sure there's enough water for each person.[8]
- If there's room in your cooler, place your water in there to keep it cold.
[Edit]Packing Essential Items - Use a camping checklist to ensure you don't forget anything. You can find lots of great camping checklists online, telling you everything you should bring to ensure a successful trip. Put things on your list such as a tent, extra tarp, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, chairs, and flashlights.[9]
- Other items you'll need are extra batteries, sunscreen, insect repellant, and your toiletries.
- Pack toilet paper and hand sanitizer in case there isn't any on the campgrounds.
- Pack any medical supplies that might be needed. A first-aid kit is an important addition to any camping trip, just in case an accident happens. Bring along any allergy medication, needed prescriptions, or pain medicine such as Advil or Tylenol to be prepared.[10]
- Make sure your first-aid kit includes things like bandaids, gauze, antiseptic, and an ice pack.
- Plan your wardrobe so you're dressing in layers. Since you'll be in the outdoors during the day and nighttime, you'll likely experience a range of temperatures. Pack clothing you can take on and off, such as jackets, loose pants, hats, or gloves. Pack shoes that are easy to walk in, such as hiking boots, that will protect your feet.[11]
- Bring a bathing suit if the weather will be warm, or winter coats and scarves if the weather is going to be cold.
- Bring a rain jacket if it's going to rain, as well as extra pairs of socks.
- Bring kitchen tools if you plan on cooking your meals. This includes things like a skillet or pan, cups, utensils, spatula, a lighter, and foil. Think carefully about what you'll need to create each meal you've planned, and bring the necessary kitchen items.[12]
- Bring a sponge to rinse off any dishes so you're not bringing them back dirty, or opt for disposable utensils and dishes.
- Other important items include paper towels, paring knives, storage bags, and roasting sticks for hot dogs or marshmallows.
- Leave the campsite clean when you leave—bring trash bags, if necessary!
- Try to arrive before mid-afternoon to set up your gear before it gets dark.
- Keep your sleeping bags rolled up until you're ready to sleep—this keeps bugs and water out of them.
- Get a paper map of the trails you're using in case your phone or GPS stops working.
- Practice setting up your tent beforehand if it's your first time.
- Create potluck dinner items if friends are joining you on your weekend camping trip. This will help reduce the number of items in everyone's gear.
- Always keep the tent zipped up and your food secured to keep out insects.
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