Mattress Donation

When you buy a brand new mattress, one of the first things you’ve got to do is get rid of your old one. If your old bed is broken or aged, it’s probably best to call up your local junk removal service. But what about if it’s still in good shape?

If your mattress is gently used, donating it could be the best option because it allows you to both get the unwanted mattress off your hands and help someone in need. In this post, we’ll go over how to donate your mattress, including possible places to drop it off and how to prepare it for donation.

Where to Donate

There are countless donations centers that accept clothing, shoes, and other household goods, but not every donation center accepts used mattresses. We suggest checking an organization’s list of accepted items online or calling ahead before taking your mattress anywhere.

National Furniture Bank Association

The National Furniture Bank Association operates an online directory listing different facilities currently accepting furniture donations. You can use this database to locate a Furniture Bank to drop off your gently used mattress—some Furniture Bank facilities might also allow you to schedule a pickup appointment for a volunteer or team member to come to you. Once you’ve donated your mattress, it will then be placed with a family or individual in need of a new bed.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity operates a network of warehouses that accept new and gently used furniture donations. Like the Furniture Bank, Habitat for Humanity’s site contains a database that will allow you to find the closest facility (called a ReStore). You can then contact your ReStore to determine which items they’re in need of and how to best donate them. Also like the Furniture Bank, most Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations will pick up your donation.

FreeCycle

Unlike the other two organizations on this list, FreeCycle doesn’t take donations. Rather, they operate a website that allows you to easily donate right to someone in your area. To donate, just list your free item, and individuals looking for that item can contact you. The site allows for direct communication, so you won’t need to exchange contact information if you don’t want to do so.

Know Before You Go

While these and other organizations can accept donated mattresses, one thing to keep in mind is your charity of choice may not be able to take your mattress at the exact time you want to donate it. This might happen for a variety of reasons. For example, an organization’s storage space might be full, or they could have a sufficient inventory of donated mattresses for their needs. That means you’ll want to call the place you plan to take your mattress to ensure they’ll accept it.

FAQs

How do I prep my mattress for donation?

Charitable organizations don’t want trash or dirty items, so it’s important to make sure your old mattress is clean before you donate it. Of course, you can have it professionally cleaned and sanitized. If you don’t want to do that, you can clean it yourself.

To DIY clean your mattress, strip any linens and mattress protectors off it. Vacuum it with an upholstery attachment or furniture vacuum. Spot-clean the cover and padding with a stain remover specific to the type of stain—for instance, you’ll need to remove biological stains with an enzyme cleaner, while a dish soap/hydrogen peroxide solution is better for food or beverage stains.

Once you’ve removed the stains, sprinkle baking soda over the entire mattress and allow it to sit for at least several hours, though overnight is best. Vacuum the mattress again, then flip it and repeat the steps on the other side.

How can I tell if my mattress is donatable?

If your mattress is not in good condition, it cannot be donated. Charities will likely reject mattresses that are broken, at the end of their lifespan, heavily stained, or infested with some kind of pest—like bed bugs or dust mites. Take a look at your mattress, checking for rips, sagging, holes, mold, pests, and other serious problems. If it has any of these issues, it’s better to recycle or repurpose it rather than donating.

Can I recycle my broken down mattress rather than throwing it away?

Sure. There are several recycling programs that can help you get rid of your mattress if you don’t want to leave it at the dump. Check out places like Earth 911, Bye-Bye Mattress, and the International Sleep Products Association for information on local recycling centers near you.

If a recycling facility can’t take your whole mattress, that facility might still accept the components if you cut the mattress apart and separate them yourself. For instance, many recycling centers take steel springs as scrap metal, and wood from box springs and mattresses can be ground into mulch by a wood repurposing program.

Is it safe to get a donated mattress myself?

It should be. Many charities are quite picky about the furniture they take. However, one thing you need to worry about with any secondhand furniture is bed bugs, so it’s important to check for them before bringing home a donated mattress. Keep in mind bed bugs are good at hiding, so you’ll need to inspect all the creases in the mattress and under the buttons. You can get rid of bed bugs in a mattress, but no one wants to bring an infested mattress into their home if they can avoid it.

Signs a mattress has bed bugs include exoskeletons, eggs, feces, tiny dark stains, and actual bugs. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are easily visible to the naked eye—unfed bugs are typically flat, almost round, light brown, and between 1 and 7 millimeters in length. Fed bugs will look rounder, almost like they’ve been blown up like a balloon.

When buying a used mattress, remember you likely have no way of knowing how long the mattress will last. Ask yourself if the price is worth it to get a mattress that might last only a couple of years.

Can I sell a lightly used mattress?

If your mattress is free of stains and damage, you might be able to get some money out of it. You probably won’t be able to sell it to a consignment shop or thrift store no matter what shape it’s in, as these places are almost never equipped to legally take in or resell used mattresses.

Thus, you’re more likely to have success if you list it on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, Craigslist, etc. Make sure to look up your state and local laws on used mattress resale because certain locations have more stringent sanitation and labeling requirements for used mattresses than others.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for the best mattress disposal method, donation to a local charity or homeless shelter is a great option, allowing your old bed to help someone in need instead of wasting away in the landfill. For some people, it’s the best way of finding an affordable mattress.

Just remember your mattress has to be in good condition to be considered for donation. If a mattress is so dirty or broken that you wouldn’t want it, it’s likely no one else will want it either. You also don’t want to sleep on a mattress until it’s completely broken down because of the discomfort, so it’s good to know the warning signs for when you should replace a mattress.