Can You Donate Mattresses to Charity?

If you just bought a new mattress and look forward to better sleep, you’re probably wondering what to do with your old bed. Can you donate mattresses to charity? If so, is pick-up free, or do you have to pay for it? How should you get your old mattress ready for donation? What happens if your used mattress isn’t in good enough condition for donation?

Keep reading as our professionals from Easy Donation PickUp in Los Angeles answer all those questions and more about how you can make a mattress donation and help someone in need.

Can You Donate Mattresses?

Yes, you can donate mattresses. However, not all used mattresses are in good enough condition to warrant donation instead of a trip to the dump.

A gently used mattress is certainly acceptable for donation to local charities. Donation centers that accept mattresses usually have varying rules regarding the quality and condition of the item in question.

Does Every Charity Accept Mattress Donations?

No, not every charity will accept donated mattresses, even those in good shape. Generally, health is the primary reason charities won’t accept a used mattress donation. As you may know, bed bugs are rampant, and one of the hot spots where they linger is in the mattress, memory foam, fabric cover, and sheets. However, most charitable organizations will accept a gently used mattress in good condition.

Charities That Accept Mattress Donations

Fortunately, you’ll find numerous charities and non-profit organizations to which you can donate your mattress. The most common include:

The Salvation Army

First, you’ll need to determine your mattress’s condition and value for tax reasons. You can check out the SA home donation value guide for a general idea of how much you can deduct for your unwanted mattress. They don’t accept bed frames, but they will take old mattresses.

Goodwill

One of the best-known charities in the U.S. is Goodwill, which takes donations from people and then resells them to earn money for charitable works. You may also receive a tax voucher for Goodwill stores after your donation.

Donation Town

DT is an online directory that lists national and local charities where you can schedule a pick-up for your mattress.

National Furniture Bank Association

The NFBA also maintains an online directory of low-income families and those needing home furnishings, like mattresses.

However, some places will not allow you to donate a mattress. For example, local thrift stores are typically hit-or-miss. Generally, most thrift stores do not accept mattress donations, although some do.

How Much Does It Cost to Pick Up a Mattress Donation?

The cost of donating a mattress via pick-up varies depending on which organization you choose to handle your old mattress. For example, some charitable organizations may charge you for the cost of gas during the pick-up. However, you can often find options where you can donate your mattress for free.

At Easy Donation PickUp, we offer 100% FREE donation pick-up services, even for used mattresses. It’s fast, simple, and hassle-free. We make it as easy as possible for you! Here’s how it works:

1. Pick up the phone and call us at (855) 628-8387 or schedule your pick-up online using our convenient form.
2. Get your old mattress ready for donation.
3. You don’t even need to be home when we pick up your donation. Or, you can stay at home, and we’ll come right inside and haul away your belongings – for free.

Furthermore, we also accept various other household items as donations. We invite you to browse our Acceptable Items page to learn more about the types of belongings you can donate for free to our service.

Who Accepts Mattress Donations Other Than Charitable Organizations?

Besides charitable organizations, do other businesses accept mattress donations? As we said, thrift shops aren’t likely to accept old mattresses. However, you do have a few options for getting rid of your old mattress without the pain and hassle of doing all the hard work yourself.

Local Homeless Shelters

You can donate your mattresses to homeless shelters in your region. Shelters accept virtually any type of donation, including furnishings like mattresses.

Online Platforms

Why not list your mattress for free on Craiglist or Facebook Marketplace? As long as the other person doesn’t mind coming to pick it up from your home, it’s an excellent way to donate a mattress to another family in need. Of course, you can always schedule a meetup at a police station or other public place if you’re afraid of meeting someone sketchy.

Freecycle

Just like Craigslist, Freecycle is an online marketplace and directory that lists free items in local communities. It’s easy: Just log on, enter your location, and you can list your mattress for free to help another person in need.

How Can You Tell If Your Mattress Can Be Donated?

How can you tell if your mattress is in good enough condition for donation or whether it should take a trip to the dump instead? Here are a few factors to consider that will help you determine if your mattress is eligible for donation:

Clean and Free of Bed Bugs and Other Pests

Check that your mattress is clean and has no pests, such as scabies, bed bugs, or lice. It should also have no mold or mildew and minimal stains. If it does have an infestation, wrap it tightly in thick plastic, seal it with duct tape, and bring it to the dump.

Good Condition

Even if you have a comfortable mattress, you shouldn’t donate it if there are visible holes, rips, or tears. Remember, somebody will be using your bed after you donate it, so it should be clean and in good condition.

Odor-Free

While a slight odor may be acceptable, you can’t donate a mattress with foul, strong, or pungent odors. While you can sometimes use baking soda or fabric spray to get out a musty smell, here’s a good rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t want to sleep on it, chances are nobody else will, either.

Intact Coils

Check that your mattress has no broken, bent, or sprung coils. Not only do they reduce the quality of sleep, but damaged or broken coils can poke through foam mattresses and the fabric cover, potentially causing injury to the sleeper. Any mattresses with excessive sagging or bunching are also unacceptable for donation.

Stain-Free

Besides having a clean odor and being of relatively good quality, your mattress should be virtually stain-free. While a few minor stains here and there may be acceptable, you should remove large stains before donating. If they don’t come out of the fabric, send it to the dump instead. Nobody wants to sleep on someone else’s old mattress with large stains all over it!

What To Do If You Can’t Donate Your Mattress

Some mattresses are simply ineligible for donation due to their deteriorated quality, smell, condition, etc. So, what should you do if you can’t donate your mattress? You have a few options.

Bye Bye Mattress Database

The Bye Bye Mattress Database is an online directory where you can find local places to donate your mattress for recycling. The Mattress Recycling Council endorses the Bye Bye Mattress database, which is also a non-profit organization.

The Dump

You can always bring your mattress to the local waste station or dump to get rid of it. However, large items like a mattress may result in extra fees, so prepare yourself to pay a bit extra to drop it off. In addition, you’ll need to find a way to secure and transport the mattress so you can take it to the dump and dispose of it.

City Recycling

Many cities have a monthly free mattress pick-up service, or what’s known as “Amnesty Day,” at the dump. You can leave your mattress by the curb for pick-up or bring it to the local dump and dispose of it for free on these special days.

Upcycle It

One option you can try with a mattress that is ineligible for donation is upcycling. For example, you could cut the foam into small pieces and turn them into pet beds, cushions, or pillows. Use the old springs as candle or plant holders – it might surprise you what you can do with spray paint and glue!

Also, you could have your mattress professionally steam-cleaned to refurbish it for further use. While it may not be the best mattress you’ve ever had, saving a couple of hundred to thousands of dollars on a new mattress is always a sweet feeling.

Does Donating a Mattress Qualify as a Tax Deduction?

In some instances, you can donate a mattress to a local charity and receive a tax deduction for your next return. However, there are some requirements.

First, the mattress must be in “good” or better condition.

Second, you can only claim a tax education if you donate your old mattress to an IRS-approved organization.

Third, you’ll need to calculate the accurate value of your item before donating it to make the correct deduction on your tax return.

In addition, you’ll need to get a receipt from the organization to verify your donation and its total value.

However, it’s definitely worth it to donate mattresses that are in good enough condition to qualify for the tax deduction. Every little bit helps when tax season comes around!

Call Us at Easy Donation Pickup Today

So, can you donate mattresses? Yes. However, nobody wants to use an old, stinky mattress with stains, rips, or broken springs. Fortunately, charities all over California and the U.S. will accept gently used mattresses for donation, including the Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc.

If you live in Los Angeles or Orange County, CA, you can call us here at Easy Donation Pickup to donate your household items to charity and make a difference in someone’s life. It’s fast, simple, and free.

You can book your appointment right now and schedule a mattress pick-up — you don’t even have to be home. Call us at Easy Donation Pickup or book your appointment with our online form today!