Start Your Spring Cleaning Now by Donating to One of the Habitat ReStores

If the temperatures are still hovering around freezing at night, it might not seem like the obvious time to start spring cleaning. But springtime will be here soon and now is the time to start organizing (that way when the weather does warm up you can spend all your time outside having fun instead of inside cleaning)!

Not only will decluttering help you, it will also benefit the Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg ReStores in Newport News and Williamsburg. You can tote your own donations to either ReStore or schedule a free pickup.

Both ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials and more to the public at discounted prices. Proceeds allow Habitat to build and sell more homes to qualifying families.

Where to begin? Start with the bedrooms. Collect comforters, blankets, pillow cases, sheets, sashes and mattress pads, and donate as long as they are free from rips, stains and tears. The local ReStores accept beds, dressers, head and foot boards (as long as they have the frames), and nightstands. Mattresses and box springs in pristine conditions are accepted as well as new ones that are still in their bags or boxes.

If you stuffed a new window blind in the closet and forgot about it, now’s the time to add that to the giveaway pile. Blinds donated to the ReStore must be new and in the box.

The kitchen is probably the room with the most potential for a spring redo. The ReStore accepts small and large appliances that include dishwashers (2010 and newer), microwaves, wall ovens and stoves as well as toasters, waffle irons, coffeemakers and other kitchen items. Pots and pans, flatware, dishes and glassware are always welcome.

Perform a cabinet sweep and be intentional about what you keep. Make sure your lids and containers match. Get rid of expired items — check your spices and don’t forget about the fridge and the freezer. If you have a junk drawer, the ReStore is happy to take any flashlights and gadgets you want to discard.

About the cabinet, assess it. As long as it has its doors and drawers and is free from water damage, the ReStore will take it off your hands.

The ReStore is happy to take those Blu Rays, DVDs, CDs and books that are cluttering your living room and den. Got a bigger TV for Christmas? The ReStore will take your old one as long as it’s flat screen and in working order. If the kids have moved on to video games more suitable to their age, donate the old ones and any video game consoles as long as they work.

If you’ve got furniture or antiques that need to go, donate those to the ReStore. Particle board desks, TV stands and bookshelves ARE NOT accepted. If the rug you bought that you thought would match didn’t, donate that to the ReStore (rolls of carpets must be unused and free of rips, stains, tears, pet and smoke odors). Donated used rugs must be in good condition.

Now about that garage and shed that have become one giant catchall. Get started on a donation pile and remember, the ReStore will take items that include bricks, doors, windows, paint, tools, light fixtures and building materials. Donated paint must be new, latex and unopened; paint cans with rust are not accepted.

 If you’ve gotten a new sink or appliance and stored the old one in the garage thinking you’d use it sometime, you probably won’t. Consider donating it to the ReStore. The same goes for heating, ventilation and cooling materials and outdoor and lawn care items you no longer want.

Looking through your toolbox and see all kinds of stuff that’s gathering dust? Bag, box or jar any hardware for the ReStore. Tools like rakes, hoes, water hoses, spreaders and trowels can go to the Restore along with new and unused seed and fertilizer.

See a full list of what is and is not accepted by the ReStore.

With your cleaning complete, it’s time to prepare for spring! Shop at the ReStore, of course, and give yourself a pat on the back for decluttering during the colder months and helping local families buy affordable homes at the same time.

When you’ve got everything you want to donate together, you can drop it off at either the Newport News or Williamsburg ReStores yourself or schedule a pickup.

To schedule a pickup, call the donation hotline at 757-932-8976, option 1, or fill out an online request form.

Bring your donations to the Newport News location Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or the Williamsburg location Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Drive around to the loading dock to unload.

The Newport News ReStore is located at 371 Chatham Drive. The Williamsburg ReStore is located at 1303 Jamestown Road.

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We help as many families as we can, but the lack of decent and affordable housing remains a critical problem in our area. By donating, you will provide upfront funding for building materials and services that makes interest-free loans to Habitat partner families possible. Habitat partner families help to build their own homes - alongside volunteers - and pay an affordable mortgage. Your monetary donations enable us to continue building strength, stability and independence for future local families.