Items we cannot accept

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul gratefully accepts gently used household items and furniture that’s clean and free of all tears, stains, smoke, bedbugs, and pet hair. All fabric covered furniture (especially sofas & chairs) must be vacuumed thoroughly (including under the cushions) prior to acceptance. A good percentage of our clients do not have vacuum cleaners and in some instances donated items go straight from the donor to the client; therefore, they must be clean. Mattresses must be spotless - this is for health reasons and the preservation of the client’s dignity.

We cannot accept:

  • Aids to daily living such as crutches, shower stall seats, bath tub rails, walkers,wheel chairs etc.

  • Appliances that are dirty or not working

  • Automotive parts

  • Bar stools and bars

  • Barbecues

  • Bicycles

  • Books, magazines and encyclopedias

  • Broken furniture or furniture in need of repairs

  • Bunk beds missing ladders, safety rails, mattresses or assembly hardware

  • Cabinet style televisions and stereo systems

  • Captain's/Mate's beds

  • Cassettes, cassette players, or recorders

  • Ceiling fans

  • Child restraints (car seats)

  • Cribs

  • China cabinets

  • Christmas trees, lights or decorations

  • Clothing racks

  • Computer monitors

  • Computer printers

  • Computers having operating systems older than Windows 7

  • Clothing with the exception of winter coats, boots, gloves when in season (October-March)

  • Damaged, decrepit, broken, dirty, worn, torn, stained, pet or smoke contaminated furniture - especially sofas, chairs and mattresses

  • Disassembled furniture unless in it's original packaging with assembly instructions

  • Drapes, curtain rods and blinds

  • Entertainment centers

  • Exercise and sporting equipment of any sort such as weights, exercise bikes, tread mills, stair climbers, skates, golf clubs, tennis racquets, roller blades, roller blade protective gear

  • Floor polishers or washers

  • Furniture covered in stickers

  • Garden tools of any sort, including hoses, sprinklers and flower pots

  • Garage Sale leftovers

  • High chairs not equipped with a seat belt

  • Hook and rail head and foot board bed assemblies unless accompanied by a clean, stain free fitting mattress and box spring

  • Horizontal stacking wall units

  • Humidifiers or any sort - unless brand new in the box with a clean filter

  • Hanging lamps, pole lamps, swag lamps, etc.

  • Incomplete or partial furniture pieces such as desk hutches, etc.

  • King size mattresses

  • Kitchen cabinets

  • Ladders

  • Large sofas - these generally have 4 cushions, and measure over 84”

  • Lawn furniture of any type - such as lawn chairs, tables, umbrellas, end tables and lawn toys

  • Light fixtures

  • Office furniture—such as desks,(including all steel desks), filing cabinets, credenzas and tables

  • Organs

  • Pianos

  • Roll-away cots

  • Sectional sofas

  • Sofa beds (hide-a-beds) and Davenports

  • Stacking stools

  • Stained carpets - check the back side as this area will show any staining

  • Standalone head or foot boards for beds

  • Standalone box springs of any size until further notice - this is due to limited space in the warehouse

  • Steel bed spring systems

  • Steel storage shelves

  • Step stools

  • Stereo stands

  • Televisions having screens less than 19” unless equipped with working built-in VHS or DVD player

  • Televisions having screen larger than 30”

  • TV tables

  • Televisions with rotary dial changer

  • Black & white televisions

  • Typewriters

  • Washers and dryers

  • Water beds and their frame work

  • Water damaged furniture - look for blistering or bubbles on the surface of the wood

  • Wardrobe closets/cabinets

Revised November 2021

If you have items on this list we suggest you try contacting one of the following organizations to find a home for them. Our drivers cannot accept them under any circumstances.