Inspecting Donations

Guidelines for Inspecting Furniture

Look for the following:

• Rips or tears in the fabric, even if they are on the underside of the cushion or back of a couch that are large.
• Leather or paint that is peeling/chipping off - hazardous to kids
• Poorly refinished/painted pieces of furniture
• Broken zippers on cushions so that foam is sticking out
• Stained or dirty - no stains on cushions that are noticeable
  • If the cushion can flipped over to a side with no stains, we may accept it
• Not covered in pet hair
• Claw marks from pets – should be nothing noticeable
• Must function as designed
• Missing pieces
• Mold, strong, musty smell/cigarette smoke or water damage
• The item should be sturdy and not fall apart when trying to move it
• No items that need more than 2 men to lift
• No excessively tall items
• Veneer is missing – use your judgment
• Inspect for bed bugs
• Lift up all cushions
• Open drawers to look for visible evidence of bugs or rodents. If you see any evidence, turn it down immediately.
• If the furniture is large or oversized and won't fit in a truck easily, please turn it down. Most of our clients live in small apartments, and/or items have to go up staircases.

*** If your first reaction when you see the furniture is not good, go with your gut as it is what most others will think too.***