It absolutely horrified my mom but my aunt (on dad’s side) would put her silverware in the dishwasher and used it daily. Same with fine china. She just said if she had to polish it and clean it all the time she wouldn’t ever use it and life was just to short. If it got ruined well at least she had enjoyed it to the fullest. (As far as I know it didn’t get ruined–maybe the cleaning agents weren’t all that harsh that she used.)
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When H’s mom passed away they sold her silver, but we took one (huge) set of fine china that really had little resale value and none of the other siblings wanted. I did a test run on “delicate” in the dishwasher of a few pieces and they held up just fine. We now use it on holidays and other fancy times. Makes H happy.
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To me, the joy of using my ancestors’ silver is worth much more to me than the money selling the silver would bring.
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I have a very nice white duvet cover I bought years ago for our down comforter. We didn’t like dealing with it, so I put it in the linen closet in like new condition.
Today I decided I was going to put it on the “guest” bed the kids will sleep on over Thanksgiving, mostly to keep cat hair off.
I was not happy to see its very yellowed.
I tried washing it with lots of oxy-clean, but it’s still yellow.
To the donate pile, or maybe straight to the trash it will go.
One thing at a time… I’m hoping this will be the winter I do a pretty good purge.
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Lol.(variation on an old theme)… If you didn’t like dealing with it the first time what makes you think you want to deal with it a second time?
Guest bedroom, so we wouldn’t be sleeping there, but I get the point.
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I get it. Our guest room has a tough-fit bottom sheet that I would never put up with in our room. But we don’t get many guests, so changing those sheets is a very rare chore.
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LOL. Getting rid of perfectly good linens is is NOT easy. At the least they can cover your plants during a freeze. or make a ghost costume. or…or…or…drive you nuts because they take up half your closet storage space with their unwanted presence haunting you with the guilt of bad decorating mistakes never to be redeemed until you…close your eyes, clinch your fists… and throw them out.
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As I’ve been downsizing I’ve found many things that we (mostly H) have been saving that have yellowed, batteries were left in and leaked, plastic has cracked, brittle paper, etc. I’d saved a pack and play for 20 years and when I tried to set it up the plastic where it latched had cracked so it wouldn’t stay open. It went to the landfill (although I saved the pad for the dog). I keep wondering why we thought things would remain in the same condition.
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It’s not until the soles of your shoes dissolve under your feet that you know for sure that things don’t last forever. I know there are several of you out there that know of which I speak of…
So I was at this restaurant…
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LOL - Now that my feet are prone to plantar fascitis, I have been dropping old shoes off at DSW donation box. (They don’t care condition - worn out shoes supposedly go for proper recycle.). You can get small credit…$5 every 2 pair; can only qualify one pair per week. Yes, I’ve bought new shoes over that time to add to my clutter. But they are well cushioned shoes 
I gave old linens away by putting them in a local catholic charities bin. You can also donate old towels and sheets to local animal shelters. They don’t care the condition!
Yes, sometimes things you thought would be fine, just didn’t hold up over time. Another reason to give stuff away to be used by somebody while it is still in good shape. Especially true for baby/children’s items.
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Just yesterday I gave away a duvet cover I didn’t like dealing with. The matching pillow shams went with it. Dropped it off at a thrift store which takes donations.
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We kept an old, old cradle - like probably 100 years old - in our attic for decades (I only used it when D1 was an infant 35 years ago!) because I just didn’t want to get rid of it. It was one thing that drove my husband crazy that I wanted to keep, he wanted to get rid of. It was just so unique! As we cleared out the attic to move I stalled and stalled to figure out what to do with that cradle. I wasn’t going to keep it but wanted to try and find it a home - but who would want it? Would probably be more for display than use.
Well, it was one of the last things pulled from the attic and I was going to take pics of it and send it to a local antique store to see if they would consign it. When I took the wrapping off of it, low and behold one of the wood rockers was completely broke - cracked and broke! Who knows how many years ago THAT happened with some mishap in the attic!!! I had to laugh because after all those years of arguing, it went promptly to the curb for bulk trash. (side note- someone DID pick it up - I think it was beyond repair - maybe they were going to use it for firewood!!)
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My dad’s crib is in a museum!
My D’s bassinet got started being passed around my husband’s office and is still being used over 30 years later. We should’ve put a little plaque on it to keep track of the occupants!
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Anyone have ideas of where to find museum or organizations that could use OLD pieces as part of a display? One family member has an old porcelain type oven/stove (likely from the early 1900’s). VERY heavy. Would be a great piece in a coffee shop, or home museum. Or furniture sets from the same era ?
It is so tough to know actual value. I’ve tried to research similar furniture sets for them, and the prices range considerably.
I think they would enjoy seeing pieces used in some type of public space, rather than trying to sell.
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I think it has to be a REALLY unique piece or a unique piece to the area (like an early product from a company based in your town) for a museum to take it. Does the stove work or have potential to work? These are really sort of a popular item with antique lovers to take and refurbish for their home kitchens.
Do a FB Marketplace search for antique/vintage porcelain stove/oven - local or nationwide. You’ll get a feel for what’s out there and what they are going for.
Try local historic sites - old historic homes. They often have very low budgets and want to furnish with period pieces which they can’t afford. They will take less than perfect items and appreciate donations.
I have mentioned in this thread before that I took my grandmother’s old crocheted tablecloths to a local historic home as a donation. Somehow they had a table the perfect size and used it immediately in one of their displays.
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Yes, old crocheted and linen tablecloths and napkins. I have about 30 bazillion of them, all starched and hanging neatly on hangers, and I have no idea what to do with them.
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If we used it, I might get attached. (I’m the resident history buff and geneaologist, so I’m loath to toss old things, esp since there is almost nothing from H’s family that has survived.) But H has no fond memories of his family and no desire to use what remains. BIL gave it to us as he was cleaning out his parents’ apt in the Bronx. He didn’t want any more stuff in his house, esp since his wife’s dad lived with them for ten years, is now in memory care, and all of FIL’s belongings are there, slowly being whittled down.
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