The Underrated Thrift Store Section I Make a Beeline to Every Spring

Spring is my favorite season, but I need some intentional rituals to help me mentally and physically transition out of winter mode and into lighter, brighter days. There’s always a good spring cleaning, but sometimes my refreshes are more organizational. One of my simplest, cheapest hacks is to audit my linens and find affordable, quality replacements at an unexpected place: thrift stores. 

My annual thrifting trip accomplishes multiple things. I’m able to repurpose or recycle anything stained, ripped, or worn-out; refresh my space sustainably and without breaking the bank; and tick off a box on my spring-cleaning to-do list by reorganizing my linen closet. Here are my top tips for thrifting linens — and what to do with your old ones.

Any thrift store will do, including independent shops, but I often look in Goodwill first. It has multiple locations to hit if you don’t luck out at the first one, and it has a massive linens section with everything from sheets, blankets, duvet covers, and shams to valances, tablecloths, and runners. If you’re partial to vintage linens, a dedicated vintage store is a good bet — but I’ve found a few old-school gems at the big-box shops, too.

One of the toughest but most rewarding parts of thrifting linens is finding the tag. When I spot something I like, I immediately begin my search. I look for three things:

• The size (I have a full bed, but I find that queen and king sheets are more plentiful.)
• The material (I typically only buy 100% cotton, especially if I’m going to be sleeping in it.)
• The brand (I try to stay away from mass-produced options for quality reasons.)

While some secondhand linens are clean and in the original packaging, others are excessively timeworn. I check each item thoroughly for any stains, discoloration, pilling, rips, or other signs of wear. The last thing I want is to part with my beat-up linens just to replace them with more.

I avoid buying white linens for this reason, unless I can confirm they’re stain-free. Bleach goes a long way, but it’s just a personal preference. If I find something brand-new that fits in my design scheme and other parameters, it’s hard to pass up. Once, at Goodwill, I found a neutral, 100% cotton flat sheet, still in its packaging, for $4.99, which I could mix in with my other finds.

One of the best parts of thrift-store linen-hunting is tapping your individual design sensibility to curate a custom set. While you don’t have to buy a replacement for everything — many of my existing pillowcases and bottom sheets in good condition jive with my new finds — you can mix colors and patterns that wouldn’t otherwise be sold together.

I once found a 100% cotton patchwork-style throw ($6.99), a checkered top sheet ($6.99), and two green-and-white floral cotton pillowcases ($2.99 each) to add a springy pop to my bed, plus a charmingly kitschy, retro throw pillow ($3.99), which I’ll use a straight razor to clean up the pilled areas.

This is especially fun with lace or macramé-style curtains. Often they’re sold as singles, and pairing up unique but complementary pieces adds a whimsical touch to your bedroom or living space. In total, I spent $36 before tax at Goodwill that day for two pillowcases, a throw blanket, two flat sheets, a lace tablecloth, and a throw pillow.

You might be thinking, “Is thrifting linens sanitary?” Well, it’s like clothes. If I buy something that touches my body or that I’m going to sleep in or on, I wash it in the hottest water possible to preserve the material and color and dry it on high (or at least medium) heat. I also add white vinegar to my linen loads to kill bacteria and brighten them up, but laundry sanitizer, like this one sold by Lysol, is a bleach-free, germ-killing alternative that should soothe anyone’s mind.

One primary reason I revive my space with secondhand finds is sustainability. If I have a sheet set or blanket I don’t want anymore that’s in decent condition, I’ll donate it back. Anything stained, ripped, or seriously old, I bring to recycling centers specifically for textiles. You can also offer old blankets or sheets to animal shelters for extra bedding.

For more decorative things, like runners or curtains, I typically keep them handy to cycle in and out, offer them up to a friend or family, or donate them. If it’s worth selling, Facebook Marketplace and Instagram are great places to advertise, and sometimes, you can make a few bucks to spend on replacements.