Can you donate old appliances in Aurora, IL?

The major donation organizations in Aurora

Hesed House

Hesed House at 659 S River St in Aurora is the Fox Valley’s largest shelter and runs an extensive transitional housing program. They accept donated appliances and furniture to furnish apartments for families coming out of homelessness.

What they accept: working refrigerators, washers, dryers, microwaves, dishwashers (less commonly), small kitchen appliances. Less than 10 years old is preferred.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Locations in Aurora and Naperville. They resell donated furniture, appliances, and building materials to fund Habitat builds. They accept appliances they can resell quickly — working, recent enough that buyers are interested.

What they accept: refrigerators (less than 10 years), washers and dryers, ranges and ovens (gas and electric), microwaves, dishwashers. Usually pass on units older than 10 years or units in poor cosmetic condition.

Furniture Bank of Illinois

Furniture Bank of Illinois serves families statewide. Less focused on appliances than furniture, but accepts working appliances for client placements.

Salvation Army

Sometimes accepts working appliances. Policy varies by location and current capacity. Call before assuming.

What qualifies for appliance donation

• Working — runs without errors, no error codes, no missing parts
• Less than 10 years old (most centers prefer under 7)
• Reasonably clean — not caked with grease, mold, or food residue
• No major rust or visible damage
• Not from a smoking household (preferred but not always strict)
• All components present — shelves, racks, hoses, doors

What disqualifies an appliance

• Not working — broken motors, failed compressors, won’t power on
• Over 15 years old (parts availability concerns)
• Major mechanical issues that would cost more to repair than replace
• Major rust, mold, or significant damage
• Missing critical components
• Smoking or extensive odor issues
• From a known bed bug history (for upholstered components)

If your appliance doesn’t qualify, it goes to scrap metal recycling instead. The cost to you is the same either way — Junk Nurse doesn’t charge more for donation, and doesn’t discount for scrap.

How Junk Nurse handles donation routing

When we pick up an appliance, we evaluate it on-site:

1. Does it qualify for donation? (Working, clean, recent.)
2. If yes — we route to Hesed House, Habitat ReStore, or another partner depending on what they currently need.
3. If no — we route to scrap metal recycling (for compliant haulers, this includes Section 608 refrigerant recovery for refrigerators and AC units).

You don’t have to choose. We make the call based on actual condition. The price you pay is volume-based — same regardless of outcome.

What about DIY donation?

You can absolutely donate appliances yourself. The catch is logistics: most donation centers require you to deliver. For refrigerators, washers, dryers, and other large appliances, this means renting a truck, recruiting help, and scheduling around the center’s receiving hours.

If you have a working appliance, time, and access to a truck, DIY donation is free. For most homeowners, Junk Nurse’s routing is easier.

Sale alternative

Working appliances often have resale value on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist:

• Working refrigerator: $50–$200
• Working washer/dryer pair: $100–$300
• Working range/oven: $50–$150

If you have time to manage listings, schedule pickups, and deal with no-shows, this works. If you don’t, junk removal with donation routing is the practical alternative.

For more on appliance disposal options, see our appliance & furniture removal authority guide.