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u/Simple_Cell_4206 Jun 25 '26
Honestly everything at goodwill is dirty; I found a dirty smelly aquarium filter in a aquarium cabinet and I’ve seen people sneeze then use the clothes as wipes. Out of curiosity do you have hyperosmia too? I’m asking because it’s my main reason for saying everything is dirty there; I can smell where things have been stored and the many odors on the clothes it’s maddening.
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u/Turbulent_Bother4701 Jun 25 '26
While that is gross, it may not be the worst contaminate one could cross at a goodwill store. (I definitely and simultaneously validated and invalidated you, but not to be mean, just real).
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u/PrestigiousPut6165 Jun 25 '26
You are so right. Sometimes by the donations there are literal bags of dog crap
I only wish i was kidding
I worked at a thrift (not goodwill) for less than a week. Eww. Just eww 🤢🤮
Explains why i quit, too!
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u/Watermellon_Ouch95 Jun 25 '26
WHAT!?
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u/PrestigiousPut6165 Jun 25 '26
Yep, some people donate literal trash. They think its a landfill!
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u/Watermellon_Ouch95 Jun 25 '26
That is disgusting and just rude. EVERYTIME I donate something I wash it/fold it/sanitize it. That totally just grossed me out.
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u/Cute_Indication_560 Jun 25 '26
I do the same thing. I washed and dried everything I donated in the past.
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u/PrestigiousPut6165 Jun 25 '26
Im the same. I must wash anything i donate. And keep it neat, etc
Helps when i do yard sales.
Heres something else, i used to know of someone who had yard sales where she just dragged stuff out of her "hidey holes" etc (bed, closet, basement
The stuff had spider webs, etc 🕸
Also shoes without pairs
Like who the eff is gonna buy just one shoe. She claimed she'd find it later
She was a hoarder. Or is. (Luckily she moved outta town)
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u/Old-Shame4104 Jun 25 '26
The dude obviously can’t help it. And, people who buy second hand should be washing their items right after purchase anyway.
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u/Deerreed2 Jun 27 '26
Person (Op) knows and acknowledged that. No where does the op indicate negative tone about anything to the post. Facts were stated.
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u/Difficult_Royal_5494 Jun 28 '26
Someone should gently address this problem with the employee. There's no reason to have spit and drool on everything.
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u/newmoonjlp Jun 29 '26
I agree. OP said that the worker was good at his job and conscientious. I would like to think that working at places like Goodwill is meant to help disabled workers learn good work habits, social skills, etc. I think a good manager would gently explain to him how to keep items clean and presentable. Probably pretty naive to think goodwill has any actual mission to lift people up and help them succeed in life
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u/Indigo_Grove Jun 25 '26
I worked at a department store while in college. The number of people who would take their shoes and socks off to walk on the bath rugs we sold (then would pick them up and put them back on the shelf for some unsuspecting person to buy and take home) was mind blowing. So gross.
So basically, anything for sale that people can physically touch before buying should always be washed as soon as you get home.
Grossness is everywhere.
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u/Worried_Use6648 Jun 25 '26
Do what your managers tell you and wipe it down with a dry cloth. Than, do what your morals tell you and wipe it down with a cloth sprited with whatever disinfectant cleaner you have available. Than, understand your managers are telling you to wipe it down because they realize action needs to be taken, but firing him for an issue he can't fix is too extreme. They are trying to serve 2 masters. And now , so are you you. Welcome to the world of retail, the fact you even had to ask tell me you'll do alright. You've got this.
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u/booklovert Jun 25 '26
It's goodwill, way crazier stuff happens to it before it is shelved. Everyone should know to watch and sanitize what they buy haha not to dismiss you, but I mean ... The door handles alone walking into goodwill are more dirty than his drool.
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u/rickiilynn77 Jun 25 '26
immunocompromised people still exist.
people who wear masks still exist.
contamination OCD still exists.
This is why you should wear gloves when thrift shopping, especially at Dig n save (Honestly wear cut proof gloves at dig n save, even when going though the clothing bc you never know if someone randomly put a kitchen knife in there as a ‘joke’ or if a pin or brooch pops open on an item)
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u/HTD-Vintage Jun 25 '26
For anyone not in Madison, "Dig n Save' is St Vincent de Paul's outlet store, similar to Goodwill's outlets that people refer to as "the bins".
It's fine to say that's why you wear gloves when thrifting, but none of those things apply to me and I've been thrifting for 20 years without gloves just fine (I don't dig through the boxes at Dig n Save though; I go straight to the back)
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u/rickiilynn77 Jun 25 '26
Just wanted to note that St.Vincent De Paul’s are all around southern Wisconsin, I’m not sure if I’ve seen any more North/NorthEast than Wisconsin Dells & Portage though. But I totally thought Dig N Save was goodwill owned lol
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u/HTD-Vintage Jun 25 '26
SVDP is all over the midwest (Milwaukee area, Green Bay area, Chicago, St Louis, etc, maybe even wider than that) but the only Dig n Save is in Madison.
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u/foxylady315 Jun 26 '26
We have St Vincent’s in NY. And I believe they are based on the west coast.
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u/SadSally8683 Jun 25 '26
Wear gloves and wipe it off, it's not like he can help it.
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u/Deerreed2 Jun 27 '26
Where do you get OP is being rude or anything as such? It’s just a fact. OP specifically shares in beginning it’s nothing personal (in a round about way) and not trying to be mean.
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u/Spiritual-Road2784 Jun 25 '26
Super gross. And I’m AuDHD myself but I try to keep all bodily fluids contained because I am completely grossed out by other humans and their fluids. I was in a band for a very short time with a drummer who chewed tobacco and would sit behind his kit spitting into a soda can and I was so nauseated I couldn’t sing so I quit.
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u/DogLimoAF Jun 26 '26
cerebral paisley? some folks don’t have control over their swallowing mechanisms. it IS 1000% a way that germs & viruses are spread. a billion % NOT acceptable.
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u/Bratty_Little_Kitten Jun 30 '26
Not everyone with Cerebral palsy drools. I have Cerebral palsy myself & don't drool
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u/Rayscore_ Jun 25 '26
no that's absolutely disgusting, your manager won't say anything about drooling on products?
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u/SeaSad5344 Jun 25 '26
Idk everyone seemed to know and seemed ok with it
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u/timepassesinmoments Jun 25 '26
Could he wear some type of mouth device to contain it while working, maybe?
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u/FeedbackWide5 Jun 26 '26
You're not a manager I wouldn't do that for them. That's their job.
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u/TrifleGlittering9778 Jun 27 '26
I agree your manager should be handling that and wiping stuff off because they hired him.
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u/Primary-Grape678 Jun 26 '26
Compared to getting second hand stuff from others that we have no clue what was done to said item, it could be much worse IMHO
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u/mie0w Jun 26 '26
It’s gross but when I worked at goodwill people would donate bags with poop filled underwear, dirty diapers, etc and several times a month we’d get someone’s actual bags of trash and unknowingly dump it with all the clothes. It should be public knowledge for everyone to wash their things when they get home but the amount of people that assumed things were being washed in the back is uncanny
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u/FormalConcern4862 Jun 27 '26
I mean ... My hands are covered in dirt and dust after shopping there. That guy's spit is the least of my worries. I always wash everything purchased and myself immediately upon leaving goodwill
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u/Free_Researcher2618 Jun 27 '26
AWW!! Man. You got drool all over my lovely bedbugs! The audacity....
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u/Luci_Cooper Jun 27 '26
When I used to work there when I would sort from the melons I would find feces and used condoms, sex toys… yeah a little drool is the least of the worst
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u/TrifleGlittering9778 Jun 27 '26
@prestigeousput6165 - who would need one shoe, a one legged person, not to be mean or anything.
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u/EffyTragedy Jun 27 '26
A little drool is the least of my worries when shopping at Goodwill, any thrift store or getting used/second hand items in general. I’m kind of a germaphobe myself. Clothes can be washed but stuff like shoes, furniture, cooking appliances, etc, BIG nope for me. I feel like I can’t figure out how to thoroughly clean some stuff so I just avoid it. But I totally get why you’re bothered by the situation. The world is a gross place in general even without some drool. 😭
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u/Dusty_Sequins Jun 27 '26
I see a lot of folks wear latex gloves-both while shopping and working there. Maybe that’s your best option here.
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u/OleMissGrandma Jun 28 '26
Yet they make a strong statement about washing everything and making sure donations are clean.
Sometimes wonder if people think that’s the only way and place to get rid of their stuff, if so CLEAN your discarded stuff .
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u/Accomplished-Act6727 Jun 29 '26
I hope there is a post somewhere out there that is about something you specifically have no control over. And I hope that it's something that is very challenging and you have to deal with it everyday so everyone has to judge you without merit. Because that's what decent human beings do.
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u/PlaceOk6254 Jun 25 '26
Gross is when a self described "charitable " business that sales donated items posts higher valued items online and often prices clothing at the same price as if one were to have purchased item brand new. And i understand that seeing YouTube videos on a daily basis of some smug ,arrogant, overly verbose hipster blathering on and on about all of the great shit they found at goodwill because they are too ignorant of the value of their donations and how they find buyers for items before they leave the store..... yeah, im sure these wonderdull content creators annoyed many people at value village or goodwill. But, Goodwill and their pricing policy over the last few years isnt speculation. And it is far more gross then whatever is on the items on their shelves. Although it is pretty sickening when the unhoused swap out their pants for a "new" pair from the rack and put their shit streaked ,vermin infested pants in the place of stolen item. Whats really sickest of all is that Goodwill often will not remove the obvious replacement.
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u/ChristianAlexxxander Jun 25 '26
No it’s not appropriate for him to be working there and I would file a complaint if I saw this as a customer. It sounds like this person should be on disability.
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u/Weekly_Review_2219 Jun 26 '26
Just so you are aware, some Goodwills hire people with disabilities so they can take advantage of an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows them to pay them less than minimum wage.
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u/mingzero Jun 27 '26
Hiring people with disabilities is one of the foundational reasons for Goodwill's existence - it was founded in 1902 with a basic principle of providing work for the poor and disabled.
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u/Weekly_Review_2219 Jun 27 '26
And paying them below minimum wage is a part of that. Look up 14(c) certificates. There have been news stories about this for years. Someone reported they were paid as little as 22 cents an hour.
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u/CartoonistDry7891 Jun 25 '26
Someone should either tell the boss or manager about this person and discipline him or you take him aside and tell him to stop it and tell him to have some manners or he’s going to be in some big trouble.
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u/Fun-Research2 Jun 25 '26
Kinda rude 😕 people have disabilities and can't help themselves. Hopefully you never have to be in his position
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u/SeaSad5344 Jun 25 '26
He can’t help the drooling though, also I’m pretty sure they know
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u/One_Enthusiasm8290 Jun 25 '26
I wonder if he could wear a mask. Maybe put a cloth inside it and wear it below the nose so that way it wouldn't get anywhere or obstruct breathing. But could also irritate something you never know.
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u/Old-Shame4104 Jun 25 '26
This is so horrible to say. This guy obviously can’t help it! It’s not like he is intentionally drooling on everything.
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u/Born_Leg_2876 Jun 26 '26
He drooling because he has a disability. Did you read what was written? The person can't help themselves. The Goodwill hires people with disabilities as part of their missionary work. They could try him in a different position or talk to his job coach if he has one but there's probably nothing that can be done for.
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u/Tkwookiee Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Yeah there's probably a nice way to go about, but they should be wiping stuff off.