· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Junk Removal
Garages accumulate because they take everything that has nowhere else to go, and nothing ever leaves. Clearing one is mostly a decision problem rather than a lifting one, and when a household would rather not do the lifting, that is what our garage, attic and shed clear-outs are for.
Why not sort the garage where everything sits?
Sorting in place does not work, because you cannot see what you have and there is nowhere to put the sorted piles.
Pick a dry day, take everything out, and sort on the driveway. In a Middle Tennessee summer we’d start early, before the afternoon heat sets in.
The categories that need handling
Some of what comes out of a garage should not go in the pile at all. EPA treats leftover household products that can catch fire, react or explode, or that are corrosive or toxic, as household hazardous waste, and its household hazardous waste guide names paints, cleaners, oils, batteries and pesticides among the products that can contain hazardous ingredients. In a garage that usually means the paint shelf, the motor oil, the old batteries, the weed killer and the gas can.
Set those aside in their original containers with the labels left on, which is what EPA asks, and resist pouring the dregs of several cans into one bucket to save space: the same guide warns that mixed leftovers can react, ignite or explode. Pouring them down a drain, onto the ground or into a storm sewer is on its list of improper disposal.
Old fuel is easy to overlook, because so much of it sits inside the mower, the tiller and the trimmer rather than in a can. It does not go in our truck, so anything with an engine is drained before we load it, and the fuel joins the hazardous pile.
Where that pile goes is decided locally. Under the federal household waste exclusion, 40 CFR 261.4(b)(1), household waste is not hazardous waste even after it has been collected and hauled, and EPA explains that this leaves household hazardous waste to state and local rules. So ask your county’s solid waste office whether it runs a permanent drop-off or collection days, as EPA suggests; for used motor oil, EPA notes that some local garages accept it for recycling. We keep propane cylinders out of the load as well, and the place you exchange them is the first place to ask about an old one. Our post on what junk removal companies will not take goes through the rest of the list.
- Empty completely rather than sorting in place
- Paint, oil, batteries, pesticides and fuel kept apart in their own containers
- Engines drained before they are loaded
- Propane cylinders back to the exchange
- Metal offered to a scrap collector first
- Book removal for the same day you sort
What should go to a scrap collector first?
Metal shelving, bicycles, a dead washer or dryer, an old grill and broken equipment are worth offering to a scrap collector before the paid removal arrives. Ask whether they will take it at no charge; some do.
Every piece that leaves that way is room in the truck you are not paying for. We price a load by how much of the truck it fills, which our post on how junk removal is priced explains, so a smaller pile of metal can mean a smaller fraction on the bill.
Book removal for the same day
A garage emptied onto a driveway and left overnight tends to go back in, or gets rained on if the weather turns. Booking removal for the afternoon of the sorting day forces the decisions and finishes the job. When you ask us for a free estimate, mention what is sitting in the hazardous pile so the plan for the day accounts for it.
If you take one thing from this, make it the booking. A truck booked for that afternoon is what keeps a garage clear-out from turning into a two-week project.
Sources
- US EPA, Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) — What counts as household hazardous waste; paints, cleaners, oils, batteries and pesticides; original containers and labels; never mix leftovers; drains, ground and storm sewers as improper disposal; ask the local solid waste agency; some garages take used motor oil; regulated at the state and local level
- eCFR, 40 CFR 261.4 Exclusions (household waste, paragraph (b)(1)) — Household waste is not hazardous waste under federal rules, including after it is collected and transported
FAQ
Clearing a Garage That Has Filled Up — questions
What do I do with old paint and chemicals from the garage?
Keep them in their original containers with the labels on and take them to a household hazardous waste collection, not the trash or a removal truck. Those programs are run locally, so EPA’s advice is to ask your local solid waste agency about a permanent drop-off site or collection days. Most junk removal companies will not load them, and we do not either.
How do I get rid of old fuel?
Treat it as household hazardous waste: it goes to a local collection, not in a removal truck, and never down a drain, onto the ground or into a storm sewer. It is easy to miss because so much of it sits inside mowers, tillers and trimmers, so drain any equipment you are getting rid of before the truck comes and leave yourself time to do it.
Should I book junk removal before or after sorting?
Book it for the afternoon of the day you sort. Piles left on the driveway overnight either get carried back inside or soaked if a storm comes through. A booked collection also forces the decisions that otherwise drift for weeks.
Where do I start when cleaning out a garage?
Start by emptying it completely onto the driveway on a dry day, because sorting in place leaves you unable to see what you have. In summer, begin early, before the afternoon heat. Set the paint, oil, batteries and fuel aside as you go, and have the removal booked for that afternoon.