Although it is often difficult to let go of items with sentimental value, it is a necessary evil when cleaning out a house to sell it, or to make room for a change in its use. Whether you are sifting through the personal effects and mementos of a loved one, or throwing out your children’s old sports equipment, the task becomes more difficult when you have an emotional connection to those things.

Clearing out a house that is full with furniture, clothing, appliances, and other personal effects is an overwhelming task that may be too large to handle by yourself. There are many regulations for the disposal of unwanted electronics, large and small appliances, oversized furniture, paint cans and recyclable items. When discarding these things, you need to make sure you follow NYC Department of Sanitation guidelines. Not all of your trash can be placed at the curb, and some items may even need special handling.

You can contact the Department of Sanitation by visiting their website at http://www1.nyc.gov/site/dsny/index.page  or by calling 311.  The City provides homeowners with the opportunity to discard potentially hazardous items during their SAFE disposal events.  Household products such as pesticides, strong cleaners, mercury-containing devices, paints, automotive fluids, and medications may be brought to the drop-off events. Residents can also bring electronics, which cannot be left for curbside collection due to New York state law.  The next SAFE event will be held on May 6th on Staten Island at the Midland Beach Parking Lot on Father Capodanno Boulevard and Hunter Avenue.

When considering the task of cleaning out an entire house, you should evaluate what it is that you are getting rid of.  Can you handle the job yourself?  Do you need professional advice on how to separate what is valuable and what is truly garbage? What channel should you use to sell those valuable items?

Some of your furnishings may be “antiques”. By taking photos of those items and consulting with a professional antique dealer or appraisal company, you can determine the value of those items. Consider donating items that are not valuable but are useful to someone else. These donations may be tax deductible. What may be trash to you, may be treasure to another.

If considering a dumpster for your garbage, consult with a licensed and insured container company. If the dumpster cannot fit on the parking pad in front of your house, the dumpster will need to be permitted by the City.  The fines associated with a non-permitted dumpster on the street in front of your home could be significant.

If the task is too large for you to handle, consider hiring a clean out company.  They will be able to remove all the unwanted items from your home safely and in compliance with all regulations.  They will be able to coordinate a dumpster, if required, manpower and the required equipment to properly clean out a house.  Most importantly they will know how to discard even the most difficult and bulky items in your house.

Dave Reali, Owner – Dave’s Kleen-outs

917-588-4282           [email protected]