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Home Cleanouts

Garages, basements, lofts, estates and move-outs. The volume is rarely the problem — it is the handful of items that legally cannot go in the container.

(708) 523-9401Describe the house, get the size

By job

What people usually book

Garage

10–15 yard. Watch for old paint, fuel cans, tyres and car batteries — all four have to be set aside.

Basement

15–20 yard. Damp furniture is much heavier than it looks, and old chemicals turn up in nearly every one.

Estate clearance

20–30 yard. Almost always contains electronics and appliances that need handling separately.

Move-out

20 yard. Usually time-critical, so book the collection date against your closing, not your moving day.

Set these aside first

The five things that turn up in every cleanout

Before the container arrives, walk the space and pull these out. It takes twenty minutes and it is the difference between a smooth collection and a refused load.

Televisions and computers Banned from Illinois landfills. County e-waste drop-off.
Tyres There are almost always two or three in a garage. Banned since 1994.
Paint and chemicals Liquid paint, solvents, pool chemicals, old fuel. Household hazardous waste collection.
Car batteries Any shop selling batteries has to take them back.
The old fridge or freezer Needs its refrigerant recovered by a certified technician before it can be scrapped.

Full banned list and the statutes behind it →

Household clear-out loaded into a roll-off

If it is an estate

Clearing a house after a death

A slightly different job, and worth saying plainly: these are rarely straightforward and they are usually happening under time pressure from a sale or a probate date.

Book the container for longer than you think. Sorting takes far longer than loading, and a week goes quickly when family are travelling in.
Have somewhere to put the “keep” pile before the container arrives. Once it is on the drive, the temptation is to work fast and regret it.
Documents, photographs and anything with an account number on it should not go in an open container on a public street.
If you are unsure whether something has value, there is no harm in setting it aside and decide later.

Tell us on the phone if it is an estate clearance. We will give you a realistic view of the size and the timeline rather than the quickest booking.

Common questions

What people ask when they call

How long will I need it for?

Longer than a construction job. Most cleanouts stall partway through because sorting is slower than expected. Tell us the deadline you are actually working to and we will schedule against that.

Can you take furniture and mattresses?

Yes. Mention mattresses when you book because some transfer stations handle them separately.

What if I find asbestos?

Stop. Older suburban houses have it in pipe lagging, floor tiles and some siding. It needs a licensed abatement contractor and it cannot go in any container we provide.

Is a cleanout a good use of a roll-off if it is only a few items?

Often not. If it is a couch and a couple of chairs, your village bulk pickup will do it with less hassle. We will say so.