What Household Items Can Be Recycled

Many cities and towns offer curbside recycling. Other places have central collection centers for recyclable items. Some cities even require recycling. So, if you recycle, you spend time sorting papers and plastics from your trash each week. However, there are household items that you might not even realize are recyclable. Some can go to the curb with the rest of the recyclables, but others are a bit complicated and require additional handling.

Residential Junk Removal: Handling Recyclables

Books

Junk mail, newspapers, magazines, and printer papers can go straight into the regular paper recycling bin. However, books cannot. If you have books in good condition, donating them is best instead of recycling them. Numerous charities, schools, libraries, and used bookstores will gladly accept your assortment of books.

Old Electronics

While you can’t just toss out your old electronics, it doesn’t mean they can’t be recycled. Bring your old television, power cords, old laptops, and other electronics to a recycling center equipped to deal with electronic materials. Some retail stores also accept electronics for recycling, i.e., Best Buy.

Coffee Pods

Do you use single-use coffee pods? If you do, start recycling the little plastic cups. With a little effort, these plastic cups can be recycled with your regular recycling. You can sort them according to the materials used for manufacturing from coffee grounds (compost), plastic, or aluminum.

Holiday Decorations

After any holiday, the next thing to do is clean up. So what do you do with all these wrappings and decorations? Some local home improvement stores take old holiday lights and offer a coupon in return. In addition, select shipping companies will take back the old packing peanuts for recycling.

Ink Cartridges

Not all ink cartridges are refillable. Printer cartridges also contain toxic material that should not go into your trash. However, most office supply stores will gladly take them off your hands and send them to the proper recycling centers. Some of these even reward you.

Batteries

It is illegal in some states to throw rechargeable batteries in the trash. However, single-use and rechargeable batteries can be recycled. In addition, some areas have a battery drop-off at public institutions like post offices and libraries.

It takes a little effort, but recycling can keep dangerous chemicals out of landfills where they can leach into groundwater. Every little step we take can protect and improve our environment for future generations.

McJunk

Recycling is not only good for the environment, but it also saves you money. So next time you need help with your residential junk removal, contact McJunk and let us handle the extra stress. All items we take are either recycled, donated, or trashed. We take pride in being an environmentally responsible company. Contact us at 919-850-4377.

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Office Clean Outs: Tips for Getting Rid of Junk

Having a space where you can be productive is essential for any business, and keeping it organized should remain a priority. A cluttered workspace will distract your mind as you look around at all the things that need to be done or put away. Having a clean office not only increases productivity but can reduce stress. If you have customers coming in, they’re more likely to trust your abilities if it seems you can keep order within your company. Tackling this task may seem overwhelming, so here are a few tips for decluttering.

Junk Removal Tips: Office Clean-ups

Necessities – Get rid of items that don’t relate to your work or productivity. Your workspace shouldn’t be loaded with things that don’t support your work routine. This includes any distractions, personal items, or items that bring negative energy to your office. You could also take drastic measures and remove everything if you can’t decide, only adding items back in as you need them. This method helps sort out those pesky things that hang around because you ‘might need them one day.’

Be Practical – Once you’ve decluttered your space, find the items you use regularly. Be sure you store these where you can quickly and easily access them. Then you can arrange the rest of the office. Place the things you need or frequently use within an arm’s length, and the tools or files only occasionally used elsewhere – such as a file cabinet in the corner. Find storage solutions that work for your niche.

Sort It Out – The things that didn’t make the first cut must also be sorted. The easiest method is the ‘pile method.’ First, create a keep pile and a recycle/donate/trash pile. Then, if you’re looking for some extra cash, sell items online. Otherwise, hire a professional junk removal company to take care of your recycle/donate/trash pile.

Digitize – As your office begins to regain its order, another helpful idea may be to digitize your files. Many files need to be kept, even for several years, so instead of storing them in a bulky file cabinet, scan them and save them in a folder on your computer or a flash drive.

Organize & Maintain – Now that your office is clean and organized, the key is to maintain it. Whatever comes into your office, be sure it has a place or an intention; if not, get rid of it. Purge paperwork often, upload what you need for your records, and recycle or shred the rest.

Follow these steps and you not only have a cleaner, but an organized office where you’ll be more productive and less stressed.

McJunk

Does your office need a clean-out? McJunk can help. Junk removal is our area of expertise. We’ll help sort your stuff and then recycle, donate and dispose of it in the most environmentally responsible way. Contact us at 919-850-4377 and see what we can do for you.

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What to Do with Old Clothes

Do you have a bunch of clothes that you don’t wear anymore? Maybe you’ve outgrown them, they’re stained, or they just don’t fit well anymore. So, what do you do with them? You could try to sell them online, give them away to charity, or recycle them. This article will discuss the different options for dealing with your old clothes and help you decide the best option for you and the environment.

Junk Removal Tips: Unwanted Clothing

Sell Them Online

If you have clothes in good condition and think someone else would want to wear them, you could try selling them online. There are a few different ways to do this. For example, you could list them on a site such as eBay, use a consignment shop, or for local sales, use Facebook Marketplace.

Give Them Away to Charity

If you don’t want to sell your clothes, you could always donate them to charity. The donation might even qualify for a charitable tax deduction. However, before you donate clothing, check that the clothes are clean, unstained, and in good condition. There are a lot of different charities that accept clothing donations, so you should be able to find one that is accepting donations near you. (Note: Goodwill sends all unusable textiles to recyclers – so separate & mark any unwearable clothing you donate to them.)

Use Old Clothes as Compost for Your Plants

If your clothes are too old or damaged to be worn by anyone else, you could always use them as compost for your plants. Composting is a great way to recycle them and give back to nature. Please note only clothing that is 100% natural fibers is compostable. Natural fibers include cotton, wool, silk, linen, bamboo, jute, hemp, cashmere, and cork. Check out the Ecocult website on how to compost clothing.

Recycle Them into Something New

Another option for recycling your clothes is to turn them into something new – make a quilt or use shredded cloth as stuffing for a pillow. There are fashion designers who take old clothes and redesign them into new, modern outfits. There are plenty of ways to recycle your clothes, so get creative.

Clothing Swap

A clothing swap is a great way to get rid of old clothes and get some “new” ones in return. All you need to do is find a group of people who are willing to participate. Once you have a group, everyone brings their unwanted clothes and swaps them with someone else’s. Clothes swapping is a great way to get rid of your unwanted clothes and get some new ones, all while being eco-friendly.

McJunk

Are you ready to get rid of some unwanted things around your house? McJunk can help. We are the junk removal experts and are always willing to share our junk removal tips with customers. In addition, we will reuse, recycle, and donate any junk we remove from your home and then dispose of the rest. So, call us at 919-850-4377 and see what we can do for you.

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What To Do When You’re Stuck with Your Parents’ Junk

When dealing with a loved one’s estate, you are challenged with deciding what to do with their multitude of possessions. This chore involves sorting through years of accumulated items in garages, basements, and attics. Once family members have removed family heirlooms or sentimental items, getting rid of what is left can be overwhelming.

Tips on Residential Junk Removal in Garner, NC

Here are some of the ways you can handle getting rid of unwanted family items.

Handle it Yourself. This option can be time-consuming, and if you organize an estate sale, you may not know the value of some of the items. Ultimately, you still have to get rid of items not sold.

Hire an Estate Seller. These are professionals that are experts in handling these types of sales. They are usually knowledgeable about the value of items (or will have items appraised if they are unsure). In addition, they’ll organize and conduct an estate sale or auction. Of course, you’ll pay for this service with a percentage of the sales. They may also usually include the benefit of removing any unsold items, but be sure to ask this question before hiring the service.

Hire a Professional Junk Removal Service. If there is a limited amount of stuff, you may need only to hire a professional junk removal service. These services will sort items and then donate, recycle, or dispose of things accordingly. The fee is usually based on weight with additional charges for removing large, bulky items (i.e., pianos, furniture).

Other Options

No matter how you handle the estate, some basic steps will be followed in most cases. Here is a list of what’s involved.

Friends and Family. In most situations, friends and family of the deceased person may want an item as a memento of their relationship. Of course, valuable items may be discussed in the person’s will, but more often, it is something small and has a special meaning to that person. Don’t decide what to give; allow the receiver to select. You don’t want to burden someone with something they don’t want.

Sell the Stuff. If there are many things, selling the least valuable ones is an excellent start. This list could include electronics, jewelry, furniture, and other household items in demand but not worth much money on their own. You can sell the stuff yourself by holding a yard sale. If you use eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace, check the site rules about what can be listed for sale and what fees they charge.

Donate to Charity. Before donating, check what the charity accepts. For example, goodwill or local thrift stores usually accept a broad range of clothing and household items but often don’t accept sporting or exercise equipment or bulky items. On the other hand, habitat Restores (part of Habitat for Humanity) takes furniture, appliances, household goods, and building materials. So do some research and find the best place to donate. Also, some charities will pick up items from your home, so check on that, especially if you have no way to haul the item yourself.

Unwanted Stuff. Once you’ve sorted, sold, and donated as much as possible, you’ll still have to dispose of the remaining stuff. Now it is down to hauling things to the recycling center or dump. Once again, you can do it yourself or hire a junk removal company. Hiring someone else to haul away your loved one’s belongings will free up time in your schedule and decrease stress.

McJunk

Are you dealing with cleaning out a deceased loved one’s home? McJunk can help. We can handle residential junk removal jobs, big and small. Call us at 919-850-4377.

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3 Ways to Beat Garage Clutter

It’s funny that garages were designed for cars, but they are used as storage units for extraneous stuff in many cases. Most Americans admit to not even being able to fit their car in the garage. But stop for a moment and imagine a space where you could park, work, enjoy hobbies, or set up a gym. The possibilities are endless.

After years of living in the same house, your garage can take on a lot of clutter. It becomes that black hole where things go and are never seen again. You tell yourself you’ll get to it, but you don’t know where to start every time you attempt to declutter. It can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to clean and organize an area with diverse belongings, but here are a few tips.

Tips for Junk Removal in Garner, NC: Decluttering the Garage

Separate The Mess

The first step in organizing your clutter is to divide it up. You’ll want to create several categories: what to keep, donate, sell, and throw away. The keep pile is always the easiest, but people have trouble with the other categories. For example, if something has sentimental value, that’s fine, but some people think that about every item, which makes getting rid of things more difficult. In this case, ask someone objective to help sort through things.

You can donate tons of things to local charities (be sure to check what they do and do not accept as donations). If you’d rather see cash, set items aside for a garage sale, but if they don’t sell, you need to have a plan B to get rid of them eventually. Do not put them back into your garage! Also, if you have any hazardous waste or chemicals (i.e., paint, insecticides, etc.), dispose of them carefully and lawfully.

Organize

When you’ve finally finished sorting through all your belongings and deciding which ones to keep, you’ll need to organize them before putting them back in your garage. This isn’t always a simple task and can take some time, so be patient with this process. Remember to label every storage box or container -you’ll thank yourself later.

Maintain

Once you get your garage cleaned up, you’ll want to keep it that way. It’s much easier to maintain a tidy space than clean it again. A decluttered space is pleasing to the eye, and it reduces your stress when you’re in your garage. In addition, you’ll have more room for other activities. You do have the space. You need to declutter and prioritize it!

McJunk

Are you decluttering your garage, attic, or basement? Do you need help with junk removal in Garner, NC? McJunk can help. Our team will sort items and recycle, donate or dispose of them for you. No job is too big or too small. Contact us at 919-850-4377 and see what we can do for you.

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5 Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning not only refreshes your home but can also boost your health? Spring cleaning may seem like an overwhelming annual chore but reframing it as beneficial as taking vitamins or starting a new weight loss regime can make it more palatable.

Spring Cleaning Benefits

Here are five benefits:

Less clutter = less chaos. Can we all agree that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed these days? It’s bad enough having mental clutter (especially in the digital age), but physical clutter can contribute to feeling overloaded and constricted. A study by Princeton University found that clutter can make it difficult for people to maintain focus on a particular task. It may be hard to get rid of things (almost everyone plays the game of “what if I need this someday?”), but the additional space, increased sense of focus, and control gained are priceless.

Less dust = more breathability. Did you know that the average home collects 40 pounds of dust each year? Dust, soot, dirt, and grime grow in the least obvious places. If left unchecked, these particles settle in homes and can also infiltrate respiratory systems. So, getting rid of dust and letting in some new air can work wonders for your ability to breathe (especially if you have asthma, allergies, or other breathing issues). Besides, there’s nothing like breathing fresh air to make a space feel new.

Fewer germs = less infection. Sanitizing surfaces and removing dirt also get rid of germs and bacteria. In this day and age, the fewer germs and bacteria roaming around, the less likely a cold, flu, or other diseases will occur.

Healthier nutrition = better health. You clear a path towards more vitality by purging expired ingredients and food. When ingredients are old and stale, they lend themselves to bacteria and bland food. Getting rid of them means healthier (and tastier) recipes and meals.

Free exercise. There is no need to pack a gym bag – spring cleaning meets you right where you are. Spring cleaning isn’t as demanding as, say, training to run a triathlon, but it all depends on the effort you put into it. An Indiana University study found that people who lived in clean houses tend to have much better health than those who lived in messy ones. (And besides, doing something is better for your body than sitting on the couch and watching Netflix, right?).

With this, and so many other benefits available to you, it’s time to pick up that feather duster and get your spring cleaning on.

McJunk

Let us help with your spring cleaning. McJunk can haul away all your unwanted items in one easy step. Our teams will sort and then recycle, donate or dispose of each item. So give us a call at 919-850-4377 and schedule a pick-up today.

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Organizing Your Junk Drawer

Junk drawers are a collection spot for all the random or miscellaneous items around the house that are useful but do not have a specific place to go. For example, scissors, batteries, spare keys, pens, and bandages are everyday items in most junk drawers.

Junk Removal Tips: Junk Drawer Organizing

If there is more than one junk drawer or catch-all place in the home, it may be time to consolidate and declutter. Here are some junk removal tips to help clean out that drawer.

Empty The Junk Drawer

Before any organizing can begin, one must know what is in the drawer. Pull everything out of the junk drawer and lay it out where it is visible. Throw away any trash, expired coupons, old carry-out menus, etc. Now look at what’s left. Divide items into two piles – what to keep and get rid of. Finally, separate the “keep” pile by where the item is used. Like goes with like. For example, office supplies will go together. If anything in the junk drawer can be given a more permanent home, it is time to move it.

Choose an Organization Method

There is more than one way to keep a drawer organized. Once everything is out in the open, it is easy to see what organization method will work best. For example, using different-sized boxes or containers can help create smaller areas within the drawer to keep items from getting mixed up. Many stores sell drawer organizers or silverware keepers that work well. Perhaps leaving the objects loose in the drawer is fine once extraneous items are removed.

Don’t Have a Junk Drawer?

Not all junk drawers have to be actual drawers. Any place that allows for storage can end up being the proverbial junk collection spot. Ottomans, closets, storage cubes, hanging baskets, or even a countertop can all end up used as a catch-all space.

The idea and process of decluttering remain the same even if the location is different. Empty the spot, take an inventory of items, toss out any trash, organize and arrange what is left back into the space.

Inspired to Clean Out More?

Decluttering is contagious. Cleaning out a junk drawer can turn into cleaning out a closet which then turns into organizing the garage. Now there is a pile of large junk that needs to go somewhere. Get that junk from a home or office taken away without lifting a finger. McJunk offers a full range of junk removal services. We accept almost anything, and 80% of what we haul away is donated, recycled, or remade. Call 919-850-4377 and book an estimate for junk removal.

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