The garage is the easiest room in the house to fill and the hardest to empty. This checklist breaks the job into one weekend.
1. Pick a date and a destination
A cleanout stalls when the pile has nowhere to go. Before you move a single box, decide how the junk will leave: your own truck and several trips, or a garage cleanout crew booked for Sunday afternoon. A deadline keeps you sorting.
2. Empty one zone at a time
Work wall by wall. Pull everything from one zone onto the driveway before you touch the next, so you can see the floor come back.
3. Sort into four piles
- Keep: used in the last year, or truly irreplaceable.
- Donate: clean, working and useful to someone else.
- Recycle: metal, cardboard, electronics.
- Haul away: broken, stained, incomplete or simply done.
4. Set the hazardous items aside
Liquid paint, solvents, pesticides, motor oil, gasoline, pool chemicals and propane tanks cannot go in the trash or on a junk removal trailer. San Diego County residents can take them to a household hazardous waste collection facility; check your city’s program for hours and appointments.
5. Clean before you put anything back
Sweep, check for leaks and pests, and only then return the keep pile. Put what you use weekly at arm’s height and seasonal items up high.
6. Let someone else do the heavy part
Most one-car garages are a half load and a packed two-car garage is usually a full load. We carry everything from the driveway or straight from the shelves, donate and recycle what we can, and sweep before we leave.
Disposal rules and fees change. This article is general information for San Diego County residents; check with your city or hauler for the current rules, or call us and we will tell you what applies to your load.