Make Room for Summer
Time for the Garage Cleanout
Summer is a great time to tackle one of the most overlooked spaces in the home: the garage. Warmer weather, longer days, and a little extra motivation make it easier to sort through boxes, shelves, and corners that have collected clutter over the year. A good cleanout can free up space, improve safety, and help you find items you actually need when fall and winter roll around.
As you go through your garage set aside gently used items for a garage sale. Summer weekends are often ideal for neighborhood sales, and selling tools, sports equipment, toys, small furniture, or home goods can help clear space while putting a little extra cash in your pocket. Items that do not sell, don’t leave them lying around donate to local charities or thrift stores, keeping usable goods out of the landfill and giving them a second life.
Garage cleanouts often uncover items that are not sellable but also shouldn’t be put in the garbage. Leftover paint, automotive fluids, pesticides, cleaners, batteries, and outdated electronics may contain hazardous materials that require special handling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends using household hazardous waste collection programs for products such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides, because improper disposal can threaten human health and the environment. Kosciusko Solid Waste Management District is just want you need for these items.
As you sort, keep products in their original containers, make sure lids are sealed tightly, and never mix chemicals together. Store items upright for transport and check out www.kcrecycling.com before you come to confirm accepted items and hours. By taking advantage of the summer season to clean out your garage and properly dispose of old paint, unwanted chemicals, and electronics, you can create a safer home while helping protect the community and environment.
As you go through your garage set aside gently used items for a garage sale. Summer weekends are often ideal for neighborhood sales, and selling tools, sports equipment, toys, small furniture, or home goods can help clear space while putting a little extra cash in your pocket. Items that do not sell, don’t leave them lying around donate to local charities or thrift stores, keeping usable goods out of the landfill and giving them a second life.
Garage cleanouts often uncover items that are not sellable but also shouldn’t be put in the garbage. Leftover paint, automotive fluids, pesticides, cleaners, batteries, and outdated electronics may contain hazardous materials that require special handling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends using household hazardous waste collection programs for products such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides, because improper disposal can threaten human health and the environment. Kosciusko Solid Waste Management District is just want you need for these items.
As you sort, keep products in their original containers, make sure lids are sealed tightly, and never mix chemicals together. Store items upright for transport and check out www.kcrecycling.com before you come to confirm accepted items and hours. By taking advantage of the summer season to clean out your garage and properly dispose of old paint, unwanted chemicals, and electronics, you can create a safer home while helping protect the community and environment.
