Junk likes to hide in a lot of places. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that people tend to put junk in some common places, then forget about it. When you start doing some summer cleaning, you may find that you’ve put junk in these spaces. What can you do to keep trash from collecting in common areas, and how can you deal with it? First, let’s take a look at some of these areas that tend to collect junk.

The Garage

It’s very easy for your garage to collect junk because people don’t usually think of it as living space. It’s for parking cars and storage. However, it can quickly become storage for trash. The garage typically collects junk that you can’t easily toss in your garbage bins or that you plan on doing something else with but want it out of the house. Large trash often has to be set aside and either taken to the landfill or set out for bulk trash pickup. However, since the city only collects bulk trash once a month, it’s easy for this junk to be forgotten. You may set something else in front of it or simply forget to take it out on the correct collection day. This can go on for months if you’re not careful.

Since many people do use their garage for storage, it’s easy to end up storing junk. Do you really know what’s in all of the boxes and bins you have in the garage? If you start looking through everything, you may find stuff you thought you got rid of long ago. One way of ensuring this doesn’t happen is to label every box and update those labels when you add or remove things from that box. Having an organized garage is one of the best ways of keeping junk to a minimum. 

The Basement

Your basement may fall under the old saying of “out of sight, out of mind.” How often do you really go down there? If your washer and dryer are in the basement, you’ll be down there frequently. This can help you keep the junk in your basement to a minimum because you’ll see it all the time. However, if you have no reason to go down into the basement that often, you may find that a lot of junk has collected in it.

The basement can become storage for holiday decorations, summer and winter sports gear, and old furniture. If you have an exterior access to the basement, you may find it easier to store old furniture and appliances down there instead of in the attic or even your garage. Unfortunately, once something goes down into your garage, it’s likely to stay there. 

Another issue with some basements is water damage. You may have a leak that affects the basement, but if you’re not down there often, you may not know about it for months. This can damage the things you have stored there and lead to the growth of mold. Basements can also become homes for mice and other pests. They may start out living in your basement, but you can bet they will eventually make their way upstairs. Keeping your basement organized by using a junk hauling service to get rid of stuff you don’t need will keep your entire house safe.

The Attic

Because it involves taking things upstairs, attics tend to collect smaller things than basements. However, that doesn’t mean the attic won’t end up full of junk. You’re more likely to put boxes of stuff here. Some of this stuff may be things you do want to keep and use occasionally, such as holiday decorations. However, some of it may be stuff you really don’t need. These boxes will continue to pile up over the years until your attic is so full, you can’t put anything else in there.

Like with basements, attics can attract pests. While some mice may get into your attic, you also have to watch out for squirrels and even birds. Any small opening in the roof can let animals in. Roof leaks are another issue and, like leaks in the basement, lead to mold. 

The best way of dealing with stuff in the attic is to go through everything once a year. This gives you the chance to check for water or vermin damage as well as determine if you need to keep everything. This is going to be easier if you have a finished or partially-finished attic you can easily get into, but it can be done with a smaller space, too. Of course, you can also do your best to prevent the attic from becoming full by carefully considering what goes into it. The best way to avoid clutter is to continuously edit what you keep.

Your Closet

Do you know exactly what’s in your closet? Often, you’ll have a good idea of what you’ve got in there, but you may have the odd box or two that you’ve forgotten about. Closets in spare rooms or in the hall that you don’t get into often may have even more mystery boxes in them. During your annual summer cleaning, take a look in all of these boxes and label them. 

This will not only much easier to find things you may need but also remind you of what you’re keeping. The more you see what you’re keeping, the less likely the “out of sight, out of mind” saying will come into play. You’ll actively think about what’s in the boxes when you see the labels. At some point, you may realize you just don’t need to keep them any longer. Of course, if you look at a box and find yourself smiling when you think of what it holds, it’s not a box of junk—it’s a box of precious memories you may want to keep forever. Keep the items that bring you happiness, but don’t store junk.

The Spare Room

Do you have a guest bedroom, home office, exercise room, or other spare room? If so, the closet in that room may become something of a catch-all. It may be where you shove stuff you want to hold on to but don’t have space for elsewhere. If you’re not using the room daily, the entire space could become full of random stuff.

It can be easy to turn a spare room into your storage room, and sometimes it’s actually the right move. For example, if you’re redoing another part of your house, having an extra room to store your furniture and other items means you avoid renting a storage unit. However, if the spare room becomes a permanent home for this type of stuff, especially if guests couldn’t use it, you have a problem.

The Shed

Old yard equipment, lawn furniture, and other backyard stuff can collect in your shed. Many people don’t get in their shed too often, and even fewer people take everything out and sort through it every year. Do you know what’s in your shed? It could be a lot of junk you don’t need. Like the basement and attic, sheds can be subject to leaks and infestations. Be sure to check your shed for leaks or signs that animals have been in it every year, and take the time to organize and get rid of anything you no longer need.

What Do You Do with this Junk?

Now that you know where to look for junk, what do you do with it when you find it? The easiest solution is to call Junk King Dayton to haul away any large junk you don’t need. We will take furniture, old appliances, bags of trash, electronics, and much more. As long as it isn’t considered hazardous waste, we can haul it away.

Our team will even remove the items from your home for you. We will wrestle that sofa up the basement stairs, pull the busted refrigerator out of the garage, and get your dismantled greenhouse out of the shed. You don’t need to pull anything down to the curb or even out onto your driveway. Just leave it to our crew.

Get a Free, No-Obligation Quote Today

We provide free quotes for every job, and there is never any obligation to use our service. If you have some junk you want us to haul away, there are a few ways to get an estimate. If you have standard items such as furniture or appliances, our online price estimator can give you an accurate quote. However, if you have unusual items or a lot of junk, you’re better off talking to one of our team members. 

There are two ways to reach out to us. You can send us a text to 1-737-888-5865 with information and photos of the stuff you want us to take. You can also call us at 1-888-888-JUNK and describe the job or set up an in-person estimate. When we come in person, we will bring a crew with us if one is available. This means we can get to work as soon as you approve the quote. 

Don’t let junk hide in your home. Call Junk King Dayton today to reclaim that space.