Getting a new couch means you have to get rid of the old one. A new couch comes with a fresh touch that makes your living room pop. It also helps improve style and comfort. Conversely, an old and worn-out couch can affect your overall decor, making it look old and ragged.
While it is easier to replace your old couch, removing it can be problematic. This is because sofas and couches are big and difficult to move. Therefore, it is a noble idea to get the services of a junk removal company like Junk King to handle the couch disposal process. This will save you from many physical constraints and the need to call your neighbor or friends for a favor.
At Junk King, we consider environmental protection as we make any plans to recycle your couch. This is a much better option, especially if several furniture items don’t belong to you in the first place. Before we discuss the steps involved in disposing of your old couch, let’s highlight some of the reasons you need to get rid of it.
4 Reasons To Get Rid of Your Old, Unused Couch Before It’s Too Late
There is always that one old piece of furniture that you are attached to but never use — they have sentimental value that makes you attached to them. While it might be hard to let go of your old couch, all good things must come to an end. No matter how attached or fond of something you are, you will be better off if you create space for new furniture.
Here are four reasons why you should get rid of your old furniture.
1) To Create Space for New Furniture
If you want to create space for the new three-piece suite in your apartment, you must be prepared to get rid of your old couch and know where to take it—wondering how to do so? Our team here at Junk King has your back! We are highly experienced and available both night and day to help you out.
Given that we know where to take old furniture, we ensure that we always get the job done efficiently and in an eco-friendly manner. No matter your location in the North Shore, we will reach you and help you get rid of your used couch. All you have to do is get in touch with us; our team will be there in no time!
2) To Freshen Up Your Decor
Another good reason to get rid of your old couch is breathing new life in your decor. After we help remove the old couch, there will be space to create something new and unique and add it to your decor. Transforming your living room doesn’t take long because it comes down to your creativity and what you want to achieve. Once you have enough space in your bedroom or living room for new furniture, you will also seize the opportunity to organize the rest of the house. You can pull up the carpet and clean the flow, give the walls fresh paint, or get some house plants to match your new furniture! All these steps will significantly improve your home decor. Consequently, there will be better curb appeal, with visitors enjoying your home’s new look!
3) To Help Those in Need
You can also choose to dispose of your old couch because you want to help those that need it. When you want to get rid of your old furniture, it is not about finding the most convenient location to dump it and move on to the next one. Instead, it is about finding a home that is in need of such items and will gladly and thankfully get it off your hands. Just because your old furniture is worn-out and in bad shape doesn’t mean it has to end up in a scrap heap.
The old saying: “one man’s crap is another man’s treasure” tells us exactly that. You will realize that there are plenty of ways you can get rid of your old couch, and not all of them involve getting them to landfills. Even better, we can take your old furniture to charity organizations. This goes a long way in helping people and safeguarding the environment.
4) To Keep the Environment Clean
If you have ever wondered where you can get the cheapest furniture disposal, then you will be surprised to know that recycling is among the best methods of getting rid of your old couch. Recycling is a good reason to think of furniture disposal. At Junk King, we will happily shift anything that could be clutter in your home and take it to recycling facilities. We have been working with established recycling facilities for years, given our long history in the industry. recycling is the best way to get rid of your old couch
At these facilities, they will strip your old couch down and salvage as much as possible. This ensures that your old couch doesn’t end up on the scrap heap. Through recycling, your old furniture is put into much better use, with the process doing a lot to help mother nature. This goes a long way in keeping the environment clean and healthy.
Step 1. Choose Which Kind of Couch Disposal Method is Right for You
When looking to get rid of your old couch, you should start by choosing the ideal disposal method. You could be having thoughts of just dumping your old couch in a landfill and getting it over and done with — this is not the right way to do it. Some people take their old couch on their curb, hoping that trash services will pick it up. While this is possible, you will likely be fined due to the set regulations. Here are the different methods of couch disposal:
Donate To Charity
You can donate old couches to charity as a way of getting rid of them. If your old couch is still in good shape and can be reused, you should give it away for a good course. By donating old furniture to a local charity, you create a reliable way of getting rid of it and at the same time maintaining the environment.
Many organizations, such as the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity, will refurbish and clean your old couch and give them to families in need. For example, it can be families affected by natural disasters or going through financial challenges.
If a local charity doesn’t have people in need of the old couch, they might keep it and identify a worthy receiver later on. Some organizations like Salvation Army and Goodwill will accept the couch and resell it, with proceeds going to charity projects in the community. When you donate your old furniture, you will have a good feeling because you will be helping those in need and at the same time, keeping waste out of landfills.
Recycling
Another reliable way you can dispose of your old couch is by recycling. When you recycle furniture, you get the most out of it even when it is worn out. Due to their worn-out status and size, some people send old couches to dumpsites when they get new furniture.
Unfortunately, most of these people don’t stop and think about what will happen to their old couch once it is thrown away. Remember that an average couch weighs between 100 to 300 pounds, which is equal to two yards of waste.
Considering thousands of old sofas end up in landfills every year, you realize the massive impact this act has on the environment. If you didn’t know, many sofas have toxic chemicals such as cancer-causing flame retardants and formaldehyde.
These chemicals can cause significant damage to the environment. When you dump bulky items such as recliners and sofas, the chemicals sink into the ground and contaminate water supply and soil.
Small amounts of these chemicals might make their way into tap water and food, putting your health at great risk. In addition, the chemicals can cause serious illnesses such as liver and kidney cancer. Even though new couches no longer contain these chemicals, most of the old couches being thrown away contain them. Therefore, you need to be cautious when dealing with old furniture to avoid environmental hazards.
Selling
Selling your couch is another reliable way of disposing of it. A used coach is like a used car — you can always sell them at a lower price. Even if it has thousands of miles on it, as long as it is in ideal condition, you can get monetary value out of it. Given the tough financial situation, you could use some extra cash.
Selling your old couch will help you raise funds for new furniture. Thankfully, there are several ways you can sell your old couch. While these methods are pretty easy, they will still require some effort from your end. Some of the common platforms you can sell your old couch include:
OfferUp
OfferUp is a reliable mobile app that works like any other selling app. What makes it unique is that there are no shipping costs and selling fees. However, you will have to make the exchange face to face. Additionally, it is a great app because buyers and sellers get to review one another. The reviews make it easy to tell whether the person you are dealing with is a good or trustworthy customer. This helps guarantee safety and transparency in business transactions.
Craigslist
Craigslist is perhaps the most popular platform where you can buy and sell used items. This platform works just like the classified section of a newspaper. Through it, you can list your used couch for sale in the furniture section of your local area.
Those interested in buying the product will get in touch with you through the website and negotiate the price. Remember, the free service is specifically for in-town selling and buying, so you will have to meet the couch’s buyer in person. If you agree with the buyer, you can have them come to your home for evaluation before hauling it away.
Facebook Marketplace
The Facebook Marketplace is another reliable method to sell your old couch. On this platform, you can find local people in need of second-hand furniture, just like your couch. For the best results, you should make a public post describing the state of your furniture.
Ensure the post is seen by others in your area to keep things flowing. Experts believe that you will have a better chance of selling the sofa if you upload a clear photo of the product and keep the price fair. Responding promptly to inquiries will also help you sell the couch quickly.
Give It Away
This option is almost similar to donating your old couch; the only difference is that you won’t be able to claim your taxes. You can be sure to find an individual looking for a new couch but isn’t willing to spend a fortune. Such people are usually willing to deal with the hassle of collecting the couch, especially if they are not paying anything for it.
There are several ways you can identify such individuals. For example, you can post flyers around college campuses. Undoubtedly, college students are always in need of furniture and don’t really care about its condition as long as it’s free.
They might also know someone who is in need of a gently used sofa, so they can link you up with such individuals. By doing so, you will have your old couch hauled away by those in need and prevent having more waste in landfills.
Hire Professionals
You can hire a professional pick-up service to help get rid of your old couch. At Junk King North Shore, we are equipped with the necessary resources to safely remove your old couch. Our strong stance against environmental pollution ensures that we recycle your waste and have it safely disposed of. This goes a long way in keeping things tidy, with hazardous chemicals kept off the ground.
Step 2. Clean Your Used Couch Thoroughly With These 3 Easy Steps
Used couches have unwanted germs, pests, and smells that could make them unhygienic. If you have kids or pets, you know how quickly a couch can go from brand-new to looking like it belongs to waste bins.
Pets and kids are pros at spreading crumbs, germs, and stains. If you are looking for the most reliable way to clean a couch that your little ones use regularly, there are several steps you need to follow. Similarly, by getting rid of your old couch, you need to ensure it is clean. This is especially if you are donating it to charity or you plan to sell it.
Here are three steps you can follow when cleaning your old couch.
i) Vacuuming
The first step is to vacuum up all the dirt, loose crumbs, and fur from the upholstery. If you don’t know how to clean upholstery on couches, you must find a better alternative than vacuuming. While doing so, you need to keep an eye for bug droppings or other signs of pests. You should also strive to get the vacuum into every cranny possible to ensure it is thoroughly cleaned.
However, before you start vacuuming, try a lint brush on your couch to loosen the debris and keep it tidy. After that, using a soft brush attachment or upholstery, vacuum the entire couch. If possible, remove the cushions to access the inner areas of your couch. These are some of the areas where crumbs and hair tend to hide.
ii) Disinfect and Wipe Down
The second step is disinfection and wiping down. In this step, you might want to make a natural upholstery cleaner for tough stain removal. Alternatively, you can use a store-bought cleaner which gives similar results.
However, before using this option, it is vital to test a small patch of the fabric and ensure it is working efficiently. After that, you should wipe down any non-clean sections with a reliable disinfectant to get rid of germs.
Ensure the spray or wipes you choose don’t have bleach because it can cause significant damage to wood furniture. It can also damage other non-fabric parts of your sofa. If you are unsure of the spray, test a small spot first. At this point, you shouldn’t worry about disinfecting the fabric because you will do it in subsequent steps. You can do so during the cleaning process that eliminates tough stains.
iii) Remove Stains and Odors
The presence of odors in old couches is often caused by excessive moisture and bacteria. One of the best ways you can fix this problem is through baking soda, which helps eliminate bacteria. However, you should test a small part to ensure the baking soda won’t lighten the fabric. You should then sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda in all sections of the couch to keep everything clean.
When cleaning your couch, it is vital to use a bristle brush to evenly spread out the baking soda. Spreading them in an even layer on every upholstered surface ensures the couch is thoroughly clean. Let the baking soda settle in for a few hours without disturbing it, then vacuum it up. If you still notice a bad odor after a baking soda bath, spray down the surface with a mixture of water and white vinegar.
Once the solution has dried up, the smell of vinegar will slowly disappear, and so should the bad odor. Before you initiate any stain removal process, you should figure out the type of fabric it is.
This is because some sofas are made with upholstery that is very fragile and shouldn’t get wet at any point. Others, such as synthetic upholstery or leather, might need special consideration as well. Therefore, you need to be cautious about the type of fabric your old couch is made from.
Step 3. Find a Recycling Service or Pick Up and Load Your Couches
The last step is finding recycling services for your furniture. While planning to recycle your old couch, it is essential to choose the right recycling company. You might have the best intentions at heart (helping keep the environment clean) but the company you choose might not have what it takes to achieve this.
Therefore, it is vital to choose a licensed and certified company that can handle the recycling process without causing any harm to mother nature. Before signing up for any pick service near you, you must research extensively to ensure the company meets all the credentials. Here are a few tips you can use to pick an ideal furniture recycling company.
Check the Credentials
Every country gives recycling licenses or certificates to recycling companies. Having the certification means a company has undergone professional training in a recycling program and can handle a wide range of recycling procedures.
The company you work with must have the know-how and skills to recycle old furniture or any other waste products. In the US, it is a criminal offense to hire unregistered and unlicensed recycling companies. In that case, you will be penalized.
Junk King North Shore is a fully insured and registered company you can trust with furniture recycling. We have all the necessary documentation to handle all recycling needs in North Shore. If you hire our services, we will provide you with a waste management plan that lets you know what our recycling process entails. This ensures that you know what it takes and what is required.
Check for Violations in Recycling
One of the most effective ways of choosing the best furniture recycling company is checking that the company doesn’t have any violations. These are very strict rules that recycling companies have to adhere to, failure to which they will be breaching the rules. It can be very easy to breach rules, for example, not separating the items to be recycled into the right bins.
While these might be simple violations, they go against safety guidelines. If a recycling facility has a shady reputation and an outstanding fine, you shouldn’t hire their services. Such shady companies tend to lure people with ridiculously low prices only to deliver substandard services. At Junk King, we adhere to the highest standards possible, ensuring the recycling process is done in the right manner.
Check the Capability
Check whether the recycling company you have selected has the certification for handling toxic chemicals that are often found on old couches. You should also check whether they have a collection service that can pick up your old couch from the basement. A good recycling company should be able to handle both hazardous and non-hazardous waste, transport it from one point to another, and so on.
Keep in mind that recycling companies might specialize in niche categories, meaning you need to identify one that falls within your category. Junk King is an experienced company with highly skilled professionals that can handle any recycling process. Our state-of-the-art equipment and technology make us capable of handling any recycling and trash collection process.
Check its Environmental Commitment
When looking for an ideal furniture recycling company, go for a company that can convince you about its commitment to keeping the environment clean. It has to be transparent about its claims and able to deliver any proof you might need. If the company says it recycles 70% of waste, it might not necessarily be the 70% of waste collected from you.
Instead, it refers to its overall recycling rate. This rate can be hiked inappropriately as a way of marketing the company, which shouldn’t be the case. Therefore, you should confirm their claim to keep the environment clean and prevent the spread of toxic chemicals.
Check its Customer Service and Support
No business thrives without good customer service. Therefore, you should check if your recycling company has any kind of support or service you are interested in. Remember that the service you need could fall under different levels.
For example, if you want professional assistance in determining the reduction of your waste, you need to get in touch with customer care. The same applies to when you want to increase furniture recycling.
In that case, the furniture recycling company should be able to provide you with waste audit services. In addition, when choosing a recycling company, they should provide you with an analysis of your waste sample so that you can tell whether they are the right recycling option. For the best result, the company should have an on-site lab for compliance testing and other related services. This is ideal, especially when recycling old furniture because it produces highly toxic chemicals.
Avoid substandard recycling facilities that can worsen the condition of your items. In summary, the ideal recycling company is one that is licensed, provides you with the necessary information, has ISO certification, helps you improve your carbon footprint, and is easily accessible to answer your inquiries.
At Junk King North Shore, we pride ourselves on having the best customer service in the industry. We have a 24/7 customer support team that is ready to answer your recycling questions any time of the day!
Make Sure To Follow These 3 Simple Steps To Get Rid of an Old Couple Properly and Without Stress
The presence of old couches in your home can be unsightly. They take up a lot of space that you could use for other essential purposes. Thankfully, you can easily get rid of your old couch through the three steps we have discussed.
You should start by choosing the kind of couch disposal method you like, cleaning the old couch, and lastly, finding the right recycling service. At Junk King, we are committed to helping you every step of the way. We have the necessary equipment and personnel to safely remove and recycle your old couch. Get in touch with us for professional junk disposal.
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