Post-Spring Cleaning Solutions

After deep cleaning and decluttering your home to welcome spring you may have some large items to get rid of. Residents have access to several options to properly dispose of old furniture, appliances, and chemicals.

There’s nothing like a cool breeze on a bright sunny day to help get me in the mood for some spring cleaning and decluttering at home. After having the windows open all day, deep cleaning each room in the house, and identifying all those things my family really doesn’t need any more, comes the challenge of figuring out what to do with all that left-over stuff. Sure, some of it will be recycled and some will be thrown out with household garbage. But, what about those other things that don’t quite fit in the bin?

Furniture, appliances, and large toys are a few items that probably won’t fit in your kitchen trash can. If the items are in good condition you could consider selling them or donating them to a local charity. You may even be able to swap a particular piece of furniture with a friend looking to freshen up their space. Or, if you’re crafty and love do-it-yourself projects, you could paint or reupholster giving a particular item a new chance at being useful.

If your items are in bad shape and not worthy of being reused you’ll have to make the decision to properly dispose of them. Furniture, mattresses, and large toys that need to be thrown away but don’t fit in your trash bin are called bulky waste. Bulky waste can be properly disposed of by Whitfield County residents either through a service by Dalton Public Works, or the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority.

Residents of the City of Dalton who have garbage pickup thru the city’s public works department may qualify for pickup at the curb of rubbish and household debris. To find out if you qualify, and when the next pickup day is in your area, call public works at 706-278-7077. Visit the City of Dalton website, www.cityofdalton-ga.gov, go to Departments, and select Public Works to read the garbage policy.

Rubbish and household debris collection is available every two weeks. Keep items indoors until the day before the pickup day. City public works also picks up yard trimmings at the curb on a similar schedule. However, yard trimmings cannot be mixed with bulky items since they are picked up by different crews. Be sure to leave some space between each pile.

Whitfield County residents can drop off bulky waste at one of four Convenience Centers managed by the Solid Waste Authority. Visit www.DWSWA.org, and click on Convenience Centers to find the location nearest you. A bulky waste transportation fee of $5.00 per item is applied at three locations: Westside, M.L. King Blvd., and McGaughey Chapel Road. There are no fees for bulky waste taken directly to the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill and Convenience Center.  

Appliances, and bulky items with scrap metal like basketball hoops, can be dropped off for recycling at the Convenience Centers mentioned above. There is no fee to drop off scrap metal. See the on-site attendant for help if you’re unsure where your big stuff should go. Receipts are also available if you pay a transportation fee. Don’t forget to properly secure your load as you travel to the centers. Secured and properly tied down loads will help keep our roads safe and clean.

If you’re spring cleaning included some home remodeling, like replacing doors and windows, you have home remodeling debris or construction waste on your hands which needs to be collected separately from bulky waste. Very small amounts of home remodeling debris, such as one window or door, can be dropped off at any convenience center as bulky waste. However, large quantities must be disposed of at the Old Dixie Hwy. location. There is a disposal fee of an average of two cents per pound. For more information call 706-277-3389.

Finally, after a spring cleaning frenzy in the garage you may find yourself with old paint, pesticides, or swimming pool chemicals. These items are considered household hazardous waste and should not be thrown away with regular household garbage. In Whitfield County, the best way to dispose of these items and others like them is during a monthly Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. The next collection day is actually this Saturday, April 15.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) can be dropped off at the Old Dixie Hwy. Convenience Center once a month, on the third Saturday of the month, by Whitfield County residents at no charge. There is a limit of 220 pounds of materials per visitor. Containers must be properly labeled, preferable with the original labels, and the contents must match the description on the label.

Examples of HHW you may have stored at home are:  used motor oil, antifreeze, vehicle batteries, latex paint, varnish, paint thinner, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, bleach, spot removers, ammonia, insecticide, and weed killer. If you have specific questions about the proper management of specific materials, or whether or not your item will be accepted please call 706-277-2545 Monday thru Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.