Category: Appliance Removal

cluttered-kitchen-to-clutter-free

The Health Benefits of a Clutter-Free Home: A Junk Removal Expert’s Insights

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

A clutter-free home is not just visually appealing, it has a significant impact on the overall well-being of your family. The state of our living areas can influence our mental and physical health in various ways, which we’ll look at in this post. And we’ll explore the health benefits of a clutter-free home, with expert tips on how to manage clutter.

Reduced Stress and Anxiety

Did you know that a cluttered living space can contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety? Studies show shown that an untidy home can lead to heightened cortisol levels, a hormone associated with stress. Living in a clutter-free environment can help alleviate these feelings and create a sense of calmness and relaxation.

Expert tip: By decluttering your home, you remove unnecessary visual distractions and create a more organized living space. This allows your mind to focus better and promotes a sense of tranquility.

Improved Mental Clarity

A cluttered home can overwhelm our senses and create mental clutter. When our physical space is disorganized, it can be challenging to concentrate on tasks and maintain mental clarity, while a clutter-free environment fosters a sense of order and helps our minds stay focused and sharp. By decluttering and organizing your living space, you can create an environment that supports mental clarity and productivity.

Expert tip: Start with small steps to avoid becoming overwhelmed, such as sorting and organizing one area at a time.

Enhanced Physical Health

A clutter-free home will positively impact your physical health. A messy living space can harbor dust, allergens, and even pests, which can lead to respiratory issues and allergies. By removing clutter, you create a cleaner and healthier living environment for yourself and your family.

Expert tip: Regularly clear out unnecessary items that accumulate over time, like old furniture, broken appliances, and other items that may serve as breeding grounds for dust mites and allergens. Keeping your living space clean and clutter-free can reduce the risk of allergies and respiratory problems.

Increased Safety

A cluttered home poses safety hazards that can lead to accidents and injuries. Tripping over objects, falling due to cluttered walkways, or having heavy items stacked precariously can all result in harm.

Expert tip: Dispose of broken or damaged items promptly, and organize and store items in a way that minimizes the risk of accidents. By taking proactive measures to maintain a clutter-free home, you can create a safer living space for yourself and your loved ones.

Related: The 10 Commandments of a Clutter-Free Life

123JUNK: Expert Junk Removal in Northern VA, Washington DC and Maryland

123JUNK is your reliable partner in creating a healthy home environment. Their team of professionals understands the importance of a clean and organized home, and are equipped with the knowledge and resources to help you get clutter-free.

We prioritize the health and safety of our clients, employees and the environment, and train our team members in the proper way to lift, carry and load your unwanted items without injury to themselves or your property. We then use our 1-2-3 process of donate-recycle-dispose to sort items that can be delivered to one of our charity partners or taken to the appropriate recycling centers.

Don’t let clutter hold you back from your best and healthy life. With 123JUNK, you can say goodbye to the hassle of decluttering and just enjoy your newly clutter-free home with reduced stress, improved mental clarity and increased safety.

To schedule your junk removal, contact us at 1-800-364-5778 or use our convenient contact form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swedish-Death-Cleaning-TV-stars

Get Inspired by The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning TV Show

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

We’ve written about Swedish Death Cleaning in our blog before, and we were interested to see that there is a new TV show featured on Peacock titled “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” now featured in 2023. After all, it’s about getting rid of junk…our favorite subject.

Inspired by the popular book of the same title by Margareta Magnusson, each of the current eight episodes features an organizer, designer and psychologist from Sweden who come to the United States to help subjects sort out their home and life, and confront their overabundance of stuff. Each subject is at a different stage in their life. Some are facing imminent mortality and don’t want to burden their loved ones with all their “crap.” Others want to lighten their emotional and physical burdens.

The shows are executive produced and narrated by comedienne and actress Amy Poehler, so you can expect they’ll be entertaining. But they also talk seriously about death in a holistic way. The purpose of Swedish Death Cleaning is not to burden others with the items you have collected over a lifetime.

The Swedish Death Cleaning Team

Katarina is the psychologist who helps subjects look at their mortality and uncover why they are clinging to items that are no longer used or of value. Ella, the organizer, helps subjects go through their stuff to decide what is really important to keep, and what can be given away, donated or discarded. Johan is the young designer who transforms the homes after the junk is cleared out. It’s fun to watch the owner’s delight in the home’s final reveal as each show ends.

What is Swedish Death Cleaning?

The-Gentle-Art-of-Swedish-Death-Cleaning-book

As the author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter Margaret Magnusson explains the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning as “a process to remove unnecessary things and make your home nice and orderly when you think the time is coming closer for you to leave the planet.” It is meant to reduce the effort and time spent by loved ones to dispose of and disperse your belongings once you’ve passed away. Having fewer items to deal with help ease the burden placed upon those you leave behind.

She stresses that “it’s not sad to death clean.” Instead she promotes that you should only keep the items you enjoy and those that have meaning, and get rid of the rest.

Learn more in our previous post about Swedish Death Cleaning.

Partner with 123JUNK for your Swedish Death Cleaning Cleanout

When you decide that it’s time to downsize or clean out items you no longer love, 123JUNK will be glad to help you get rid of them. With our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose, we’ll take your donations of items like furniture, working appliances and household goods and deliver them to our charity partners. We’ll also look for items we can recycle, like electronics or paper and take them to the appropriate recycling center. Our last resort is the landfill. It’s our way–and yours–of protecting our environment. All for convenient flat-fee pricing.

Contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778 to schedule your pickup appointment today.

old-appliances

Why Can’t You Throw Out an Old Appliance?

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

When we’re busy, it’s easy to overlook the environmental consequences of our everyday actions, and we often discard items without considering their long-term impact. One such commonly-overlooked area is the disposal of old appliances. When your trusty refrigerator, washer or microwave has finally failed, did you know that you can’t just drop it off at the landfill? So why can’t you throw out an old appliance? Let’s explore the answer and look at some sustainable alternatives for their disposal.

3 Reasons You Can’t Just Throw Out an Old Appliance

  1. Environmental impact. Many appliances contain materials that can be harmful to the environment. Components such as batteries, refrigerants, mercury switches or electronic circuit boards can have hazardous substances that, if they end up in the landfill, can contaminate the soil, water and air.
  2. Resource conservation. Appliances often contain valuable resources like metals, plastics and electronic components that can be recycled and reused. With proper disposal, these material can be extracted and utilized in the manufacturing of new products. This helps reduce the demand for raw materials and conserves resources.
  3. Legal requirements. Many states and regions have laws and regulations governing the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) and contaminants. These legal requirements are in place to prevent improper disposal and to promote responsible recycling practices. Violations can lead to fines or penalties.

What’s in an Appliance or Electronic Device That Can be Harmful?

The components and chemicals within appliances varies between the types of appliances, and with their age. Some of the most common examples of their hazardous or dangerous materials include:

  • Refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that can lead to ozone depletion if released into the air.
  • Rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries that can contain lead, cadmium, mercury or lithium.
  • Cathode ray tubes (CRTs), found in older televisions and computer monitors, which have a high lead concentration. Some may also contain arsenic.
  • Printed circuit boards (PCBs) found in computers, printers or smartphones that can contain lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants.
  • Capacitators with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that include cancer-causing properties.
  • Asbestos, found in some heating systems’ insulation or components.
  • Mercury switches found in thermostats or fluorescent lighting.
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a type of plastic often used in electronic cables, wires and casings.

Related: EPA Report on Responsible Appliance Disposal

4 Great Ways to Get Rid of Your Unwanted Appliances

  1. Your municipality may have a recycling program specially designed for appliances. These programs ensure that your appliances are properly dismantled and their components are recycled or disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner.
  2. Use manufacturer or retail take-back programs. Look for incentives or discounts when purchasing a new appliance if you return your old one for recycling or proper disposal.
  3. If your old appliance still works, consider donating it to one your local charitable organizations that accepts appliances. This way it can be used by someone else.
  4. Hire a junk removal service. An appliance removal service like 123JUNK trains its crew on the correct methods to remove and recycle your old appliances. And they can pick up and transport them to a local charity if you wish to donate them (you’ll get a receipt for tax deduction).

It’s clear we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the environmental consequences of throwing out an old appliance. Dumping it in a landfill would be not only wasteful, but would pose risks to our ecosystems and health. By taking a responsible approach, every one of us can make a positive impact. After all, the choices we make today will shape the world we live in now and pass on to our future generations.

Schedule Your Appliance Removal with 123JUNK

123JUNK provides junk hauling services to home and business owners throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC.

When you schedule a pickup appointment for your old appliances and electronics, 123JUNK will arrive at your location and safely and efficiently remove them, ensuring minimal disruptions. We’re committed to environmentally-friendly practices with our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose, and work to maximize the reuse of items we collect. For appliances and electronics in good condition, we’ll drop them off with one of our charity partners. Otherwise, we’ll deliver them to the appropriate recycling center.

You’ll enjoy our transparent pricing and our upfront cost estimate that eliminates surprises. And we guarantee you’ll be pleased with our courteous and professional service.

Contact 123JUNK today at 1-800-364-5778 to schedule your appliance removal.

moving-season-moving-boxes

Moving Season is Here: It’s Time to Clean Up and Clean Out!

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

Springtime represents a rebirth, a return all things new. The excitement builds from the burst of color from the first spring flowers to the smell of the fresh spring air through open windows. Spring also represents a seasonal uptick in the real estate market as families look for new homes and give in to their itch for new opportunities. That’s right…moving season is here.

Moving Season: Staging a Home

If you are looking to sell your home and are working with a Realtor, they are likely to recommend staging your home in order to garner a quicker sale at a higher price. This means clearing out clutter and potentially removing furniture in order to create a more spacious-feeling interior.

Realtors also ask you to remove personal items. Potential buyers need to envision themselves living in the home and don’t need to be distracted by your family photos, awards and travel mementos. A clutter-free environment lets them picture their own furnishings and décor in the space.

You’ll likely want to decorate your new home in a new style, so take this time to donate your old furniture and unused household goods to a local charity rather than having to store or move them. When thinking about your new home, you probably picture it neat, clean and clutter free, so instead of packing up the old cutter, get rid of it! Make a clean start this moving season!

moving-season

Moving Season: Downsizing

When the kids have left the nest and you’re left rattling around in a house that’s too big for you, it may be time to think about downsizing. Discard the kids’ swingset, toys and leftover bedroom furniture to make room for your new lifestyle in a smaller home.

When downsizing, you’ll be living in a smaller, more manageable space, and you don’t want to overcrowd it by taking everything from your larger house with you. Look around and see what you no longer use. Take this opportunity to purchase new furniture that would be better-sized for your new home. Take pictures to create a memory book of childhood items, but don’t keep the items themselves.

Spring Cleaning

You know what else happens in springtime? Spring cleaning! Homeowners can’t wait to open the windows and enjoy outside living again, and the renewal of the seasons often sparks the urge to deep clean the house and yard.

During the months when we’re stuck inside, clutter can build up. And after a while, you don’t even notice it. You’ll be removing items from surfaces and shelves anyway to clean under them, so create several bins marked “donate” or “dispose” and as you remove items, get rid of the ones you don’t use any longer. That way it’s a one-step process and it’s done!

Trim branches and bushes and rake yard debris into one or more piles and let your junk removal company haul it off for you. How easy is that!

Garage and Shed Cleanouts

With spring arriving, you’re going to need to access the lawn equipment and tools again, so set aside a day for a garage and shed cleanout in order to make getting to them easier. Dump those rusted tools and mowers that no longer work, and that sporting equipment left over from sports you used to do. Go through boxes that have been stored there for years to see what you can get rid of. That way you’ll have more usable space for your cars, bicycles and what these spaces were intended for.

Moving Season and Spring Cleanouts are Easy with 123JUNK

123JUNK helps Realtors and homeowners throughout the Washington DC metropolitan region with moving season and spring cleanouts using our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose. We’ll deliver items you want to donate, or divide out perfectly-good items, and deliver them to our local charity partners like A Wider Circle, Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, Passion for Community or the Montgomery County Humane Society. If you’d like, we’ll provide you with a receipt for your donation.

We’ll also look for recyclables like electronics or old appliances and deliver those directly to the appropriate recycling station. We’ll then take what’s left over to the area landfill.

Spring is a time for renewal. New living spaces, spring cleaning, and cleanouts give you a fresh outlook for the warm weather to come.

Contact 123JUNK today to schedule your junk hauling or donation appointment.

9 Ways to Fake a Clean House

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

When talking about your home, do you often describe it as “lived in?” You’re comfortable with the overstuffed couch and the everyday clutter, and you don’t consider it dirty. But when unexpected guests arrive, do you find yourself making excuses like, “Oh, this week was so busy, I didn’t have time to pick up,” or “We don’t normally live like this.” Except that you do! If this sounds like you, you may like this post that includes these 9 ways to fake a clean house!

9 Ways to Fake a Clean House

Clear the Entry

The first rooms your guests step into are their first impression of your home. That’s where you should pay the most attention to living clutter-free. If this is a drop zone, place baskets or assign hooks or cubbies where family members can place their items neatly when they come in. Install cabinets or baskets with lids to hide clutter. Take a moment to sweep this area regularly and you won’t be so embarrassed to open the front door!

Have “Formal Rooms”

In Victorian times, the lady of the house would invite guests into her formal rooms, which were always kept up to standards for visitors. If your home has formal rooms, set up comfortable seating and usher your visitors into these areas and keep family areas private. That way it won’t matter if you are messy in your own areas. Always keep the guest bathroom clean as well.

Use Hiding Places

Remember when you were a kid and your mom asked you if you cleaned your room? You always said “Yes,” even though all you did was stuff everything into your closet and hoped she wouldn’t look there. Or you folded just the top layer of clothing in your drawer to give the illusion of neatness. Use these same tricks as an adult and stuff your clutter into drawers, closets and cabinets. (Even under the couch—temporarily.) Once the doors are closed (if they can close), your rooms look tidy and you feel like you have a clean house!

Set Up Zones

There’s a rule in business of “touch it once.” That means when you pick something up, don’t set it down anywhere—deal with it and place it where it is ultimately supposed to go. You can do this in your own house to give the illusion of neatness. Assign zones where items should be placed when you’re done using them. A toybox to hold toys. A basket to stack magazines and books. A rack to hold unread mail. Collections of items look tidier than having them randomly scattered on furniture, the floor and throughout the room.

Related: 20 Ways to Organize With Baskets

Use Cover-Ups

If your couch is covered with animal fur, or your kids have left stains on the chairs with their juice boxes, guests will have hesitation about sitting on them. Cover up these unsightly spots quickly with throws or furniture covers you keep on hand to quickly toss over these pieces of furniture.

Scoop and Run

When a friend calls and asks if they can drop by, grab the laundry basket and scoop everything that’s out of place into it for a really quick pick-up. Stash the basket in your bedroom out of sight. You can always sort through these things later to put them away where they belong.

Toss It

Is your home filled with papers, junk mail, wrappers, old magazines and other clutter? It may be time to get a big trash bag and toss out these extraneous items. There’s no need to collect things that are obviously junk.

Be Conscientious

Because we’re so busy with work, family and outside interests, we often drop and run, without noticing how clutter is building up. After a while, you don’t even see it. It only comes to light when you see it through a guest’s eyes. Set a habit of being conscientious about not cluttering your home and you’ll feel better about living in a clean house and having friends over.

Call 123JUNK

Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in your home? Let 123JUNK help. We’ll gladly remove excess or broken furniture and household items, paper, electronics, appliances, tools, toys and yard equipment—pretty much anything you’d like to get rid of.

With our 1-2-3 Process of of Donate-Recycle-Dispose, we’ll cull out anything we think is perfectly good and donate those items to one of our local charity partners who can use them to support a local family in need. For appliances, metals, paper and electronics, we’ll deliver what can be recycled to the local recycling center for safe disposal. Only then do we take the rest to the area landfill for disposal. It’s our part—and your part—of protecting our environment and our local community.

For Junk Removal in Northern VA, Maryland and Washington DC, Call 123JUNK Today

We know you’re busy, so we try to keep our process simple. Call us to speak to a live operator who can explain our process, give you a price, and set up your pickup appointment. Before we arrive, we’ll give you a courtesy call to let you know we’re on our way. And when we get there, show us what you’d like us to remove. We’ll take a moment to lay down protection on your floors and walls, if needed, and get straight to work. In no time, your home will feel tidy and you won’t have to fake a clean house. What a relief!

To learn more or to set your junk removal appointment, contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778.

minimal-waste-junk-removal

Environmentally-Friendly Minimal Waste Junk Removal

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

In the fast-paced environment of the Washington DC metropolitan region, clutter can easily and quickly accumulate in our homes and offices. But getting rid of that clutter shouldn’t have to come at a cost to the environment. By performing environmentally-friendly minimal waste junk removal, 123JUNK helps home and business owners dispose of their unwanted items in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Minimal waste junk removal is a foundational element of our company’s 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose. It is our commitment to prioritizing reuse and recycling to minimize the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, thus reducing the negative impact on the environment. Our team of professionals understands the importance of this and looks for ways on every pickup to divide out items that can be repurposed, donated or recycled.

Minimal Waste Junk Removal

We offer convenient and hassle-free junk removal services to leave you with a clutter-free space. Let us remove your furniture, appliances and electronic waste—or whatever you’d like to clear out. To make the process easier, we’ll provide you with upfront flat-fee pricing. You’ll know the cost of our service before the work ever begins.

123JUNK is fully insured, giving you peace of mind when it comes to the safety of your property. We take great care to protect your home and your belongings during the junk removal process. We’ll even sweep clean the area when we’re finished. This level of professionalism and attention to detail sets 123JUNK apart.

Education on the Importance of Minimal Waste

Our commitment to environmentally-friendly minimal waste junk removal doesn’t stop here. We also raise consciousness about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling, and provide helpful tips through our blog and programs on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle. We believe that even small changes can have a big impact.

Working Towards Zero Waste

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that many communities across the country are even working towards zero waste, a concept that “goes beyond recycling and composting at the end of a product’s life cycle to encompass the entire life cycle of a product, beginning with product design, and envisioning the use and management of materials in ways that preserve value, minimize environmental impacts, and conserve natural resources.”

We’re getting there. Washington DC’s recycling rate stands at about 30% and around 43% is reported in Virginia, while Maryland reports a recycling rate of 45%. Overall, the EPA finds that the current US household recycling rate lies at 32%.

Minimal Waste Junk Removal from 123JUNK in Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington DC

If you are looking for an environmentally-friendly solution to your junk removal and hauling needs in Washington DC, Maryland or Northern Virginia, look no further than 123JUNK. With our commitment to reducing waste, protecting the environment and providing convenient and professional services, we’re the clear choice for anyone looking to declutter in a responsible and sustainable manner. Contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778 to schedule your pickup appointment today and enjoy a clutter-free and eco-friendly life!

 

America-Recycles-Day-logo

America Recycles Day

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

Annually, America Recycles Day® takes place on or around November 15th, as part of the government’s “Keep America Beautiful” campaign. Their goal? To educate, motivate and make recycling bigger and better.

“America Recycles Day is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States,” states the website. It encourages and educates people on how to be more mindful about what they consume, where and how to properly recycle, and to pledge to recycle more on a daily basis.

According to the EPA, the current rate of recycling has increased to 32%, as compared to 7% in the 1960s.

How did America Recycles Day Begin?

In 1994, two employees of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality suggested the special day to the Nation Recycling Coalition to bring awareness of recycling. It was accepted and the first America Recycles Day was held on November 15, 1994, with 40 states involved.

Benefits of Recycling

It is important that we do our part to help keep our planet healthy. Programs like America Recycles Day and the Great American Cleanup® strive to reduce littering, improve recycling and beautify communities across the United States. The many benefits of recycling include:

  • Less delivered to landfills
  • Conservation of natural resources
  • Decrease in the burning of fossil fuels, leading to a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gasses.

Because fossil fuels are used to create single-use plastic, the process of extracting and creating these plastics emit 12.5 to 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses. Single-use plastics in landfills also account for 15% of methane emissions. (source: University of Colorado Boulder Environmental Center)

How You Can Recycle Year-Round

The average person can generate about 4.8 pounds of trash each day, while an avid recycler who recycles 75% of their discarded items generates just 1.12 pounds of trash each day. So you can see how recycling makes a difference.

Ways to mindfully recycle include:

  • Recycling at home, school, work or on the go
  • Purchasing products created with recycled content
  • Using re-usable items like grocery bags and water bottles
  • Repurposing items
  • Educating and encouraging friends, family, co-workers and others
  • Sending recyclable items to local recycling centers

123JUNK’s Mission of Recycling

When we started 123JUNK, we incorporated our 1-2-3-step process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose into our mission. It wasn’t that we just wanted to differentiate ourselves from other junk haulers, we had a true passion for helping our environment. We still do.

We encourage people to recycle items in two ways:

  1. Donate. If you have perfectly-good items around your house that you no longer need or want, they don’t belong in the landfill. Others may be able to use them. That’s why we hand-picked charity partners to which we deliver these items to be recycled back into the community. They are always looking for furniture, household goods, working electronics and other items that they can either provide to local families in need or sell in their stores to raise money for their causes. Check out our list of charity partners we work with.
  2. Recycle. There are items that don’t belong in a landfill because they contain metals or hazardous chemicals. That’s why your communities have local recycling centers. When 123JUNK makes a pickup at your location, we look for any items that either cannot be donated or don’t belong in the landfills and cull them out for delivery to the recycling center. Things like electronics (e-waste), refrigerators and air conditioners all can be broken down into their components and their hazardous contents handled properly. Paper, glass, metals and plastics can often also be recycled. Read our blog post on the Dangers of E-Waste.

Contact 123JUNK

On America Recycles Day—or any other day of the year—look to 123JUNK to help you fulfill your recycling goals. We’ll be glad to clear out the junk from your home or office and deliver it to its proper location. It’s our way of helping our community and our environment.

To speak with a representative, get an all-inclusive price and schedule your junk hauling in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC, contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778 or fill out our online form.

several men moving a large lawn mower onto their moving truck

Help! I have BIG Things to Get Rid Of!

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

We can’t tell you how often we hear this call for help! People have a lot of really big things inside or outside their homes (or offices) that they just don’t know how to get rid of. Luckily, they know enough to call 123JUNK.

Big Furniture

Today’s sofas are bigger and heavier than ever, making them more difficult to move or remove. They can be up to two or three times the size of a regular-sized piece of the same furniture. The bigger pieces can include sectional sofas, sleep sofas, oversized couches, big lounge chairs, stadium seating, chaises, recliners, and leather couches. In other rooms, you might have an oversized dining room table, hutch, or bookcases or other furniture that you’d like to donate in order to make room for the new furniture.

Big Bedroom Furniture

Massive bedframes and dressers have to have someplace to go when you’re redecorating or downsizing. Big bedroom furniture is no problem for our team at 123JUNK.

Big Mattresses

One of the most difficult things to get rid of—believe it or not—is a mattress, especially if it isn’t the greatest condition. There are limitations and restrictions on how to dispose of it, despite the fact that it’s awkward to carry and load.

(See our related post: How to Dispose of a Mattress When You Can’t Remove it Yourself)

Big Appliances

Your old or unused refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer, stove, oven, water heater, air conditioner, dishwasher or other big appliance may also have restrictions on disposal options due to chemical contaminants like Freon. Plus, they’re heavy!

Big Entertainment Items

Are you tired of playing pool, or has ping-pong gone out of fashion in your home? You’ve been wanting to use that space for a new purpose, but your large entertainment items are in the way. How about the piano that nobody ever plays any longer, that old big-screen TV, or stereo equipment that’s gathering dust. With a quick call to 123JUNK, you can quickly and easily move these items on to new homes.

Exercise Equipment

Do you want to replace that old treadmill with the latest and greatest health equipment? No problem, with 123JUNK. We’ll gladly remove any exercise equipment, including home gyms, barbell and weight sets, weight benches, squat racks, CrossFit setups, cardio equipment, elliptical machines, rowing machines, and more.

Outdoor Fun

What do you do with your big outdoor living things when they’re no longer fun? Call 123JUNK! We’ll send our professional junk hauling team out to remove your hot tub, above-ground pool, grills, outdoor kitchen, playground set, jungle gym, swings, trampoline, fire pit, lawn furniture, statuary and landscaping items.

Lawn Equipment

Downsizing or moving into a condo, or upgrading to newer models? Then you no longer need all that old lawn equipment. We’ll gladly take off your hands your lawn tractor, mower, trimmers, blowers, snow blower, edger, spreader, sprayer, trailer, ladder and put them to good use somewhere else. We’ll even remove the shed, fence and lawn debris!

Related: HGTV’s 6 Tips for Downsizing

Let 123JUNK Do the Heavy Lifting to Get Rid of Big Things Around Your House

Don’t break your back trying to carry out big things. And don’t guilt your friends or neighbors into spending an afternoon loading them onto their pickup. That’s what 123JUNK is here for. Our professional junk haulers are trained in safety protocols when lifting and hauling big things. We don’t want them—or you—to become injured from lifting a heavy object the wrong way.

Our team is also trained in how to protect your home and property when removing big items. We’ll lay down floor covers, protect corners and doorways—whatever we have to do to ensure a clean and efficient removal.

After almost 15 years in business, we’d like to say we’ve seen it all. Yet we’re still surprised when someone contacts us to haul away a big item we haven’t handled before—like a motorcycle from a basement!

If you have big things to get rid of in Maryland, Washington DC or Northern Virginia, give 123JUNK a call at 1-800-364-5778.

landfill-global-warming

Landfills Contribute to Global Warming

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

There are more than 1,250 landfills in the United States, primarily located in the Southern and Western states. And although the number of landfills has decreased significantly since the 1990s, landfills still contribute to global warming more that we would like.

“Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for approximately 14.5 percent of these emissions in 2020,
reports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “The methane emissions from landfills in 2020 were approximately equivalent to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from about 20.3 million passenger vehicles driven for one year, or the carbon dioxide emissions from nearly 11.9 million homes’ energy use for one year.”

Landfill Greenhouse Gases Lead to Global Warming

Greenhouse gases are perhaps the biggest environment threat posed by landfills and huge contributors to global warming and climate change. In the U.S., landfills are the 3rd largest source of methane emissions.

The methane gas that landfills produce is about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and a threat to our climate. Their odors can permeate neighborhoods and the gases can produce birth defects, respiratory diseases, headaches, sleeping difficulties and irritation of the eyes, throat and nose for those living near landfills. Methane is also highly flammable and combustible, and can lead to landfill fires that destroy neighboring habitats and pollute the air.

Other Effects of Landfills

More than 254 million tons of waste are tossed into landfills each year. That’s about 4.4 pounds of trash per day per person. When trash is buried in a landfill, it is extremely slow to break down. In addition, pests are attracted, runoff poisons our soil and groundwater, and the land is destroyed for any future purpose. The effects can last for years—and generations.

Electronic waste is added can contain a long list of hazardous toxins including mercury, acids, lead, PVC and cadmium. Other dangerous toxins can come from fertilizers, expired products and pharmaceutical waste.

Related: Land of Waste: American Landfills and Waste Production

How Can You Help Landfills NOT Contribute to Global Warming?

Our mission at 123JUNK has become even more important as our planet is seeing the increased impacts of global warming, where fires, floods, droughts rage through communities, putting lives and futures at risk.

Because we know that landfills contribute to global warming, through our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose, we pledge to keep as much of the items we pick up from your homes and offices out of our area landfills as possible. We separate out the perfectly-good items, or items you want to donate, and deliver them to our hand-picked charitable partners, who provide them to families in need or sell them in their donation centers to raise money for their causes. You don’t need to separate out the items you’ve identified for removal. We’ll do it for you.

After we’ve determined which items we can donate, we’ll divide out recyclable items like bundles of newspapers, books, wood, aluminum, plastics and electronics and deliver those items to the appropriate local recycling centers where their materials can be recycled into other products.

And only when we have exhausted all ways to repurpose your items do we deliver the remainder to the landfills.

Choose 123JUNK for Environmentally-Conscious Junk Removal in NoVA, MD and DC

You can do your bit to help negate global warming by contacting 123JUNK for your home or office junk removal. Donate furniture and household goods. Recycle electronics. And let us help keep landfills from contributing to global warming and climate changes.

Contact 123JUNK today at 1-800-364-5778 to learn more about our donation pickup and delivery services, or to schedule your pick in Northern VA, Washington DC, or Maryland.

living room with a lit fireplace

Designer Secrets for Home Staging

Posted on | by Linda Barrett

Thinking of selling your home? Now is a great time! To get top dollar for your home sale, professionals suggest staging it, either by doing it yourself, or hiring a professional staging company. Here are some of the designer secrets for home staging.

The top selling point for a home is, of course, location, location, location. Next in line though, is “curb appeal.” This is not only the first impression when the potential home buyer drives up, it is also the first impressions they receive inside your home. That’s why physical or virtual home staging is so important for both an unoccupied and a currently occupied home.

Things that home buyers love include:

  • Spotlessly clean; clean above, below and around items
  • Light and bright; sunlit; welcoming light colors
  • Large rooms (or the look of being large)
  • Well maintained; buyers don’t want to have to put a lot of work into their home purchase
  • Fresh and current look and feel

Six Designer Secrets for Home Staging

There are six steps to staging your home, according to Karen Prince, an award-winning New York staging professional and author of Secrets of Home Staging (2021). They include:

Repair

Repair any visible and known defects both inside and outside the home.

  • Pro tip: Get a pre-inspection by a qualified home inspector before listing the home. This proves to buyers that the home is in good repair, and outlines selling points like upgrades.

Update

If you have been in your home a while, it probably needs upgrades. Spend a little on cosmetic updates like color, flooring or hardware changes, or remodel for more drastic effect. Key rooms to update are the kitchen and bathrooms.

  • Pro tip: Take down drapes & valances; remove wallpaper; remove wall-to-wall carpet; paint in light neutrals; update lighting; update tiles; change cabinet hardware.

Depersonalize

You must begin thinking of your home as a product to sell, and make it appealing to a broad audience. This mean removing personal items from both the interior and exterior of your home. Pack them for your move and store them off premises if possible.

  • Pro tip: Emotionally disconnect yourself from the home to enable buyers to visualize their own lives in the house.

Remove and store:

  • Personal photos
  • Items with your name on them like college degrees, trophies, awards, etc.
  • Collections from travels, crafts, hobbies, sports, etc.
  • Religious & political items
  • Decorations – front door and exterior; inspirational sayings; statues; decorative items, etc.

Declutter

Your home stager is looking to create clean, neutral lines throughout your home that make it show better in photographs and in person. This means removing all clutter and extra items from rooms, surfaces, shelves, windows, closets, garages and storage areas that could distract a buyer. Box these items up and store them for your move. And don’t forget the lawn items! The decluttering process will also make it easier to live in the home while it’s up for sale.

  • Pro tip: When decluttering, it’s a great time to get rid of items you no longer need or want to take to your new home. Make several piles designated as keep/donate/dispose. For items you want to keep, box them up. For those to donate or dispose of, contact 123JUNK. We’ll be glad to deliver your donations to area donation center, recycle things like paper and electronics, and dispose of unusable items or trash for you.

Deep Clean

A home that looks and smells clean will offer maximum appeal to a potential buyer. You may not notice the dirt in areas you’ve overlooked, but the buyers will! Hire a professional cleaning company, power wash the exterior and deck, and remove or mask odors.

  • Pro tip: Don’t forget to clean the doors, light switches and fixtures, ceiling fans and vents.

Add Style

A professional home stager may relocate your furniture and belongings to create wow-worthy vignettes and a room’s focal point. Many stagers have storerooms of items they can use to stage an unoccupied home. Stick to a neutral palette, but items of color and whimsy are allowed in order to add contrast; an all-beige room is boring. You’ll also want to make each room look larger, and increase the flow by using fewer items. Another reason to declutter!

  • Pro tip: Establish just one purpose for each room, and try to refer to the room’s original intention. For example, if you’re using a child’s room as a home office, revert it back to a child’s room.

To Stage Your Home Beautifully, Get Rid of Unused Goods and Furniture with 123JUNK

For convenient pick-up in MD, NOVA or DC of all those items to donate and trash when you’re ready to stage your home, call 123JUNK. We’ll divide out the perfectly-good items and donate them to our charity partners. We’ll recycle electronics and materials like paper to the local recycling center. And we’ll take only what’s left to the area landfill. It’s our 1-2-3 commitment to Donate-Recycle-Dispose and to protecting our environment.

We work with designers, home stagers, Realtors and homeowners to help remove items from the home. After all, statistics prove that a beautifully-staged home sells faster and for more money.

Contact 123JUNK today to speak with a live representative. We’ll find out more about your junk hauling needs, give you a one-price all-inclusive quote, and schedule your pick-up date.