get-rid-of-sentimental-clutter

How Do I Get Rid of Sentimental Clutter?

Feeling sentimental about objects is real. There are many emotions surrounding them because they often hold personal memories and meaningful connections to people, places and events. When you try to let go of these items, you may feel an intense sense of loss, guilt or even grief—you are essentially releasing a part of your history. Unfortunately, without being able to cull items from your home, they can accumulate and create a cluttered situation. But with so much involved, how do you get rid of this sentimental clutter?

What is Sentimental Clutter?

Sentimental clutter refers to items that hold a special meaning or emotional connection. An item becomes sentimental when related to personal memories, experiences or significant events in your life. They bring back positive memories that makes them difficult to part with, even if they no longer serve a practical purpose in your life.

Over time, the accumulation of sentimental clutter can lead to disorganized and overwhelming living areas, making it difficult to find storage for them or navigate around them, and taking up valuable space. Your environment is no longer relaxing.

Some examples can include:

  • Childhood toys or games
  • Family heirlooms
  • Pictures and photo albums
  • Letters, cards and notes from loved ones
  • Mementos from travel and vacations
  • Arts and crafts made by children
  • Wedding and engagement rings
  • Clothing and accessories from special events
  • Awards and certificates

What Should I Keep?

The decision on what to keep depends on your personal preferences and the item’s emotional significance. Here are some guidelines on what to keep:

  • Items that bring you joy and have a strong emotional connection
  • Items with practical value like jewelry you wear regularly
  • Items with sentimental value to others such a gift from a loved one
  • Items with historical significance like old family photographs or letters that may be of interest to future generations

How to Remember Sentimental Items

It’s not necessarily the item itself, but the memories you want to preserve. To remember sentimental items you don’t want to keep, and hold on to them in different ways, try these ideas:

  • Take photographs before disposing of the items
  • Write a journal entry of your memories and associated thoughts, and make the journal the keepsake
  • Create a memory box for small items
  • Keep a digital record with scans or important documents or digital photographs
  • Share you stories with loved ones to keep the legacy alive
  • Repurpose items by turning them into something new, like making a quilt from old clothes or a piece of jewelry from broken pieces.

How Do I Get Rid of Sentimental Clutter?

What’s important is to evaluate the sentimental value of each item, and only keep those that hold real significance and bring joy. To help eliminate items, try these steps:

  • Separate items into categories such as sentimental value, practical value and emotional value.
  • Ask yourself if the item still holds sentimental value and brings joy to your life. If not, let it go.
  • Choose a course of action. Decide what you will do with each item: keep it, donate it, or toss it. Create bins for each category and place each item in its appropriate bin.
  • Store or display. For items you decide to keep, create dedicated storage or display areas to preserve them property and protect them from damage
  • Let go. Once you’ve made your decision to donate or toss, take action to let them go.

Related: 13 Tips on How to Get Rid of Sentimental Clutter Without Feeling Guilty

A Junk Removal Company like 123JUNK Can Help You Release Sentimental Clutter

A junk removal company like 123JUNK provides a convenient and efficient solution for disposing of items you no longer need or want. Their services include:

  • Pick up/removal. Your junk removal company will come to your home and remove the items, saving you the time and energy of having to dispose of them yourself.
  • Respectful handling. At 123JUNK, we train our team members on courtesy and respect. They understand that getting rid of sentimental clutter is stressful, and that there are a lot of emotions involved. They know how to handle your objects carefully and respectfully to reduce the stress and emotional burden of letting them go.
  • Junk removal companies like 123JUNK also have a donation component, where perfectly-good items are delivered to local charity partners to be repurposed back into the community, or used to raise funds for charitable causes.
  • Based on an items suitability and usability, some items may be better off being recycled than donated or taken to the local landfill.
  • Peace of mind. Your junk removal service takes care of the entire process to ensure that your sentimental clutter is disposed of properly and ethically.

What’s most important is to be kind to yourself. Understand that handling sentimental items is emotional, but not disabling. Give yourself permission to let go of items that no longer serve a purpose in your life, and don’t feel guilty.

123JUNK: The First Choice for Junk Removal in NoVa, MD and DC

If your home is located in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC, contact 123JUNK. You’ll love the fact that you talk with a live person when you call, and that all our team members are trained to be courteous and respectful. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

When you call, learn about our 1-2-3 process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose, and our flat fee, all-inclusive pricing. Call us today at 1-800-364-5778 to schedule your junk removal pickup.

America-Recycles-Day-logo

America Recycles Day

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.

three boxes lined up next to each other

11 Items to Throw Out Right Now

Whether you live in a big house or a compact condo, there are probably items you no longer need or can use. So why are they still cluttering up your home? By clearing them out, you open up space in your life for other good things to enter. Here are 11 things you need to throw out right now.

Broken Items

If an item has been broken or damaged and you think that you will fix it one day, you probably won’t—like that chipped platter or table with a splintered leg. It will sit there taking up space and reminding you that you haven’t yet completed that task. Clear it out.

Mismatched Items

Be honest. Do you have a box with single socks without a mate? Or bowl lids without a bowl? Give these items a time limit and after several days or weeks without a match, toss them.

I-May-Need-This Items

Believe it or not, you may have hundreds of items around your house that you “might need someday” but haven’t touched in 20 years. If you think you will need an item within the next 6 months, keep it. Otherwise, out they go. If you do need it, it is easily bought.

Duplicate Items

Looking through your kitchen drawers, do you have six wooden spoons and four wire whisks. How many do you really need? Sift through your belongings to uncover duplicates and donate them to a local charity where people who have none can use them.

Items that Don’t Fit

Face it. You’ve been holding onto those Size 8 pants for years now, believing you will one day be able to fit into them again. Chances are, your body has changed. And so have the styles. Donate the clothes that are too small (or too big) and open the doors for getting new items when you reach your fitness goals. It will give you an incentive!

Items You Never Use, Or Never Will

How often have you taken home a freebie and tossed it into a drawer? How many pairs of shoes do you own that haven’t seen the light of day in years? How about stacks of books you haven’t gotten around to reading? These items are just taking up space—physically, visually and mentally. It’s time to recycle them to a better home!

Expired Items

You’d be surprised how many herbs, spices, medications, and other items with an expiration date are WAY past their prime. Some of these can become dangerous if ingested. Take an afternoon to sort out the past-due items and throw them out. Dispose of medications and drugs in the proper way. Don’t flush them down the toilet or put them into the trash can.

Craft Items from a Long-Abandoned Hobby

Does your spare room closet hold boxes of sewing materials, yarn, or scrapbooking supplies? When is the last time you crafted with them? If that hobby has gone by the wayside, so should the craft supplies.

Items from Another Life

Are you still storing items from childhood, a previous marriage, or your single life? Has your pet passed away, yet you still have its feeding dishes and bed? Are you now retired and no longer need a set of work clothes? It’s time to toss to make room in your life for the items that reflect your life right now.

Trash Items

If you’re like most people, you have piles of papers or receipts you’ve been meaning to shred, or junk mail or old newspapers and magazine you’ve intended to go through. Empty your wastebaskets and your space by throwing these items into the recycling bin or trash container.

Live Better With Less

Research shows that clutter is linked to higher levels of stress, and can even lead to overeating and weight gain. With less clutter, your home with be healthier and more beautiful. And you will have more time since you aren’t burdened by the emotional or physical labor of taking care of these items. Make it a habit to only purchase what you need at the moment and you’ll free up finances as well.

Throw Out Items the Easy Way with 123JUNK

Want an easy way to get rid of these must-toss items? If you’re in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington, DC, contact 123JUNK. Not only will be pick up and dispose of your castoffs, we’ll donate what can be reused and recycle things like metal and paper. It’s part of our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose. It’s a win-win! You get to clear out your home and we get to help others like our charity partners succeed. We’ll even provide you with a receipt for your donations so you can claim the donation on your tax return!

Contact 123JUNK today to schedule your junk removal.

woman assisting older woman

7 Tips For Clearing out Grandma’s Stuff

Life happens. And unfortunately, one of the realities of life is the loss of your parents and grandparents. It is a traumatic time filled with many decisions…including “what do we do with grandma’s stuff?” At 123JUNK, we’re here to help make at least that decision easier.

We understand, and are sympathetic to, the emotions that go along with the loss of a loved one, whether it be a parent, grandparent, or any other family member. It something nobody wants to go through, but it is an inevitability of life. That’s why we make sure that when you call, you speak to someone in person…every time. We don’t believe your call should go through an automated answering service.

Emotions not only surround the loss of the person, they emerge again when it’s time to deal with their belongings. And after a lifetime of raising a family, a house can be filled. Having a good way to clean out grandma’s stuff is essential. Here are some tips that can help you navigate that process.

7 Tips for Clearing out Grandma’s Stuff

 

Look for Legal and Financial Documents

Find and preserve any papers or documents that relate to legal, financial or insurance matters. Look in filing cabinets, the office, drawers, and even hidden places. Put these in a safe place where they won’t get tossed out.

Preserve Photographs and Memorabilia

Photographs and items with special memories can’t be replaced. Pack these items up separately and remove them from the sorting areas. Keep them for yourself, or divide these items up among family members as cherished keepsakes. If you no longer want to keep the memorabilia later, you can always take digital photographs and donate the items.

Ask for Help

Going through grandma’s stuff on your own is a huge and stressful tasks. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family and friends. They’re probably looking for ways to help you navigate through the grief and will be glad to lend a hand. Assign them limited-time shifts to prevent burnout, and remember to take it easy yourself. Emotions will be on high alert.

Sort into Piles

Create a sorting system, and place items into piles marked “Keep,” “Donate,” “Sell,” and “Toss.” For larger items like furniture, use color-coded tags. If items are designated for specific family members, attach a name tag to them and place them aside.

Related: 21 Useful Tips for Cleaning Out Your Elderly Parent’s House

Go Through Everything

People tend to hide valuables in safe spaces, so as you are sorting, open every drawer and box, and check through clothing pockets. Be careful not to get bogged down or stalled in the memories. Keep to the task of sorting and clearing out. You can always set items or boxes aside and go through them later if you need to. A professional organizer can assist you with the overwhelming task of going through everything while keeping on task.

Get Appraisals

If grandma’s stuff includes high-value items like jewelry or artwork that you’d like to sell, hire an appraiser to give you an estimate of its value.

Contact 123JUNK to Donate, Recycle or Dispose of Grandma’s Stuff

From your first call to 123JUNK, you’ll notice is our exemplary customer service. Since everyone’s stuff has memories attached—including grandma’s stuff—we make it a point to treat you and your loved one’s belongings with the utmost courtesy and respect. We’ll listen to what you need and provide you with an easy-to-manage all-inclusive price quote.

You’ll love our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose. We’ll take items that can be reused or repurposed and donate them to our charity partners, who will use them for families in need or sell them to raise money for their causes. We’ll separate out items that can be recycled, like papers, magazines, electronics, and metals, and deliver those to the area recycling station. And since it’s our mission to keep as much out of landfills as possible, we’ll take only what’s left over to the dump.

If you’ve taken the time to sort into “donate” and “toss” piles, simply point us to them. But don’t worry if you haven’t. Our team members are well-trained in sorting items on the spot. Our job is to remove as much stress as possible out of the job of clearing out grandma’s stuff.

When you need to clear out a home in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC that is filled with a lifetime of memories, contact 123JUNK.

living room with a lit fireplace

Designer Secrets for Home Staging

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.

hoarding-disorder

Telltale Signs Your Loved One May be Suffering from Hoarding

Everyone has stuff. And between home offices, kids, hobbies and collections of favorite items, you know how stuff can build up. Is it normal or is it hoarding? What is the difference? Here are some of the telltale signs your loved one may be suffering from hoarding that may help you differentiate.

Accumulation of Clutter

One of the first signs of a hoarding disorder is a gradual buildup of clutter in living spaces of items for which there is no immediate need or space. Your loved one might think, “I could use this someday,” or “It’s on sale, so I had better grab several of them.”

They Can’t Throw Things Away

Another sign is their difficulty in discarding items. People suffering from hoarding may keep the packaging from items purchased, pile up newspapers, thinking they’ll read them later, or salvage found items that they can potentially fix—but never do. These problems develop gradually over time, and are often hidden until the buildup becomes significant.

What are some of the other telltale signs that your loved one may have hoarding tendencies or be suffering from hoarding?

Certain Parts of the Home are Off Limits

People with hoarding disorder may try to limit access to rooms in their home to hide the problem. Look for closed doors or excuses why you can’t enter a room. Your loved one might prevent you from entering the house altogether and may become uncomfortable having any visitors at all.

Decluttering is Stalled or Stopped

Your loved one may start decluttering a room, then get waylaid and never complete the task. Sometimes there are just too many decisions to be made and even the smallest organizational task can be overwhelming. They soon stop trying and the clutter builds up even more.

They Can’t Find Things

Is your loved one constantly misplacing their keys, their purse, or other needed items? When there is too much clutter and no organizational system, these items can easily get lost. The person may often be late because they can’t find what they need in order to get out the door.

They Don’t Want to Put Things Away

People with hoarding tendencies like to see their things, and may be resistant to putting them away in closets, cabinets or boxes. Their items are likely stacked everywhere, and cover most horizontal surfaces. If you try to help organize or put things away, or even move items in order to sit in a chair, you may be scolded. Your loved one does not like to have his or her things touched.

Storage Areas are Overflowing

Take a quick look at the closets and garage. Likely, they are filled to the brim. And often, your loved one may have one or more storage facilities outside of the home, like a shed, outbuilding or a paid storage unit.

They Continue to Buy

Your loved one may be in debt, even without your knowing it, because of their compulsive need to buy. They’ll have good reasons why they needed to make a purchase, like a need to buy gifts for upcoming birthday or holiday celebration. But look outside of these gift purchases. Are the pantry and refrigerator overflowing with out-of-date foods? Are there stacks of unread books? Or unopened packages? Debt can also accumulate from the fees paid to outside storage facilities.

Related: The ICD Clutter-Hoarding Scale

What is Hoarding?

“Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them,” reports the Mayo Clinic. “A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items and excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs.”

Cases may range from mild to severe, and can have from little to huge impact on someone’s life, or even affect day-to-day functioning. If you suspect that your loved one may be a hoarder, there may not be much you can do personally. Since hoarding disorder may stem from a mental or physiological condition, it could be time to get a trained behavioral or medical professional involved.

Let 123JUNK Help With Junk Removal

When it’s time to clear out a home or donate items, 123JUNK can help. We understand the difficulties you can have with loved ones suffering from a hoarding disorder and truly care about assisting you. Give us a call and let’s talk about how we can help create a healthy and happy home environment for your loved one. To schedule your junk removal or cleanout services in Maryland, Washington, DC or Northern Virginia, contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778.

 

–photo from The Mayo Clinic

Professional property cleanout services in Chantilly VA

Do I Need to Be There for My Junk Removal?

When 123JUNK schedules a junk removal pickup with a homeowner or business client, we prefer that the client is going to be on site when we arrive. However, “Do I need to be there for my junk removal” is one of the questions we sometimes get from prospective clients. Let’s look at why you need to be present.

Here are some reasons why you need to be there for your junk removal:

To Enable Interior Access

When you have junk, furniture or household goods that need to be removed from inside your home, garage or yard, our team members will require access. Someone needs to be there to let them in and walk them to the areas where our team will get to work. We’ll also need to see the floors, stairs, walls and any property we’ll need to work around so we can protect them during your junk removal.

To Identify Items for Removal

You know exactly which items need to be hauled, and you may have already gathered them into a pile. But if you have furniture, appliances or other large items, they cannot be piled. To ensure we take the correct items—and get everything you want removed, we ask that you be there to help to point them out to our team.

To Make Sure We Can Take It

There are certain items, like chemicals or hazardous waste, that are prohibited by law for 123JUNK to haul. And sometimes our clients have questions on whether we can take an item or not. You need to be there to show us the items, and it’s OK if you ask if we can haul or recycle things you’re not sure about. We do ask that you not put questionable items into boxes where they cannot be identified by sight. You can also check our FAQs for a listing of items we can and cannot take.

Related: EPA–Household Hazardous Waste

To Ensure the Job is Complete

When you are there for your junk removal, we want you to make sure that we complete the job to your full satisfaction—that we’ve taken all of the items you want us to and swept the area where they were located to leave it tidy.

To Set Expectations About What Can Be Donated.

In order to provide a better service experience to our clients, it is best that we have a discussion about your items and our professional opinion about what our charity partners will be interested in accepting from your property.

Are There Times When I Don’t Need to Be There for My Junk Removal?

We truly prefer that you are on site when we arrive for your junk removal, and in 99.9% of the time, we’ll require it. It helps us to avoid confusion, offer you a smoother and more enjoyable transaction, and ensure that the job is done right and to your satisfaction.

On rare occasions, we have scheduled a curbside pickup where the client does not have to be there. Whether we can provide that service to your situation is something we determine on a case-by-case basis.

Schedule Your Junk Removal in DC, MD and No. VA with 123JUNK

When you schedule your junk removal with 123JUNK, we’ll walk you through what to expect and provide you with convenient, all-inclusive pricing up front. If you need junk removal from your home—or commercial or office spaces—in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington, DC, contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778.

four men posing in front of company moving truck

What to Do With Your Unwanted Household Items

If you’re like others, you have many items around your home that you just don’t need or use any more. Perhaps you’ve replaced the furniture with newer versions. Or maybe the kids have outgrown their clothes and toys. No matter what the reason, you’re ready to get rid of these items. But…they might be in too good a shape to throw away. That’s when you wonder what to do with your unwanted household items.

123JUNK has the perfect solution.

123JUNK offers a one-stop solution to clearing out your unwanted household items. We started our business and run it successfully with the philosophy of Donate-Recycle-Dispose.

Donate

If your unwanted items are in good or even great shape, or if you desire to donate items, 123JUNK can pick up these items and carry them to one of our local charity partners like A Wider Circle, Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, Passion for Community or the Montgomery County Humane Society. There, your items can be provided to a family in need, or sold in one of the retail outlets to raise money for charitable causes.

You will be provided with a receipt of your donation that you can use for a tax deduction.

Recycle

Sometimes an item isn’t in good enough shape to be repurposed back into the community, however, it may contain materials that can be recycled. It is our goal to keep as many items out of our area landfills as possible. We’ll divide out items like metals, electronics, some plastics, paper, cardboard, clothing, and other recyclables when we load our big red truck and deliver them directly to an area recycling center.

Dispose

Only after the Donate and Recycle options are depleted do we set aside the rest of the collection to deliver to area landfills.

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Talk to Our Representative

If you’re wondering what to do with your unwanted household items, give 123JUNK a call. We don’t use automated answering systems, so you’ll reach one of our client relationship representatives (“meet” them on our blog!). Feel free to ask questions about our processes, our charity partners, our fees, and even our values structure.

Enjoy Convenient Flat Fee Pricing

Speaking of fees, you’ll enjoy 123JUNK’s flat fee pricing. It doesn’t matter how heavy the load is or how long it takes us to load and deliver it. Our rates are set based on how much space the items take on our trucks. And we have some of the the largest trucks in the industry!

Included in your price quote are the fuel costs, labor charges, disposal fees, donation delivery costs, and full damage insurance. We can give an estimate over the phone. (10% discount for curbside pickups!)

Labor Only Services

Don’t forget about 123JUNK’s labor-only services. We’ll be glad to move items around your property while we’re hauling away your unwanted household items.

Wondering What to Do With Your Unwanted Household Items? Call 123JUNK.

If you’re in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC and are wondering what to do with your unwanted household items, contact 123JUNK. We’re proud of our 1-2-3 Donate-Recycle-Dispose process, and you will be too, knowing you’ve helped the environment and perhaps other families in your own community. Learn more about the 123JUNK story.

123JUNK is the first choice for junk hauling in your neighborhood. And the easiest solution to your junk removal needs. Call us at 1-800-364-5778 to schedule your next pickup.

three men moving large object into work moving truck

How Do I Donate My Old Furniture?

One of the trends that came out of the pandemic was in people wanting to remodel and refresh their living spaces. They likely were working and studying from home and spending a lot more time thinking about how to improve their surroundings. This led to a surge in remodeling for additions to provide extra space, or home offices for work and study, for example. And with a fresh, new space, people also wanted new furniture. Therefore, they began to ask, “How do I donate my old furniture and household items?”

The 123JUNK Donation Process & Philosophy

That’s where 123JUNK comes in. When we created our business, we wanted it to be more than just a junk hauling provider. We had a mission to protect and environment and to serve our local community. That’s why we developed our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose.

Since one of our company’s Core Values is “Deep Community Ties,” we reached out to local charitable organizations like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, A Wider Circle, the Montgomery County Humane Society, and Passion for Community, to name a few to see how we could donate furniture and household items to help their causes. We set up a system that works for everyone through our Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland service area.

You can learn more about some of our partners through the Partner Spotlights we feature on our 123JUNK blog. For example, read about Amy Javaid, interim president & CEO at A Wider Circle and its mission, and how your furniture donations can help them provide furnishings to those in need or assist in raising money for their causes.

Your Furniture Donation Helps You Too

When you donate your old furniture through our furniture removal and donation services, 123JUNK will provide you with a receipt and you can claim your donation as a tax deduction. Plus, you know that the furniture your family has enjoyed throughout the years will go to help another family in your own community rather than into the landfill. We also understand there is a certain sentimentality attached to your furniture and our team will treat your items with respect as we collect them and load them onto our big red truck.

Furniture Removal & Donation

Once you decide which furniture items you’d like to donate, just let our 123JUNK team members know where they are as they arrive to your home or office. We’ll remove them from the various rooms; there’s no need for you to gather them together. We take great effort to protect your floors, walls and other belongings as we remove furniture items. We don’t want scuffs or damage any more than you do!

When we load your furniture onto our truck, we have a process there too. We separate furniture and household donations from other hauls like recycling in order to deliver them in the best condition to our charitable partners.

How Can You Donate Your Old Furniture? Call 123JUNK.

There’s no need for you to load your old furniture into your own vehicle to haul it to one of the area’s donation centers. Or to bug your neighbors to help you drag out the sectional couch or massive office desk. Let 123JUNK do the heavy hauling for you.

123JUNK makes it easy to donate your old furniture, whether it’s home furniture or office furniture.  Simply contact us at 1-800-364-5778. You’ll reach one of our associates who can walk you through our process and schedule your pick-up date. For your convenience, we’ll contact you shortly before we arrive on that date to let you know we’re on the way.

headshot of man smiling on the right with text and company mascot on the left

Partner Spotlight: Office Liquidation Solutions

Scott Cornblatt, President, OLS Office Liquidation Solutions

Meet Our Partner – Scott Cornblatt, President at OLS Office Liquidation Solutions

We love it when we make solid connections with other business owners who, like us, are interested in protecting our environment while helping others in need. In this post, we’d like to introduce you to Scott Cornblatt, president and owner of Office Liquidation Solutions, or OLS, a company providing office liquidation and decommission services.

What is your role at OLS?

I am the president and creative box maker. I work on business development and building strategic relationships, and serve as the creative branch of the company. The reason I am a creative box maker is this: in our business, we don’t get to make the rules. We have to work inside the box. I am good at making that box any shape it needs to be to get a client’s job done.

How did you get into this business?

I was born into the furniture business. This business was started by my father, Arnold Cornblatt, some 30+ years ago, and I’ve been involved since the beginning. I purchased the company in 2010.

What is your background?

I’ve always owned and run a business since I was 12. My first was a used book store. I put out flyers in the neighborhood to collect books and then I’d put out flyers asking people to buy used books.

I went to college as a sociology major at Adelphi University because I was too arrogant and thought I knew everything about business. I graduated with a BS in sociology on the 16th and started working at OLS on the 17th. However, I’ve learned along the way that life lessons sometimes cost more than college.

Who are your clients?

We have basically two groups of clients: 1) national Fortune 1000-and-above companies that we help with liquidation and decommissioning nationally as well as locally, and 2) our local clients who may also be in that same caliber, but most of which are local and regional businesses.  We are national liquidators and regional decommissioners. Most of the time we’re engage with our clients for their end of lease liquidation and decommission to prepare them for turning over the space per the lease agreement. We are a 100% one-stop shop. We’ll remove furniture, fixtures and equipment, personal property, generators, cabling and more. We’ll even patch and paint so our clients are ready to hand over the keys with no fear of hold-over rent.

Every office building you see turns over every 8-10 years. But we see only a small percentage of what goes on in this area. That means that up to 70-80% of what’s in these buildings is thrown away. I want to increase the percentage of product being diverted from landfills, but we need everyone’s help. We ask people that if they know anyone who is a mover, new furniture dealer or project/building manager to tell them that OLS is here and can help. It just takes a phone call and we might be able to divert 100 trucks from the landfill. We also pay substantial referral fees to show our appreciation!

How did you come to partner with 123JUNK?

I met 123JUNK through the Capital Chapter of IFMA, the International Facility Managers Association. I loved 123JUNK’s commitment to the environment and their willingness to step outside their comfort zone to look at what other opportunities might exist. Our goals are similar in that aspect.

One of our first jobs together was a logistically-challenging one with the USGBC, the US Green Building Council. It was surgical in its approach and had a zero-landfill requirement. We sat down with 123JUNK and created a strategy. Once the project started, they were easy to work with and willing to make whatever changes were necessary to make the job a success. It was all about planning in advance on the front end and flexibility on the back end. We liked that their mentality was all about getting it done.

How do you support the local community?

We have wonderful relationships with area school systems and groups like Habitat for Humanity and their ReStores, as well as computer refurbishers like the Phoenix Group. We donate school supplies, furniture, and things people might need on an ongoing basis. We also keep a check list of specific items charities need. We just donated, with one of our clients, 2,500 chairs to Habitat for Humanity, for example.

We also have in-house programs. For example, every six months, each employee gets $250 to give to any organization, as long as it’s not benefitting themselves. Two to three times a year, we do something out of the office as a group. In the past we have worked in a soup kitchen all day and built a jungle gym in a low-income community with other organizations.

Tell us about your Good to Go Green Program

The Good to Go Green Program is really the essence of OLS. It’s a way to make handling assets a priority by offering sustainable options. Our goal is (unless otherwise indicated by clients) to sell, donate, and give assets away. Then we’ll recycle. If we can’t recycle we go to waste to energy (where items are burned and the energy provides power, and gasses are scrubbed), and only as the last resort, do we utilize the landfill.

All of this is wrapped up in the OLS Sustainability Scorecard that demonstrates how many tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) were diverted from the atmosphere by reuse, recycling and waste to energy. We then translate that data into easily-digestible information, such as the number of average American homes that create the equivalent amount of CO2 for a year, and how many acres of forests were protected from having to absorb that CO2. Our ultimate goals are to 1) minimize or mitigate landfill contribution through 90-95% repurposing of assets, and 2) provide our clients with a clear way to tell their environmental impact story.

Do you have favorite aspect of the business?

It may sound corny, but my favorite part of the business is when I see the people who work for me succeed. I feel personal pride when they can buy a new home because we were the conduit to give them that opportunity. I love seeing them take great vacations—and they are not allowed to work on vacation. We want the people who work here to be able to live an enjoyable and fruitful life.

What would you like people to remember?

I hope that when people are planning a move that will create a lot of unused assets that they will look around and wonder, “Is there somebody else who might like this even though I’m replacing it?” rather than just throwing items away. Learn more about OLS and its services and how you can help or make a referral.