Planning timeline
- Week before: Book a 15-yard for Friday; recruit the household
- Friday PM: Walk every room with three boxes: Keep / Donate / Toss
- Saturday: Closets, cabinets, and the garage corner everyone avoids
- Sunday AM: Donation run; toss pile through the rear doors
- Sunday PM: Pickup call — done before dinner
Safety reminders
- Ladders for high shelves — not chair-stacking
- Gloves in the garage and shed zones
- Old cleaners, paint, and batteries stay out of the can
- Hydrate; Florida spring counts as summer
Dumpster sizing
A 15-yard covers a whole-house declutter with room for the patio and shed. Adding renovation debris or furniture from every room? The 20 buys margin. Not sure? Take the 60-second size quiz or see the full comparison chart.
Tips from the pros
- One-year rule: haven't touched it since last spring? It goes
- Do the sentimental boxes last, when momentum is high
- Break down boxes and small furniture — density wins
- List sale-worthy items the same weekend while motivated
Recycling suggestions
- Clothing and household goods: schedule the donation truck for Sunday
- Electronics ride in household loads — clear the cable drawer
- Metal odds and ends: add to a scrap pile; metal loads dump free
Common mistakes to avoid
- Cleaning room-by-room over six weekends instead of one push
- Storing the Toss pile 'temporarily' in the garage
- Skipping the shed — that's where the real cleanout lives
- Renting nothing and making nine truck trips instead