How to get broken appliances picked up and dumped??

[dizagain]

Hi! Odd question, I know, but I can't seem to find out how to go about this....

We have a washing machine and microwave in our garage - both old models and probably not worth fixing - how can I get rid of them? We have no truck, and I have no idea where to take them anyway! Are there people you can pay to take them away? Any ideas about what to look for in the phone book? I've tried several ideas and the people thought I was crazy!!

Thanks for any suggestions!! It's extra important to me because DH said if I took care of this, he'd actually get our mortgage re-financed which he's said he'd do for a year now!!!

 

[CEDmom]

Have you tried calling your municipal building. We have a town pickup 2x a year but once we needed to get rid of something before the scheduled pickup. I called our municipal building and they gave me the number of the place that does the town pickup. I left the item at the curb and they came. It cost $12 and was well worth it. Good luck. I know what a pain it is to get rid of stuff.

 

[welovedisneyx4]

This actually isn't an odd question. I get it every day. I work in customer service w/ the solid waste dept. for my county. We do the trash and the bulk/brush pick up. (and we do stuff for other depts. as well) In our county, we pick up items like that every other week at no charge. Just look in the phone book for the trash/solid waste # and give them a call.

Guess I don't have to reply to the "What do you do?" thread now

 

[KathyTX]

We've found that setting them in the driveway on Saturday mornings (when the garage sales are in full swing) and attaching a sign that says "Broken- FREE!" usually gets someone who wants to tinker or use the thing for parts to come ask for it!

(It's worked with vacuum cleaners, televisions, and lawnmowers, anyway...)

 

[Microcell]

We have to pay a private contractor for trash pick up here and they will do a large trash pickup or call your local dump and see if they will take it. You can rent a pick up truck from u haul or someplace.

 

[DVC-Don]

Our town picks up once a year. We have private trash pick up and if you call them in advance they'll take it, but charge extra for that.

 

[Figment22]

Lots of times the private trash haulers that have ads in the telephone directory are national companies who won't do jobs that small (as they consider them). Look in your local town newspaper for a contractor who'll do clean-ups. This would generally be a one or two man operation that will go around with a pick-up truck to do small collections. I know our local newspaper usually has one day a week where they have local advertisements for contractors, painters, landscapers, etc. That would be the day you could find someone.

 

[monkeyboy]

I usually just leave them in the front yard and make a planter

 

[Microcell]

Originally posted by monkeyboy
I usually just leave them in the front yard and make a planter

So that is YOU!!!!

 

[dizagain]

O.k., Monkeyboy, I take it you don't live in my neighborhood...
Just outa curiosity, what would you do with the broken pieces
of our old fence that are in a nice neat (however 3 months old)
pile in the corner of our backyard?? I'll be sure to let DH know!

Seriously, thanks everyone! Hey KathyTX, do you know if our bi-monthly bulk pick-up includes such things? I'll call the city. I guess the numbers I have tried are for the commercial dump people. Thanks again guys...DH'll have to stick to his end of the bargain now!

 

[janette]

CCA will come pick them up. They sell the parts / scrap metal from broken appliances. If you aren't home just leave them where they can get them.

 

[dizagain]

I thought of that earlier, but I wasn't sure about the broken stuff. I'll call them tomorrow!!

 

[aprilgail2]

In our town we just call the garbage company and they give you a day that week they will be by to pick it up...you just have to bring it to the curb and they will pick them up anytime you have one.

 

[monkeyboy]

Originally posted by dizagain
O.k., Monkeyboy, I take it you don't live in my neighborhood...
Just outa curiosity, what would you do with the broken pieces
of our old fence that are in a nice neat (however 3 months old)
pile in the corner of our backyard?? I'll be sure to let DH know!

Drive around town late at night tossing them out the window

 

[poohandwendy]

When we have a large appliance that needs to go, we just put it out for the garbage with a case of beer sitting on top...they ALWAYS take both...

 

[KathyTX]

Actually, you CAN put the washer out on bulk pick up day. Here's a flyer from the town's website that gives the limits:

http://www.flower-mound.com/customer/guide.pdf

It says that twice a month, you can set out up to 2 cubic yards, or 3' x 3' x 6'. They show a cartoon drawing of a washing machine as one of the examples!

 

[dizagain]

Ha! DH and buds used to drive around at night throwing old biscuits at people's mailboxes...guess you would have just had to have been there... Anyway, I'll pass the idea along...guess you're really hoping you don't live in my neighborhood now!

KATHYTX...THANKS FOR DOING MY RESEARCH FOR ME!!

 

[Jeanny]

Originally posted by monkeyboy
Drive around town late at night tossing them out the window

 

[KathyTX]

Anytime!

But if I find old biscuits in my mailbox, I'm tracking down your DH!

 

[KathyTX]

Also, they will take your old fence boards, but they might need to be tied in bundles like brush. That's explained in that flyer, too, I believe.

Okay... just consulted with DH. He just threw out some fence boards. He said he bundled them with duct tape just to make carrying them out to the street easier. But he thinks they would have picked them up loose.

(DH had some, um... discussions... with them about some branches last month. We hadn't bundled them quite to their specifications... )