Renting a dumpster for a home or estate cleanout

How to plan the days

Sort before the container arrives: donate, sell, keep, toss. Once the box is on the driveway you want to be loading, not deciding. Most households fill a 20 yard over two to three working days.

What goes in

Nearly everything from a normal household.

• Furniture, mattresses and box springs
• Carpet, padding and flooring
• Clothing, boxes, books and paper
• Non-refrigerant appliances and fixtures
• Yard waste, fencing and general junk

What stays out

These items are prohibited and have to be handled separately.

• Paint, solvents, oil and other liquids
• Car and household batteries
• Tires
• Refrigerators, freezers and AC units with refrigerant
• Televisions, monitors and e-waste
• Asbestos and other hazardous material

Loading order matters

Flat items first: doors, plywood, mattresses, carpet rolls laid across the floor. Then bulky furniture with drawers removed. Fill the gaps with bagged small items last. Loading in that order routinely gets 20 to 30 percent more into the same container.