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Guides 4

• Getting rid of old paint and household chemicals

  Half-full paint cans, a propane cylinder and a shelf of mystery bottles can't go in the trash or down a drain. Find your local household hazardous waste collection before you sort anything, because the date decides the rest.

• Sorting a storage unit without paying for it twice

  A storage unit is a monthly bill attached to a pile of decisions you have not made yet. Here is how to empty one deliberately.

• Sorting tools in a garage or workshop

  Rusty hand tools, dead cordless drills, a bench vise and a half-full can of old paint each leave the garage a different way. Clear the floor first and sort by type before you decide what any of it is worth.

• What to do with a mattress nobody will take

  Most charities won't take a used mattress and most haulers won't pick one up without a call first. Work through the store, the hauler and the donation desk before it ends up in the alley.