It happens every year. Someone says, “Why don’t we host this year?” and suddenly you’re looking at the spare bedroom, which is currently three treadmills, a crib from 2011, and a box labeled “MISC — DO NOT OPEN.”
If Thanksgiving or Christmas is coming to your house, now is the time to clear out. Here’s a simple plan to get your home guest-ready without losing your mind (or your weekends).
Step 1: Pick your problem rooms
Don’t try to fix the whole house. Focus on the spaces guests will actually see or use:
- The guest room: the obvious one
- The garage: you may need it for extra parking, or for hiding things at the last minute
- Closets near the entry: somebody’s going to need to hang up a coat
- The back patio: if the weather’s nice, the kids will end up out there
Step 2: Sort into three piles
Keep it simple:
- Keep: you use it, or you truly love it
- Donate: still in good shape. Lots of local charities around Tulsa will take furniture and household goods.
- Toss: broken, worn out, or “I’ll fix it someday” items whose someday has passed
Pro tip: if you have to think about it for more than 10 seconds, it probably goes in pile 2 or 3.
Step 3: Get the toss pile out of the house
Here’s where most cleanouts stall. The junk gets moved from the guest room to the garage, and then just lives in the garage instead. A roll-off dumpster in the driveway fixes that. You carry it out once, and it’s gone.
- 15 yard dumpster (starting at $295, 1 ton included): a guest room plus a garage cleanout
- 20 yard dumpster (starting at $350, 2 tons included): a multi-room cleanout, or when it’s finally time to deal with the attic
Not sure which you need? Check out our dumpster sizes guide.
Step 4: Book early
The weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas get busy. Everyone has the same “we’re hosting” realization at about the same time. Booking a week or two ahead means the dumpster shows up when you’re ready, not the night before the in-laws arrive.
What can go in the dumpster
- Old furniture, mattresses and box springs
- Broken appliances and that old BBQ grill
- Toys, boxes, clothing and household junk
- Old carpet, shelving and storage bins
What can’t: liquid paint, gasoline, propane cylinders, tires and other hazardous items. Here’s the full list.
Bonus: plan for after the holidays too
Hosting is great, but the week after Christmas brings its own pile: boxes, packaging, a broken artificial tree, and the toys that got replaced by newer toys. Some folks schedule a second dumpster for right after New Year’s to start the year fresh.
Let’s get you guest-ready
Durco Dumpster Rentals is a local, family-run company based in Broken Arrow, serving Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Tulsa, Glenpool, Sand Springs, Sapulpa and the surrounding area. Up-front pricing, clean dumpsters, and no runaround.
Call 918-508-8370 or book online, and get that guest room back before the turkey hits the oven.