The Ultimate Denver Spring Cleaning Checklist
March through May is prime decluttering season in Denver. The snow melts, the garage door opens, and suddenly you’re face-to-face with everything you’ve been ignoring since October. Use this room-by-room checklist to identify what to toss, donate, and haul away.
Garage (The #1 Spring Cleaning Target in Denver)
Denver garages are storage dumping grounds. After a long winter, yours probably has:
- ☐ Broken or unused outdoor furniture (chairs, tables, umbrellas)
- ☐ Deflated or cracked kiddie pools, trampolines, swing sets
- ☐ Old paint cans (dried out = regular trash; liquid = hazardous waste drop-off)
- ☐ Broken power tools and yard equipment
- ☐ Flat tires and old car parts
- ☐ Sports equipment nobody uses (skis, bikes, sleds)
- ☐ Cardboard boxes from holiday deliveries
- ☐ That exercise bike/treadmill that became a clothes rack
- ☐ Bags of old clothes waiting for a donation run that never happened
Denver-specific tip: Colorado’s UV and freeze-thaw cycles destroy outdoor items faster than most climates. If patio furniture, garden hoses, or plastic storage bins survived three Denver winters, they’re probably cracked and ready to go.
Basement
- ☐ Old furniture moved downstairs “temporarily” years ago
- ☐ Boxes from your last move (still sealed = you don’t need what’s inside)
- ☐ Broken appliances (dehumidifiers, space heaters, old TVs)
- ☐ Kids’ outgrown toys, cribs, and baby gear
- ☐ Old holiday decorations you no longer use
- ☐ Stacks of magazines, newspapers, and catalogs
- ☐ Water-damaged items from that pipe burst or sump pump failure
Bedrooms
- ☐ Mattress with dips, stains, or springs poking through (if it’s 7+ years old, it’s time)
- ☐ Bed frame that squeaks or wobbles
- ☐ Dresser drawers that stick or won’t close
- ☐ Clothes you haven’t worn in 2+ years (donate to local Denver charities)
- ☐ Old pillows and bedding
Living Room
- ☐ Sagging couch or loveseat
- ☐ Scratched-up coffee table or end tables
- ☐ Old TV (CRTs and broken flat screens are e-waste in Colorado)
- ☐ Entertainment center nobody uses anymore (we all have wall-mounted TVs now)
- ☐ Stacks of DVDs, CDs, books (donate what you can)
Kitchen
- ☐ Broken small appliances (toasters, blenders, coffee makers)
- ☐ Chipped dishes and mismatched cookware
- ☐ Old microwave or dishwasher you replaced but never removed
- ☐ Expired pantry items (bag them and trash them)
Yard & Outdoor
- ☐ Dead branches and storm debris (Denver’s spring winds bring these down)
- ☐ Old fencing (wood or chain-link)
- ☐ Broken planters and garden pots
- ☐ Rusty grill or smoker
- ☐ Worn-out shed or playhouse
- ☐ Above-ground pool you’re not setting up again
- ☐ Landscape timbers, pavers, or concrete chunks from old projects
The “I’ll Get to It” Pile
Every Denver home has one. It’s the corner of the garage, the back of the basement, or the spare bedroom closet where things go to die. Items that have been in the "I’ll get to it" pile for more than a year are not getting gotten to. Let them go.
What to Donate vs. Toss vs. Recycle
Donate (Good Condition Only)
- Furniture without major damage, stains, or odors
- Working appliances less than 10 years old
- Clean clothes, shoes, and accessories
- Books, games, and toys in good shape
- Sporting equipment that still works
See our Denver donation center guide for drop-off locations and pickup scheduling.
Recycle
- Electronics — Denver e-waste recycling locations
- Metal items (bed frames, shelving, filing cabinets) — scrap metal recyclers
- Cardboard — curbside recycling bin
- Tires — tire disposal options in Denver
Professional Removal (Everything Else)
If it doesn’t qualify for donation and you can’t recycle it, a junk removal service is the fastest way to clear it all in one shot.
How Much Does a Spring Cleanout Cost?
- A few items (couch + dresser + bags): $99 – $149
- Garage cleanout: $249 – $399
- Garage + basement: $349 – $499
- Whole house declutter: $449 – $650+
We donate and recycle over 60% of what we pick up through our GreenHaul™ program — so your spring cleaning helps Denver, not just your closets.
Book Your Spring Cleanout
Spring fills up fast — March through May is our busiest season. Call (303) 324-6014 or book online for same-day junk removal. We serve Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Arvada, Littleton, Parker, and 30+ cities across the metro.
