Junk removal costs in San Diego

Don't look for a bulky pickup to book on San Diego's city curbside page. For appliances, bulky items and electronics, it points you to WasteFreeSD.org, a regional directory of places that repair, reuse, recycle or take them. So a cleanout here usually means a drive, a donation, or a hauler.

If you drive, the Miramar Landfill entrance on Convoy Street is the stop to know. The city's Environmental Services Department takes mattresses and box springs there, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with no drop-off limit. Right next door is the city's Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility. It takes paint, cleaners, motor oil, batteries and pesticides from city residents, by appointment only, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Bring an ID or a recent bill that shows you live in the city. Wednesday is the one weekday both sites are open, so a single trip can clear the old mattress and the garage shelf of paint cans.

At the mattress site, condition is the catch. A mattress that's wet, frozen, twisted, badly damaged or soiled gets turned away, and so does one with bedbugs. A futon mattress only counts once it's off the frame, and toppers, pads and crib mattresses don't count at all. Keep it dry and covered until the trip.