It’s that time of year again, Johnson County: Spring cleaning.
As you begin to clean out (or at least begin to think about cleaning out) your closets and organize your garages, you’re likely to begin making “keep,” “donate,” and “throw away” piles of items you’ve either packed away of just plain forgot about.
Here are the Post’s tips and tricks to spring cleaning this year — from local donation centers to information about city wide garage sales.
Donate locally
There are plenty of donation centers to take your “give” pile to in and around Johnson County.
Here are some local places to donate your gently used items like clothing and shoes:
- Evelyn’s Emporium — This is Shawnee Community Services’ designated thrift store, which offers free clothing and shoes six days a week. The thrift store, at 11110 W. 67th Street, takes donations for clothing and household items. It is suggested that you call ahead for the most current list of accepted items at (913) 268-7746.
- Shawnee Mission Clothing Exchange — Located at 6701 W. 83rd Street, the Shawnee Mission Area Council Parent Teacher Association Clothing Exchange is always taking donations for clothing and accessories for infants to adults. A list of items the clothing exchange needs and donation guidelines can be found here.
- KC Donation Pickup — If you’ve got items to donate but can’t, get out, schedule a time for KC Donation Pickup to stop by. The service will pick up your donation items, which will benefit local children and families through the charity Cornerstones of Care.
- Catholic Charities — Take a variety of donation items to a bin to support one of three Catholic Charities’ TurnStyles thrift stores located in Johnson County. Catholic Charities accepts clothing and shoes, books, linen and working electronics. Bin locations can be found online here.
- Blessings Abound KC — A Christian nonprofit, Blessings Abound KC is located at 10325 Metcalf Avenue. Gently used clothing, appliances, linens or bedding and other household items are accepted. You can donate in-store six days a week, or schedule a pickup time online here.
JoCo recycling tips
Before you open the trash can, double check your spring cleaning “throw” pile this year.
“Instead of just throwing everything in the trash, take a second and think if it can be donated or recycled,” said Brandon Hearn, an environmental health specialist with Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. “If you have usable craft or school supplies, think about donating them to ScrapsKC. If you are cleaning out your garage and have usable materials you can’t use, consider donating them to Habitat Restore.”
Below are some tips from Hearn about how to properly recycle — or properly dispose of — various household items:
- If you come across electronics you no longer want or use, consider taking them to a recycler like Secure E-Cycle off Interstate 35 and Lamar Avenue, Hearn said.
- Hazardous waste like paint, batteries, yard chemicals, gasoline and more can be taken to JCDHE’s drop-off location off I-35 and Lamar, he said. Another option is a household hazardous waste facility in Olathe.
- Overland Park is hosting a recycling extravaganza on June 4 at Black and Veatch, 11401 Lamar Avenue, he said. Confidential documents, mattresses and box springs, medications, building materials, furniture and more are all accepted. Some may come with a fee, and details can be found online here.
- Shawnee residents can participate in the city’s spring recycling event on April 9 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Recycling, paper shredding, bike collection and more will be available.
- Lastly, Hearn said it’s important to only put acceptable items in your recycling bin like cardboard, paper, aluminum, and clean plastic bottles free of food waste. Recycling also needs to be loose, he said. If you bag it, it ends up in the landfill.
Hearn said residents can check out Recycle Spot for options on how and where to recycle other household items. Additionally, he said if residents have questions about recycling, they can find more information on the county’s Recycling 101 website, or by contacting him directly at (913) 715-6936.
City garage sales, large item pick-ups
If you’ve got enough items you need to get off your hands, consider hosting a garage sale.
Several Johnson County municipalities will be hosting annual citywide garage sales during the spring, when residents can host a garage sale without a specific permit.
Below are the Johnson County cities that have announced their citywide garage sale dates for 2022, and corresponding information about how to sign-up:
- Mission, May 5 to May 7. Sign-ups are not yet available, but Mission residents interested in hosting a garage sale should keep an eye on the city website or contact the city clerk for more details.
- Roeland Park, May 19 to May 22. Sign-ups are not required.
- Westwood, May 21. Register online here.
Some cities may not do citywide garage sales but instead offer large or bulky item pick-up days.
Below is a look at some upcoming large item pick-up days in Johnson County:
- Prairie Village’s large item pickup dates are from April 23 to May 14. Accepted items include fencing, furniture, carpet or appliance. Details about specific pickup dates for sections of the city can be found online here.
- Lenexa’s next Dumpster Days series is the first weekend of April. Residents can dispose of bulky items at 7700 Cottonwood Street from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 2 and 3. A list of accepted items can be found online here.
- Residents in Overland Park must now arrange bulky item pickups directly with their trash hauler. Find out more information here.
- Merriam offers large item pickup twice a year, first from April 18 to April 22. Details about specific dates can be found online here. The city also offers a free tree limb pickup from March 28 to April 1, and the map for specific dates is online here.
