It might now be summer, but it’s never too late for some spring cleaning. There are certain places we always think of when we hear about spring cleaning — like the pile of clothes in our closet or that one messy drawer we all have somewhere in our house. You may have cleaned your bedroom, living room or basement, but what about your kitchen?
Whether you’re just doing some cleaning and decluttering, looking to renovate your entire kitchen or hoping to donate some old items before downsizing or moving, here’s a helpful list of some considerations for cleaning your kitchen.
Where to donate old, used appliances
You might be looking to replace an old appliance, or you may simply have used appliances lying around that you’d rather remove from your kitchen. Your instinct might be to throw out your used appliance, but have you considered donating it to a charity, nonprofit or other local organization?
Furniture Bank accepts donations of small kitchen appliances, and offers weekday service to Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville. Their partner organization, You Move Me, serves Burlington and Hamilton. You can get a quote for your pickup, as well as ensure you’ll receive a charitable tax receipt for your donation, by filling out a form on Furniture Bank’s website.
You can also donate used appliances to Society of St. Vincent de Paul, either through dropping off your donation at one of their Hamilton locations or arranging a home pickup. The organization picks up donations in Aldershot, Ancaster, Burlington, Dundas, Hamilton, Milton, Oakville and more. To make a pickup request or learn more, visit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s website.
Habitat for Humanity locations across the GTA also accept donations of old or unwanted appliances. These donated items are sold in Habitat ReStore locations across the GTA, and profits from sales of items go towards Habitat’s mission to create affordable housing in local communities. Habitat for Humanity ReStores also accept donations of used furniture, clothing, building materials and more. Visit Habitat’s ReStore website to learn more.
Recycle used appliances
If your appliances aren’t in working condition, recycling might be a better option. Used appliance pickup services depend on where you live. Halton Region collects metal and appliances on a call-in basis, whereas the Region of Peel suggests that that residents bring old or unwanted appliances to Community Recycling Centres. They accept items such as air conditioners, dishwashers, fridges or freezers, stoves and more. Visit the website of your local region to learn more about their appliance recycling or donating policies, programs or suggestions.
Where to donate used kitchen tables, chairs and other furniture
Similar to used appliances, there are a plethora of organizations which accept donations of used furniture that you may be looking to get rid of from your kitchen. Habitat for Humanity ReStores are one option for donating — they accept a wide variety of used furniture items, from used kitchen tables and chairs to couches, cabinets, shelving units and more. Visit Habitat’s ReStore site to read a full list of accepted donation items.
Other organizations which accept furniture donations include Furniture Bank, Salvation Army Thrift Stores, Red Door Family Shelter, Goodwill and Value Village. Click on the blue text to visit the organization’s website and learn more about their donation policy, such as whether they offer pickup services or if they prefer you to drop off your items at their location at a certain time during the day or week. When in doubt, call ahead to ensure the organization accepts the items you’re looking to donate. This will ensure your donation process is as smooth as possible, and will be greatly appreciated by the organization to which you’re donating your used furniture.
How to have your kitchen cabinets removed for free
If you are renovating or moving, you might be looking to completely redo your kitchen. If this is the case, look no further than Habitat’s free kitchen removal program. When you schedule a free kitchen salvage and deconstruction with Habitat, our team of expertly trained volunteers will help you through the process. You’ll also receive a tax receipt for your donation based on its fair market value. To schedule your free kitchen removal, follow this link.
Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga also offers a kitchen pickup service if your cabinetry is already disassembled and ready to be picked up. To schedule your kitchen pickup, follow this link to fill out our online scheduling form.
Junk removal
If you’re looking to do an in-depth cleaning of your kitchen and you’ve exhausted your possibilities for donating items, then it might be time to look into junk removal. Many junk removal organizations will take everything and the kitchen sink. Additionally, many will also seek to donate usable items to charity whenever possible, and recycle the rest in ethical and responsible ways.
1-800-GOT-JUNK will pick up used appliances, furniture and other items, and they offer a home pickup program.1-800-RID-OF-IT also offers appliance removal and junk removal in Toronto and the GTA. They charge their fee based on the volume per truckload of junk which is removed. Junk It! also offers a service where they will recycle or donate furniture, appliances and other garbage, junk and debris (including demolition debris).
Declutter your kitchen and donate today!
Whether you’re simply looking to donate an old kitchen appliance, or planning more large scale kitchen renovations, you have lots of options for local services to donate, remove kitchen cabinets or remove junk from your kitchen. Donating items to local charities is a great option for you because if a charity has free home pickup, you’re saving money (and having the potential to receive a charitable tax receipt). In many cases, you’re also helping the environment through preventing waste from ending up in a landfill. Plus, many local charities use your donation to do good in the community; they use profits from sales of items to work towards their mission to make the world a better place.
It’s a win-win situation — plus, you get to declutter your kitchen at the same time. Donate today!
If you’re looking to donate other items, check out Habitat’s “Where to Donate” series to learn more.