When your son gets married, you expect to help with the guest list, flowers, and maybe hosting a cocktail hour. What I didn’t expect was that cleaning out my garage would suddenly become part of the planning, too.
My son is getting married this summer, and we decided to host the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. I love the idea of having everyone together before the big day, but boy, once I started looking at my house with fresh eyes, I realized just how much clutter had built up–especially in the garage.
Over the years, it had turned into a place where anything and everything ended up: old furniture, boxes, toys, tools, and things we kept “just in case.“ With the wedding coming up and guests arriving, it was finally time for a serious garage cleanup.
When clutter starts to feel like “too much”
I’d been meaning to declutter the garage for a long time. But you know how it goes, you tell yourself you’ll do it when you have a free weekend, and before you know it, years have gone by.
When I finally stood in the garage and looked around, I was so overwhelmed. Where do I even start? Some stuff was really heavy, some belonged to my husband and grown kids, and some toys had been sitting there for over 30 years! Not only was this clutter taking up garage space, it was also taking up mental space. Every time I walked in, it was a reminder that this huge task was still waiting for me.
With wedding planning keeping me busy, the thought of having to clean this up by myself (my husband hurt his back) felt exhausting. That’s when I decided to call 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.
One phone call, and help was on the way
I’d heard of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, but had never actually used them. What caught my attention right away was how easy it all sounded–no renting a truck, no hauling things to the dump, and no spending an entire weekend sorting through everything. It all sounded too good to be true.
So I called. I’m not a very patient person, so I was super happy they could come the same day–perfect timing! They arrived exactly when they said they would, right on time. The team was friendly, upbeat, and ready to get started. I felt good about it right away and knew I’d made the right decision.
I didn’t have to lift a finger
Here’s the best part of this entire experience: I didn’t have to move anything! All I did was walk around the garage and point out what I wanted gone–old snowboards, skis, broken chairs, and boxes that had been sitting there for years. I didn’t have to drag anything outside or worry where it would go. The team at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? handled everything.
Watching the clutter disappear was so satisfying, and it honestly felt like a huge weight had been lifted. Before I knew it, the garage looked completely different. Just when I thought they were finished, they swept the entire garage floor before leaving. I was very impressed.
Recycling and donating made it even better
One thing that was really important to me was what happened to everything after it left my garage. Initially, I was worried it would all end up in a landfill, so I was very happy to learn that many items are donated or recycled whenever possible.
It made letting go so much easier, knowing my old items might find a new home, and that the process is eco-friendly.
Such a relief before the wedding
After the team drove away, I stood in the garage for a moment, just looking around. I could actually see the floor! I felt a huge sense of relief. It was one big thing scratched off my to-do list, and now I could focus on more important things. Honestly, I wish I had done this years ago.
If you feel overwhelmed by clutter
If you have an area in your home where clutter is bothering or overwhelming you, here’s my advice: don’t wait as long as I did.
What I thought would be a huge project was made super easy. With one phone call, a friendly team showed up, removed everything I didn’t want, recycled or donated items whenever possible, and even swept up afterward. I didn’t have to lift a finger.
Sometimes the easiest way is just to ask for help. Trust me, you’ll wish you had called 1-800-GOT-JUNK? sooner.
