It’s Johnson County again: spring cleaning.
When you start cleaning out your closets and organizing your garages, you’ll probably start packing in piles of stuff you put away this winter. Here are the Post’s tips and tricks for this year’s spring cleaning — from local donation centers to information about citywide garage sales.
Make a local donation
There are many donation centers to bring your pile of “donations” to in and around Johnson County. Here are some places to donate your gently used items like clothes and shoes locally:
- Evelyne’s Emporium — This is the thrift store designated by Shawnee Community Services, which offers free clothing and shoes six days a week. The thrift store, at 11110 W. 67th Street, is accepting 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 Swap – Located at 6701 W. 83rd Street, the Shawnee Mission Area Council Parent Teacher Association Clothing Exchange is still accepting donations for clothing and accessories for infants through adults. A list of items the Clothing Swap needs and donation guidelines can be found here.
- KC Donation Collection – If you have items to donate but can’t, get out, schedule a time for KC donation pickup to stop. The service will collect your donations, which will benefit local children and families through the charity Cornerstones of Care.
- Catholic charities – Bring a variety of trash can donation items to support one of three Catholic Charities TurnStyles thrift stores located in Johnson County. Catholic Charities accepts clothing and shoes, books, linens, and assistive electronics. Bin locations can be found online here.
- Blessings abound KC — A Christian non-profit organization, 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, double check your spring cleaning pile this year.
“Instead of just throwing everything in the trash, take a second and think about whether it can be donated or recycled,” said Brandon Hearn, environmental health specialist with the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. . “If you have usable craft or school supplies, consider donating them to ScrapsKC. If you’re cleaning out your garage and you have usable materials that you can’t use, consider donating them to Habitat Restore.
Below are some tips from Hearn on how to properly recycle – or properly dispose of – various household items:
- If you come across electronics that 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, garden chemicals, gasoline and more can be brought to JCDHE’s drop-off point 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 be chargeable, and details can be found online here.
- Shawnee residents can participate in the town’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.
- Finally, Hearn said it’s important to put only acceptable items in your recycling bin like cardboard, paper, aluminum and clean plastic bottles with no food waste. Recycling must also be loose, he said. If you wrap it up, it ends up in the landfill.
Hearn said residents can check out Recycle Spot to find out 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-wide garage sales, bulky item pickup
If you have enough items you need to get rid of, consider hosting a garage sale. Several municipalities in Johnson County hold annual citywide garage sales, at which residents can hold a garage sale without a specific permit.
Below are the towns in Johnson County that have announced their citywide garage sale dates for 2022, and corresponding information on how to register:
- Mission, from May 5 to May 7. Registration is not yet available, but Mission residents interested in hosting a garage sale should check the town’s website or contact the town clerk for details.
- Roeland Park, from May 19 to May 22. No registration is required.
- Westwood, May 21. Register online here.
Some cities may not offer city-wide garage sales, but instead offer bulky or bulky item pick-up days. Below is an overview of large item pickup days in Johnson County:
- Prairie Village large item pickup dates are April 23 through May 14. Accepted items include fencing, furniture, rugs or appliances. Details on specific pickup dates for sections of the city can be found online here.
- Lenexa’s next Dumpster Days series will take place the first weekend in 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 articles is available online here.