Clear the big stuff
- Post what you’re selling or giving away.
- Schedule your donation pickup.
- Chula Vista or El Cajon? Book your city’s free bulky pickup.
A San Diego moving guide
Where does the couch go?
Who picks up your donations, where the mattress goes, and what to do with everything else you’re not moving.
Donation pickups, mattresses and the rest, all in one place.
The City of San Diego doesn’t pick up couches or mattresses, so it helps to have a plan before moving week.
The City doesn’t pick up couches or mattresses. Plan ahead.
Checked October 17, 2026. Details can change, so check before you go.
When we moved last year, we ended up hauling our old mattresses to the dump ourselves. We could, because we have a truck. Most people don’t, and figuring out where everything else goes is a pain. So we put it all in one place.
When we moved last year, we hauled our old mattresses to the dump in our truck. Most people don’t have one, so we put it all in one place.
Di, Good Day Moving Bins
Quick answers
What goes where
Find the thing you’re stuck with. Tap the link to jump to the details.
Couch, tables and dressers
Donate it. Father Joe’s picks up for free if two people can carry it and it’s in good shape.
Father Joe’s picks up for free if it’s in good shape.
Father Joe’s free pickupClothes, dishes and bedding
Father Joe’s picks these up for free.
Father Joe’s free pickupMattress or box spring
Free at Miramar Landfill on weekdays, EDCO San Marcos on Sundays, or Otay Landfill in Chula Vista.
Free drop-offStained or broken furniture
Donation pickups won’t take it. Have it hauled.
Junk removalOld TVs and electronics
Best Buy stores take TVs, computers and small electronics, up to 2 TVs a day. Or try the Miramar Recycling Center at the landfill entrance (call 858-268-8971).
Best Buy takes TVs and electronics, up to 2 TVs a day.
bestbuy.com/ecycleLeftover paint
Free at Sherwin-Williams and other PaintCare stores, up to 5 gallons per visit.
paintcare.orgCleaners, batteries, propane and motor oil
The City’s free hazardous waste drop-off at Miramar. Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Book ahead. For City of San Diego residents.
City drop-off at Miramar. Wed and Sat, 9 to 3. Book ahead.
sandiego.gov/HHWOld medications
Same City drop-off, except painkillers.
sandiego.gov/HHWAnything else
Search any item by ZIP code to see where it goes.
wastefreesd.orgYour countdown
The 2-week plan
Start early so nothing’s left on moving day. Here’s what to do when.
Book the rest
- Book junk removal for anything left.
- Drop off paint, cleaners and batteries.
- Take old electronics to a store or the landfill.
Last stops
- Drop off the mattress. Miramar is weekdays only.
- Set donations at ground level on pickup day.
Donate it
They’ll come get it
Nonprofits in San Diego that pick up from your home.
Father Joe’s Villages
Takes
- Furniture two people can carry
- Clothes, bedding and housewares
- Working electronics
Doesn’t take
- Mattresses, box springs and beds
- Stained, torn or broken furniture
Leave items at ground level. Drivers don’t carry anything up or down stairs.
Ground level only. No stairs.
Schedule: my.neighbor.org or 619-446-2100
Humble Design San Diego
They turn donated furniture into homes for families moving out of homelessness. Send a request, and once your items are approved they’ll pick up on a Monday, Tuesday or Thursday morning.
Furniture for families leaving homelessness. Pickup Mon, Tue or Thu mornings once approved.
Rather drop it off? Weekdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1944 Commercial St.
Schedule: humbledesign.org
Kindness G’MACH
Takes furniture in good shape and clean mattresses under 10 years old. Your items go to local families first, so pickup isn’t same-day. They’ll quote the pickup fee.
Takes furniture and clean mattresses under 10 years old. Pickup has a fee.
Schedule: kindnesssd.org
The hard one
The mattress
Most donation pickups won’t take it. Here’s where it can go.
Miramar Landfill
City Mattress Collection Site at the entrance, 5161 Convoy St.
- Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- No limit
EDCO San Marcos
224 S. Las Posas Rd., San Marcos.
- Sundays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Up to 10 mattresses
Otay Landfill, Chula Vista
1700 Maxwell Rd., Chula Vista.
- No landfill pass needed
- Call for hours: 619-421-3773
Miramar and EDCO turn away mattresses that are wet, stained, badly torn or have bedbugs. Clean and under 10 years old? Kindness G’MACH will pick it up for a fee. No truck at all? A junk removal company will take it, also for a fee.
Wet, stained or bedbug mattresses aren’t accepted. No truck? Try junk removal.
Not in the City of San Diego?
Your city may pick it up
Some cities nearby include free bulky item pickup or landfill passes with your trash service.
Free pickup and landfill passes
Free bulky item collection comes with your trash service. You also get two free landfill passes a year for Otay Landfill, each good for up to 1 ton and 90 days.
Free bulky item pickup, plus two free Otay Landfill passes a year.
Get passes: 619-482-4024
Four free pickups a year
EDCO picks up big items like furniture and appliances at the curb, up to six items each time, four times a year.
Up to six big items at the curb, four times a year.
Schedule: 619-287-7555
Search by ZIP code
WasteFreeSD shows the drop-offs, pickups and landfills near you.
Search: wastefreesd.org
Everything else
Sell it or give it away
Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, OfferUp or your neighborhood Buy Nothing group. Post a couple of weeks before you move.
Marketplace, Nextdoor, OfferUp or Buy Nothing. Post two weeks early.
Not sure where something goes? WasteFreeSD, from I Love A Clean San Diego, lets you search any item by ZIP code to find where to donate, recycle or drop it off.Search any item by ZIP code. wastefreesd.org
Have it hauled
Junk removal
They take almost anything, mattresses included, and each says it donates or recycles what it can. Get a quote first.
They take almost anything. Get a quote first.
1-800-GOT-JUNK
Free estimate on site. You pay for the space your stuff takes up in the truck.
Schedule: 1800gotjunk.com or 619-558-3232
Junk King San Diego
Free estimate. Same-day appointments, or text them a photo for a quote.
Schedule: junk-king.com or 619-343-2941
The Junkluggers of San Diego
Written estimate on site. They donate what they can and send donation receipts.
Schedule: junkluggers.com or 858-326-8001
LoadUp
Pick your items online and see the price before you book. Same or next day if you book by noon.
Schedule: goloadup.com
Listed A to Z. Good Day isn’t paid to list any of these companies.
Questions
Common questions
Does the City of San Diego pick up couches or mattresses?
No. The City doesn’t offer bulky item or curbside pickup. You can donate it, drop off the mattress or have it hauled.
Where can I get rid of a mattress for free in San Diego?
The City Mattress Collection Site at Miramar Landfill, 5161 Convoy St., takes them free Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sundays, EDCO in San Marcos takes up to 10 for free. Both turn away mattresses that are wet, stained or have bedbugs.
Who picks up donated furniture for free?
Father Joe’s Villages picks up furniture two people can carry, at no charge. Leave it at ground level, since drivers don’t do stairs. They don’t take mattresses or beds.
How do I get rid of old paint for free?
Many Sherwin-Williams and other PaintCare stores take up to 5 gallons per visit for free. Find one at paintcare.org. City of San Diego residents can also book the City’s free hazardous waste drop-off.
Can I take furniture to the dump myself?
Yes. Miramar Landfill charges a flat $75 for a car, SUV or pickup load from the City of San Diego, or $86 from outside the City (rates as of July 1, 2026). Cover your load, or there’s an extra $50 fee.
Know someone who’s moving? Don’t forget to send them this guide.
Now pack what’s left. The bins can be the easy part.
