Charity Starts at Home: Human Options

As we come upon the Holiday Season, gift giving heads up many a to-do list. In the first of a 4-part series of blogs, we at OC Junk Hauling would like to introduce you to a few charities that we interact with daily when we take your unwanted “trash” and recycle or upcycle it into “treasures.” We hope you will consider adding these local charities to your lists.

Human Options

“It can’t happen here,” is a phrase that is unfortunately so out of step in today’s world. Domestic violence is prevalent: 26.3% of Orange County women, as well as 40% in the state of California, report experiencing violence by an intimate partner.

Starting with a crisis hotline, four pioneers in the mental health field founded Human Options in 1981 to bring desperately needed attention to this issue of domestic violence in Orange County. A year later, they opened the County’s first emergency shelter for women. Their vision: a world in which no woman– or child, should ever feel afraid in her/his home.

Over 70% of the Human Options budget is funded by private donations. That is where we hope you come in. Funding gives these women and children who have experienced abuse the options of safety, healing and a way forward. Contributions also fund counseling, legal advocacy, education programs, and elder abuse prevention.

To get a better idea on how to help, click here: Donation Info

And— if YOU need their services right now, don’t hesitate to call the 24-Hour Toll Free Hotline at 877-854-3594 .

Charity Starts at Home: Goodwill of Orange County

As we come upon the Holiday Season, gift giving heads up many a to-do list. In the final of a 4-part series of blogs, we at OC Junk Hauling would like to introduce you to a few charities that we interact with daily when we take your unwanted “trash” and recycle or upcycle them into “treasures.” We hope you will consider adding them to your lists.

Goodwill of Orange County

Since 1924, Goodwill of Orange County has helped people with disabilities (mental, physical, emotional, etc.) find employment, become independent and support themselves and their families.
Along the way it has become the OC’s leading employer with more than 900 employees and an annual budget of over $78 million; it has been recognized as one of the seven Best Companies to Work for in Orange County by OC Metro Magazine.

Giving people with disabilities and other barriers the chance to realize their highest levels of personal and economic independence is essential to the Goodwill mission. To that end, Goodwill of OC offers the broadest range of services to as many individuals as possible.

Goodwill of Orange County’s Tierney Center for Veteran Service, for example, is a global approach to serving veterans and their families. It offers a one-stop shop program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), County of Orange Veterans Services Office (VSO), the Department of Defense (DOD), the local veteran collaborative, and many public and private service providers. This creates many services to help find & secure work, including resume preparation, job readiness training, job leads and more.
Goodwill has achieved a 4-Star rating by Charity Navigator—the nation’s premier independent charity evaluator- based on sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.

92% of every incoming dollar directly supports services for people with disabilities and other barriers to independence. Donate Here

Get more information here Contact

Huntington Beach Brings a Bit of Europe to the OC

Junk Removal in Huntington Beach

Selecting a community for our Orange County spotlight is never an easy choice. We have so many fine towns & cities in the OC Junk Hauling customer pick-up zone that sometimes we have to “just pick one.” Huntington Beach is our choice for November because it has some quite interesting and diverse holiday events scheduled. The Old World Christmas Festival is a perfect example.

Old World Christmas Festival

The Swedish Women’s Education Association of Orange County (SWEA) will hold their annual Christmas Fair at the Old World Festival Hall & Beer Garden, Huntington Beach, on Nov. 19, 11am-5pm.

But, this is not your average Christmas Fair

According to the Fair website: “If you wanted to visit the Christmas markets in Germany, it’s tough to decide which one to visit, but at Old World it’s easy – The SWEA Christmas Fair is one of the best Christmas Fairs held in Southern California, as it offers many of the great gifts, hard to find items, treats and other specialty items you’d see at Christmas markets throughout Europe and especially Germany.”

For more info go to their website.

At OC Junk Hauling we are happy to have been serving the good people of Huntington Beach, and all over Orange County for the past 10 years. Being that we are not only a family-owned but also a locally-owned business, we have made it a continuous goal to be as green as possible with our hauling and distribution. Every effort is made to avoid carrying your unwanted items to a landfill.

One of the many benefits of hiring OC Junk Hauling is our aggressive recycling campaign. In fact, nearly 85% of the materials we remove are either donated, recycled or reused. We are enthusiastic about recycling because it helps us provide our clients with the best prices and at the same time we can keep Orange County clean & beautiful.

Our recycling program includes everything from household recyclables to asphalt shingles, metal, yard waste and more. If you want to ensure that your junk won’t trash the earth, use OC Junk Hauling for all of your junk removal needs.

Give us a call at 949-424-9265 for a free, on-the-spot, no obligation estimate.

Building an “Extra” Bedroom for Thanksgiving Guests

Cleaning the Clutter for Thanksgiving Guests

For whatever reason, you are “doing” the family get together for Thanksgiving this year. You have it covered for enough tables and chairs for the dinner, congratulations. The meal is saved. But— you need a bedroom for your brother and his wife, who are staying over before flying back to the East Coast.

The Den Room as Bedroom

Your “den room” to this point has been used for storage. Or as a hobby room. Or sewing room. It’s time to see how much of that “stuff” is useful and how much is junk to be hauled away. When you do, OC Junk Hauling will pick it up and remove quickly and efficiently.

For example, if that is where the lumpy old mattress was shoved, trust us, now is the time to shove it out the door. Replace with an air mattress, or there are many rental stores where you can “borrow” a nice bedroom set for a week (after all, it is your brother).

Living Room as Bedroom

What if you don’t have a spare bedroom?

The key is a plain, every-day, floor-length, ceiling-mounted curtain.

If your living room or family room is structured in a conducive way, it can transform into sleeping quarters for your over-night guests. An affordable daybed serves as an extra couch for Thanksgiving family & friends, but at night, bring out the guest linens, pillows, and blankets.

Purchase an easy to install ceiling curtain rod. Hang the curtain (an easy DIY project). Slide it across, giving privacy to a nook area with the daybed.

OC junk Hauling Procedure

When you book your job or simply desire a free estimate, OC Junk Hauling will provide you a two-hour arrival window. And, as service extra, our friendly, uniformed service member will confirm by calling you 30 minutes prior to arrival time.

Once we know exactly what you want to be hauled away, we will give you a free, no-obligation estimate.

After you’ve decided what needs to go and you’re happy with our free no- obligation estimate, all you need to do is sit back while our professional crew gets the job done! We do ALL the labor and loading, no matter where your items are located, and we clean up afterward, as well!

Please call us at 949-424-9265, seven days a week.

OC Junk Hauling is a family-owned business serving our customers in Orange County, CA. We want to take this moment to also wish all our past (and future) customers a Happy Thanksgiving!

Yorba Linda Celebrating 50th Anniversary and Much More

Yorba Linda, a city on the OC Junk Hauling route is celebrating this year its 50^th anniversary of being incorporated, but its history as a community in OrangeCounty can be traced back to 1834!

Among the celebratory events have been a Movie in the Park night (timely choice of Back to the Future with 1967-era popular snacks being served), Concerts in the Park, and a recent 5K Fun/Run Walk. For events still to come, go to City of Yorba Linda website http://ci.yorba-linda.ca.us/index.php/component/content/article/39-public/760-50thanniversary

Long History

Yorba Linda’s storied history began in 1834 when Bernardo Yorba was awarded a land grant from the Mexican government for 13,000 acres north of the Santa Ana River (which includes present day Yorba Linda).

After his death in 1858, the land was divided among Yorba’s wife and children. As it happens, in time the land was bought and sold again, some of it ending up in 1908 with the Janss Investment Company, which reportedly named the area Yorba Linda. “Yorba” for the original owner and “Linda,” not for a woman, but because it translates to “beautiful.”

In 1911, there were 35 residents, mostly orange& lemon farmers. By 1960, the population was barely 1200. But whenYorba Linda incorporated in 1967, the community was a robust 11,433!

Former U.S. President Richard Nixon is Yorba Linda’s most famous resident. The Richard M. Nixon Library is based there.

The city has seen continued growth in shopping centers, jobs and housing units.OC Junk Hauling congratulates Yorba Linda on its 50^th Anniversary. And we stand ready to help members of its community moving across the city, out of the city, or into the city, with collection of unwanted home or office junk items.

Convenient Junk Hauling in Yorba Linda

Specifically, we clean out homes, garages, storage sheds/lockers, attics, basements, or businesses of any size. The unwanted items collected are always donated, recycled, or disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. We are here to help you make a smooth move transition.

Easy 2 Step Junk Removal Process in Yorba Linda

1.Schedule A Free, No-Obligation

When you book your job, or want a free estimate, we will give you a two-hour arrival window. Our friendly, uniformed service member will call you 30 minutes before arrival time.
Once we know exactly what you want hauled away, we will give you a free, no-obligation estimate

2.We Safely and Speedily Haul your Junk

Once you’ve decided what needs to go and you’re happy with our free no- obligation estimate, all you need to do is sit back while our professional crew gets the job done! We do ALL the labor and loading, no matter where your items are located and we clean up afterward, too!

OC Junk Hauling has been serving Orange County for over 10 years; as a family owned and operated business, we work hard to provide you with the best in services, prices and responsible junk removal.

Call us at 949-424-9265. We work seven days a week at the time that’s convenient for you!

What to Do with the Stuff “Stuffed” into the Corners of Your House

“A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.” That memorable quote from comedian George Carlin is an interesting one when you think about moving time. What will you do with all that stuff? Give it away? Trade it? Sell it? Junk it? Or take it with you?

We found this usefulGet Organized Wizard blog by Michele Connally that creates (what else?) an organized progression of the steps to take. Her opening line says it all:

Anything that doesn’t serve you, doesn’t earn a place in your life.

Shoes you don’t wear. An old lamp or toaster that you don’t use, sitting in the closet “just in case.” Faded shutters in the basement. Beat up metal trash cans in the corner of the garage.

The blog breaks down your classification of actions into three categories:

When To Sell Your Clutter
When To Donate Your Clutter
When To Throw Away Your Clutter

At OC Junk Hauling we are ready to help in the 2^nd& 3rd areas. Each year, Americans generate between 250 and 400 million tons of garbage — all of which requires landfill space. But it doesn’t have to go to landfills.

We have mentioned before a process we use called upcycling.

a dresser could be repurposed into an antique bathroom vanity.
shutters could be turned into sofa table tops or headboards.
galvanized metal trash cans could be converted into planters for flowers.

We upcycle/donate/recycle/reuse approximately 85% of the materials we remove. This helps us provide our clients with the best prices while at the same time keeping Orange County clean & beautiful.

Give OC Junk Hauling a call at (949)424-9265 and one of our friendly staff will book your appointment for a free visit. At your home, we will evaluate items to be removed and provide a no-obligation estimate. Then you sit back and relax as we do all the work of moving your stuff out of your house and to someone else who will be served by it.

Among the past recipients of our deliveries are Human Options, Illumination Foundation, Laura’s House and Goodwill Industries.

Merging Possessions of Two Homes After Marriage

“What’s mine is yours dear, and what’s yours is mine.” Marriage is such a sharing experience, right? Well… not so much with personal stuff when moving into your first place. At OC Junk Hauling we’ve seen enough disasters in the making after two separate apartments or homes merge into one and the front lawn ends up looking like a long-term flea market.

If you need items hauled away, we will gladly do it, just call OC Junk Hauling when you’re ready. We will provide you with an immediate, on-the-spot quote and take all away quickly and cleanly. Either from your old place or new one.

But let’s talk about what you can do to lessen the stress of merging personal possessions.

Clear Out Clothes Closet

Your goal is to live together, but obviously, you don’t want skirts and shirts intermingled in the closet. Each of you needs space to set up shop. Mentally dividing the closet evenly before moving in will force you to minimize your wardrobe while still in your old place. Why create extra boxes to ship ($) only to have to throw them away ($$) when no space is available. Or then you must both rotate your winter and summer items not in your closet or garage but in a storage unit ($$$).

Also, clothing needs to be unpacked first. Wrinkles are not what you want to talk about the next day at work. So, we suggest that you not only mark your boxes as John and Mary, but also John’s bedroom closet(suits & pants), Mary’s bedroom closet(blouses & skirts). This way you are unpacking “hanger” items first, before “drawer” or “shelf” items.

Living Room Next

After you do the bathroom, kitchen, etc., you may want to just crash for a few minutes in a chair, rest, watch TV or listen to soothing music. Oops, you didn’t set up the living room yet. So, outside of finding one box that says “bathroom, toilet paper, hand towels” for either of you, the next move should be the living room after bedroom closet.

You need to see whose chair is going where, bookcases on what wall, do your furniture items match when you finally see them together or does one of you need to sacrifice— or just dump it all and get new couch & love seat ensemble that you both select as a couple.

And that is where we circle back to OC Junk Hauling. Once the decision is made as to what needs to go, you don’t want it haunting you in a corner or backyard or front lawn.

Rest of House

Proceed with set up and distribution of other rooms in the same manner. Deep mark each box at the starting point: John kitchen, pots & pans; Mary kitchen, dishes & bowls. And where you have similar items, decide to either mix or storage or just add to the “to go” pile for us to take away.

Convenient Junk Removal & Junk Hauling Services in Orange County

OC Junk Hauling will take your items and as often as possible distribute to local shelters, donation centers, and charity organizations. Your favorite football T-shirt from years ago or microwave that is 7 years older than your spouse’s will find good homes.

Our junk removal process is super easy and totally hassle-free.

1 .Schedule A Free, No-Obligation

When you book your job or want a free estimate, we will give you a two-hour arrival window. Our friendly, uniformed service member will call you 30 minutes before arrival time.
Once we know exactly what you want hauled away, we will give you a free, no-obligation estimate.

2 .We Safely and Speedily Haul your Junk

Call us at 949-424-9265. We offer same-day appointments and can work around most schedules.

Self-dumping of Appliances Is Hazardous to Your Health

Appliance Hauling in Orange County

Upgrading your appliances? Nice. Adds value to your house and can save you money when you switch to state-of-the art, more energy-efficient items. But, what do you do with the old appliances? You can’t just shove a microwave into a compact curbside trash can. You can’t just leave a refrigerator by that curb either— no, really you can’t without at least removing the door. That’s a law.

In fact, there are many local, state and Federal laws involved in dealing with your appliances when they leave your house to go out into the community. Hazardous components (Freon, foams, etc.) could affect the environment.

That is where OC Junk Hauling comes into the picture. Let us not only haul away your unwanted appliances but also navigate the regulatory roadway to environmentally dispose of/or recycle these items.

Let’s look at an appliance list

Air Conditioners
Clothes Dryers
De-humidifiers
Dishwashers
Freezers
Humidifiers
Microwaves
Refrigerators
Stoves
Washing Machines
Water Heaters
Trash Compactors

The first step is to unplug the items. Thank you. OC Junk Hauling will do the rest. Easy?

EPA, PCB, ODS, GHG and the OC

Now, if you plan to get rid of any of these items yourself, for example taking to a junk yard or landfill, (most standard garbage collecting operations will not collect/transport these items) there is more you would need to do.

Manually dismantle each appliance, which specifically involves removing the hazardous components. That’s all?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal law requires that all refrigerants be recovered prior to dismantling or disposal and that universal waste—including mercury—as well as used oil and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) be properly managed and stored.

Otherwise you are guilty (criminally where part of health & safety codes) of releasing PCBs, mercury, and used oils into the environment! Ouch!

For example, that old refrigerator which may look tired on the outside and not cool as well as it used to, is still filled with refrigerants and insulating foams which can emit ozone depleting substances (ODS) and greenhouse gases (GHG).

Specifically, if you have a pre-1990 model, it will usually contain an earlier version of Freon called R-12. This has since been found to be quite toxic and depletes the ozone layer. Modern-day Freon (also known as tetrafluoromethane) comes without ozone depleting substances.

But— and this is important to remember and why OC Junk Hauling stresses letting us do this work for you— that old Freon, the new Freon, and the anytime mercury, etc., are also powerful greenhouse gases (GHGs)! All of those chemicals contribute to negative climate change when sent into the atmosphere.

Environmentally safe removal and recycling begins & ends when you contact us for a free estimate. Just e-mail at info@ocjunkhauling.com. Or give us a call at 949-424-9265.

We offer same-day appointments and can work around most schedules.

Our uniformed professionals will visit your location to provide a speedy, affordable and fair quote. No obligation. If you are satisfied, we can immediately load and haul away your items or schedule a more convenient time for you.

OC Junk Hauling is a family owned & operated business based in Orange County, CA.

Brea from Wildcatting to Cultural Center in 100 Years

Junk Removal And Junk Hauling In Brea

Orange County is made up of many communities to which our OC Junk Hauling trucks make regular visits to pick up old or unwanted items. We are a familiar sight. One city in particular on our routes that we’d like to single out is Brea, which has been celebrating its Centennial all year long.

According to the City of Brea website: “On February 23, 1917, Brea’s founding families incorporated a small wildcatting oil town and put the City of Brea on the map. Since then, Brea has grown into a vibrant business, recreation and cultural center boasting housing and services for a diverse community. Now it’s time to celebrate the 100-year journey that created one of Orange County’s premier cities!”

To learn more about Brea’s history check out this link http://www.ci.brea.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/3329

Happy Birthday Brea from OC Junk Hauling!

Back in May, there was a Centennial Parade down Birch Street and a Centennial Picnic in the Sports Park. Coming up Oct. 21st will be the Centennial Gala which will feature an evening of dinner, dancing, and entertainment on the Plaza at the spectacular Brea Civic & Cultural Center. As a locally owned and operated family business, OC Junk Hauling takes pride in serving the needs of our diverse customer base in Brea.

Services We Offer in Brea

Aggressive Recycling Program

To that end we donate/recycle/reuse approximately 85% of the materials we remove from homes and businesses in Brea. We are enthusiastic about recycling because it helps us provide our clients with the best prices and at the same time we can keep Orange County clean & beautiful. Last year. This year. Next year. For the next 100 years!

Once you’ve decided what needs to go and you’re satisfied with the OC Junk Hauling free no- obligation estimate, just sit back while our professional crew gets the job done! We do ALL the labor and loading, no matter where your items are located and we clean up afterward, too!

Call us anytime at (949)424-9265 seven days a week! We are ready to serve your junk hauling needs, big or small in Brea and other Orange County communities.

Hot Tub Removal Can Be a Draining Experience

Hot Tub Removal & Hauling In Orange County

With temperatures continuing in the mid to upper 80s in Orange County, this might be a good time for some of you with older, energy inefficient hot tubs, or just tubs that have seen better nights & days, to be thinking about upgrading. But unlike most any other household appliance, moving and dismantling a hot tub is not a one-person venture.

Your Hot Tub Up Close & Personal

Standard hot tubs are 34-42 inches in height and can weigh anywhere from 300 up to and over 2000 pounds. Do you know how much yours weighs?

According to SF Gate.com “Hot tub diameters vary by manufacturer. Jacuzzi’s round hot tub, for example, is 78 inches in diameter and holds four people, while Sundance’s four-person round spa is 79 inches. Nordic Spa makes a five-person hot tub that’s 78.5 inches in diameter and an 84-inch one for six people.

Square and rectangular spas vary even more widely in size. Square hot tubs made by Sundance Spas are 88 to 89 inches across for a five- to a six-person tub, while rectangular hot tubs for the same number of people range from 81 by 86 inches to 90 by 110 inches.” That is a handful. Several handfuls!

At OC Junk Hauling we know all this because we remove hot tubs for a living. Let us take the worry out of extracting your hot tub from your property.

Questions To Ask Yourself Before Attempting A Hot Tub Removal

For example, how exactly would you get it onto the flatbed of cousin Scott’s truck? How many cases of beer would you have to bribe the guys in accounting to come over Saturday morning to help? And, somebody did remember to unplug all wiring?

Most hot tubs are powered by electricity — some with high voltage connections. There are steps to be taken in the process of turning the power off and removing lines. If you’re not sure, let an electrician who has experience do it.

And then what do you do with the hot tub? Sell it? And where does it sit while you wait for responses to your classified ad? If you have the right cutting equipment, you could chop it up and sell it for parts, that is if you knew who to market it to.

Or you could just give OC Junk Hauling a call and we will take it off your hands, giving you more time to enjoy your new hot tub.

We are a fully insured, family owned and operated business, which means we take personal pride in providing the best service at the best prices.

Call OC Junk Hauling at (949)424-9265 and give us what info you have on the hot tub you want to remove; most often we can give you a rough estimate as to what it would cost right over the phone. If you find it favorable, we will schedule an on-site, no obligation quote.

Most often, if the quote is acceptable to you, we can handle the appliance removal right away, no need to schedule another appointment. This may vary depending on the size and weight of the hot tub. Our pricing includes lifting, loading, cleanup and recycling fees. There are no hidden fees and any surcharges will be fully explained by OC Junk Hauling staff prior to doing any work.