The garage is another area that requires your attention in the spring! All winter long it's been too uncomfortable to work out there, but now is the ideal time to see what's collected that you no longer need, want or use.
Listed below are some garage items you may come across and tips for how you'll want to dispose of them.
Latex paint cans - While latex paint is not a hazardous material, it must be dried out before disposal with other garbage. To dry it out, put cat litter, shredded newspaper or sand in the paint can to absorb the excess paint. Be sure to then throw out the absorbent material in the trash and recycle the paint can.
Tires - Bring old car tires to any Illinois automotive tire retailer for recycling. (They are required by Illinois law to accept them.) The retailer will probably charge you a small fee per tire.
Household Chemical Waste - Oil based paints, solvents, motor oil, antifreeze, garden and lawn chemicals, pool chemicals, old gasoline, fungicides, insecticides, pesticides, paint remover, driveway sealer, aerosol products, hobby chemicals and household batteries are all considered household chemical waste and should not be thrown in the trash. These items should be dropped off at a special household waste collection event. These events are sponsored by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and are periodically held in different communities. There are also some regular drop-off locations. Please visit the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County's website at www.swancc.org or the Solid Waste Agency of Cook County's website at www.swacco.org for more information and upcoming collection dates and locations.
Broken Garden Hoses - For tips on how to recycle a broken garden hose check out www.ehow.com and search for "recycling garden hoses". It's surprising how many different ways you can put these to use and keep them out of landfills.
Sports Equipment -Sports equipment that you no longer use or want can be donated. You may also want to contact a sports resale store like Play it Again Sports at (847) 564-9180 to see if they have an interest.
Bikes - These are also a much appreciated donation and often times your town's park district will have a special event to donate your bike. If you want to sell your bike you may want to list it on www.craigslist.com or another donation option is to list the bike on www.freecycle.org.
After you've cleared your garage of all those unwanted items, you may be surprised by all the extra space cleared for the things you truly want to keep in it, like for example, your car!
