I’m Devin Orsi, owner of Iron Bear & Co., a family-owned junk removal, cleanout, demolition, and dumpster rental company based in Canonsburg. Established 2015 (formerly Richie’s Hauling). This time of year, a lot of homeowners in Upper St. Clair and the South Hills take a hard look at the storage unit they’ve been paying for every month and ask a simple question: do I still need everything in there?
If the answer is no, fall is the right time to deal with it. Here’s why a storage unit cleanout is worth doing before winter, how to sort through a unit without losing a whole weekend, and what our white-glove crew handles when you’d rather not lift a thing. Estimates are no-obligation.
Why clear out a storage unit before winter
A storage unit is easy to rent and easy to forget. Months turn into years, and the monthly bill keeps coming. Getting it cleared out before the cold sets in makes sense for a few reasons:
- You stop paying for things you don’t use. Every month a unit sits full of items you’ve already decided to let go of is money spent on storage instead of on your home.
- Cold, damp months are hard on stored items. Many units aren’t climate controlled. Cardboard boxes, upholstered furniture, mattresses, and paper can pick up moisture, mildew, and pests over a Western PA winter.
- Working in an unheated unit in January is miserable. Sorting, lifting, and loading is a lot easier in fall weather than on an icy morning with frozen fingers.
- It opens up space for what matters. If you’re moving the keepers back home, doing it before the holidays means the garage or basement is organized before family visits.
Step 1: Decide what’s worth keeping
Before anything gets loaded, take one trip to the unit with a plan. Bring a phone for photos, a marker, and some colored tape or labels. Then sort into three simple groups:
- Keep. Family keepsakes, important papers, seasonal items you actually use, and furniture with a real place in your home.
- Donate. Usable furniture, housewares, clothing, and toys someone else could put to good use.
- Haul away. Broken furniture, water-damaged boxes, worn-out mattresses, old electronics, and anything nobody in the family wants.
Mark each pile with tape so it’s obvious what goes where. If a family member has a say in what stays, a few photos of the unit sent around ahead of time can save a lot of back-and-forth on cleanout day.
Step 2: Check your storage facility’s rules
Every facility runs things a little differently, so it’s worth a quick call to the office before you schedule anything:
- Access hours. Some facilities limit gate hours, especially on weekends and holidays.
- Move-out notice. Many require written notice before you close out a unit to avoid another month’s charge.
- Dumpster and disposal rules. Most facilities don’t allow tenants to leave items behind or use their on-site trash for large loads. Anything you don’t keep needs to leave with you.
- Unit condition. Ask what “broom clean” means to them so you get your deposit back, if there is one.
Step 3: Plan how everything leaves the unit
This is where most storage cleanouts stall. A 10×10 or 10×20 unit can hold a surprising amount: couches, dressers, mattresses, boxes of books, exercise equipment, appliances, and years of odds and ends. You’ll need a way to move the keepers home and a way to get rid of everything else.
That’s the part we handle. When you book a storage unit cleanout with Iron Bear, our crew meets you at the facility, does all of the lifting and loading, and hauls away everything you don’t want. You point, we carry. Keepers can be set aside for you or for your mover, and we sweep out the unit so it’s ready to hand back to the office.
A few of the items we commonly remove from storage units:
- Sofas, recliners, dressers, tables, and other furniture removal
- Old refrigerators, washers, dryers, and freezers through our appliance removal service
- Mattresses and box springs (see our mattress removal page)
- Boxes, bins, holiday decorations, toys, and general household junk
- Exercise equipment, bikes, and sporting goods
Where we can, we donate usable items and recycle metal, wood, and electronics instead of sending everything to the landfill.
Bringing the keepers home? Make room first
Closing out a unit often means the things you’re keeping have to fit somewhere at home. If your garage or basement is already full, it can make sense to clear that space at the same time. Our garage cleanout guide walks through getting a garage ready before winter, and our residential junk removal crew can handle the house and the storage unit on the same schedule.
For a big combined project, like clearing a unit and a whole basement while you renovate, a roll-off from our dumpster rental service at your home can take the overflow while you work through it at your own pace.
What white-glove storage cleanout service means
A storage facility is a shared space, with neighbors on both sides and other tenants coming and going. We work carefully and keep the hallway or drive aisle clear while we load. At the end, the unit is empty and swept, nothing is left in the facility’s dumpster, and you don’t have to touch a single box you didn’t want to. We won’t leave your doorstep until you’re satisfied.
Storage unit cleanout FAQ
Do you do storage unit cleanouts in Upper St. Clair?
Yes. We serve Upper St. Clair and the South Hills, including Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park, Bridgeville, and South Park, plus Canonsburg, McMurray, Peters Township, and Washington County. See our junk removal in Upper St. Clair page for more.
Do I need to be at the storage unit?
It helps to be there, or have someone there, to open the unit and point out what stays. Talk to us about access when you book, and check your facility’s rules for letting someone else in.
Can you take everything, including furniture and appliances?
We take most household items, furniture, appliances, and electronics. Hazardous materials like paint, chemicals, and fuel need special disposal, so let us know what’s in the unit when you call.
Is the estimate no-obligation?
Yes. Estimates are no-obligation, and we’ll give you an upfront quote with no hidden fees.
Ready to stop paying for storage?
If you’ve got a storage unit in Upper St. Clair, Canonsburg, or anywhere in the South Hills that’s ready to go, call Iron Bear & Co. at (724) 809-3998 or reach us through our contact page. Send a few photos of the unit and we’ll give you a no-obligation estimate and get it cleared out before winter.