Did you know you can create safe and effective DIY cleaning products at home? Not only will you save money, you can use products that are all-natural and cut plastic waste. White vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, lemon juice, and essential oils all can be used to make simple but effective household cleaners. Rather than share recipes with you- try doing a quick search for a solution for the material you are trying to clean. Hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing liquid make a great carpet cleaner and baking soda is great to scrub a tough mess. Always test new recipes on an inconspicuous spot before applying to a large area.

Another easy DIY solution for spring cleaning is to use reusable cloths when possible. Have a yucky job to do? Use rags made from clothing or linens that are not suitable for donation. Not only does this use a material that was already bound for disposal, it saves you money on paper towels.

For more tips on household cleaning products and their greener alternatives, visit the NYS DEC's website.

Another material you may come across while spring cleaning is old electronics. It may be an old camcorder from 1989, a VHS player from 1996, or a cellphone from 2015. No matter the age, electronics should never be disposed of with your household trash or in your household recycling bin. If you are not able to donate or repair the item, there are two options for recycling your electronics at no cost to you. You can either bring them to one of our electronic waste collection events, or you can take them to a drop off location. There are numerous drop-off locations around Ontario County that make it easy and convenient to recycle your unwanted electronics. Starting January 1, 2023 changes to the NYS legislation means that most electronics can be dropped off at no charge.

Also, new this year we will be accepting VHS tapes, DVDs, and CDs for recycling at our electronic waste collection events.

This spring if you are working in the basement, under the sink, or in the garage you may come across some household hazardous waste and wonder- what do I do with this?! Household hazardous waste should not be poured down the sink, dumped outside, or disposed of with your household trash. We have two household hazardous waste events each year that are free to all Ontario County residents. Registration is required, please see our events page for more details about the event and registration dates.

So, what exactly is household hazardous waste? Automotive fluids, adhesives, cleaning fluids, epoxies/resins, herbicides/pesticides, nail polish & hair removers, rat/mouse poisons, and mothballs are some examples of household hazardous waste. Batteries, LED & fluorescent lightbulbs, and products containing mercury should also be brought to a household hazardous waste event.

Items that are not accepted at the household hazardous waste events are tires*, compressed gas cylinders, explosives, ammunition, radioactive wastes, pathological wastes, infectious waste, medicines*, and freon containing devices. *Other collection programs exist for some materials.

One of the most common things you may need to dispose of are paints, primers, stains, and varnishes. While we do accept these materials at our household hazardous waste events, there is no need to wait for an event to properly dispose of these materials. There are free and convenient drop off locations at local businesses that are open year-round. For a full list of accepted materials and drop-off locations click here.