When a storm pushes water under a door or through a garage, the first question is usually what to do with the couch that's now sitting in it. Wet furniture is heavy, it doesn't dry the way you hope, and most of the usual ways to get rid of it quietly stop working once it's soaked. Here's what still works in the Valley and in the cities around it.
Before you move anything
Take pictures first. If you plan to file a claim with your insurer or show a landlord the damage, photos of each item where it sat are much easier to take before the pile goes to the curb. A wide shot of the room plus a close-up of each piece is plenty.
Then think about safety in plain terms. Unplug and set aside anything electrical that got wet, keep kids and pets away from the soaked area, and if the water came from a sewer backup or you're seeing mold spread, bring in a professional water damage or restoration company rather than handling it yourself. We haul things away; we don't give health advice, and that call belongs to people who do that work.
Donation is usually off the table
It's natural to want a decent sofa to go to someone who can use it. Once it's been sitting in water, that's rarely an option.
- Goodwill Southern California takes donations only in good, clean, sellable condition, and it doesn't repair or reupholster.[1]
- Habitat for Humanity's LA ReStores won't accept anything broken or damaged.[2]
If a piece only got its legs wet and dried out cleanly, it may still qualify. Anything that smells, has stains that spread, or has swollen particleboard is headed for disposal, not a thrift store floor.
Wet mattresses are a special case
California's mattress program, Bye Bye Mattress, normally lets you drop off a used mattress for free at participating sites.[3] The catch is condition: wet, heavily soiled or bedbug-infested mattresses don't qualify for the free drop-off.[4] A retailer delivering a new mattress can also refuse to take back one that's contaminated and poses a risk.[5]
So the realistic routes for a soaked mattress are your city's bulky pickup or a hauler. In the City of LA, mattresses and box springs are on LASAN's accepted bulky item list.[6] In Glendale, the City only collects mattresses and box springs that are in a mattress bag or safely wrapped, which matters even more when they're wet.[7]
Using the City of LA's free bulky pickup
Most of the Valley, including North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks and Sun Valley, is inside the City of LA.[8] If LASAN services your 1-to-4-unit home, bulky pickup is free on trash day, with no stated limit.[6] Here's how to make it work for storm damage:
- Book at least one business day before trash day through MyLA311 or at 1-800-773-2489.[6]
- List every item. Crews collect only what's on the work order, so write down the couch, the rug, the soaked bookcase and the ottoman separately.[9]
- Roll and tie carpet. LASAN accepts carpet as a bulky item when it's rolled and tied.[6]
- Keep the black bin for trash. It isn't meant for furniture or mattresses.[10]
The timing is the hard part. A couch that went under on Monday may not go out until your next trash day, and a wet couch sitting in a garage for a week is not fun.
Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena run on their own clocks
These three are separate cities with their own programs, and their lead times are longer than LA's:
| City | How far ahead to book | Storm-relevant rule |
|---|---|---|
| Burbank | At least 2 business days online (photo required), or 1 business day by phone[11] | Mattresses and box springs carry a $12.14 special handling fee per item[11] |
| Glendale | At least 3 business days[12] | Rolled carpet only up to 5 ft long and under 2 ft across[13] |
| Pasadena | At least 2 weeks, 2 free pickups a year[14] | Free pickups are capped at about 3 cubic yards[15] |
Our city guides for Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena cover each program in full.
What else storms turn up
A flooded garage rarely holds just furniture. Look out for these while you sort:
- Paint cans and garden chemicals. They can't go in the trash in California[16], and they go to a S.A.F.E. Center instead.[17] Heads up: S.A.F.E. Centers may close or shorten hours in bad weather, so check before driving over on a stormy weekend.[18]
- Wet electronics. TVs, computers and monitors are accepted in LA's bulky pickup,[6] and California bans them from the trash.[16]
- Batteries and power tools with packs. Those never go in a household bin.[17]
- Dirty water. Storm drains carry runoff to creeks and the ocean without treatment,[19] so don't hose chemical spills or muddy debris toward the street.
Storm cleanup, in order
- Photograph each damaged item where it sits.
- Pull out anything still dry and worth keeping.
- Separate paint, chemicals and batteries from the furniture pile.
- Wrap or bag mattresses, especially in Glendale.
- List every bulky item by name when you book the City pickup.
- Decide what can't wait for trash day.
When it can't wait for trash day
Waterlogged furniture is the kind of job where waiting a week makes everything worse. One customer wrote about exactly that after a storm:
Ricardo was prompt, professional and fast!! I called in the middle of the day and he was out here in less than two hours and took all the damaged furniture and junk left from the bad rains we had. And for the best price!!
We're a family-run crew out of North Hollywood. We carry wet pieces out of the garage or living room ourselves, so you don't have to drag them to the curb. Same-day service most days when you reach us by early afternoon; next-morning slots are common. Text a few photos of the damage and the room it's in, and we'll text back a price before anyone shows up. If the pile includes paint or chemicals, tell us first. We don't take paint, chemicals (like motor oil and solvents), tires, asbestos, medical waste, ammunition or propane tanks, empty or full. We'll point you to the right drop-off. More on how that works on our same-day junk removal and furniture removal pages.