How to Get Rid of a Mattress in Cleveland

By Kevin Traub, Owner of Fly By Junk Haulers · Published October 27, 2026

Pile of old mattresses, box springs and furniture set out on a lawn in front of houses for pickup

Quick answer: In Cleveland you can donate a clean mattress, set it out for city bulk pickup wrapped in plastic, drive it to the Ridge Road Transfer Station, or hire a crew. Cuyahoga Recycles says there are no local recycling options for mattresses. Donation and city pickup cost nothing, and a crew quotes you before it starts.

Nobody searches “how to get rid of a mattress” on a good day. The old one has leaned against the spare room wall so long it’s basically furniture, or the new one lands Thursday and the old one refuses to leave quietly. Fly By Junk Haulers has done 2,000+ jobs around Cleveland, and Google shows us at 5.0 out of 5 from 250+ reviews. Mattresses are a regular job for us, so this is the list we’d hand a friend.

What are your options for getting rid of a mattress?

You can’t just leave it on the curb with a note. (We’ve all considered the note.) Here are the real ways out, and what each one costs you in time.

Option	Cost	Best when	The catch
Donate it	Nothing to give	It's clean and in good shape	Must be clean, with no stains, spills, rips or damage
City bulk pickup	Nothing	You can wait for your pickup week	Up to 3 bulk items, first full week of the month, wrapped in plastic
Transfer station drop-off	Nothing for Cleveland residents, 4 visits a year	You have a truck and a helper	Loads are limited to 4 cubic yards
Store haul-away	A removal fee at delivery	You're buying a new mattress	You have to ask when you order
Junk removal crew	Quoted before we start	You want it gone on a day you pick	It costs money

The donation, store and recycling details come from Cuyahoga Recycles, the county’s solid waste district. The city rules come from the City of Cleveland’s waste page. Checked October 2026. Other towns have their own rules.

Can you put a mattress out for the city to pick up?

In Cleveland, yes. The city lists mattresses as bulk waste and collects up to three bulk items per home on your regular collection day during the first full week of each month. There’s one rule: mattresses must be wrapped in plastic when you set them out, which the city says is “to protect workers from bedbugs, lice, and other parasites.”

So a mattress that gives up on the ninth waits for the next first week, and you spend three weeks stepping around it on the way to the closet. It’s the most patient houseguest you’ll ever have. Other towns run their own programs, so call your city before you drag anything to the curb. Our trash rules by city page is a good place to start.

Mattress and box spring set out on the grass beside a street with black trash bags

Can you donate a mattress?

Sometimes. Cuyahoga Recycles says donated mattresses should be clean, with no stains, spills, rips or damage, and it names the Cleveland Furniture Bank and I’m In Ministry as places that take good used mattresses for reuse. Call first, because what they take can change.

Be honest about the mattress. “Gently used” doesn’t mean “survived two kids and a dog.” Give it the daylight test. (Not literally. It’s a mattress.) If it fails, skip the phone call and go to another option.

How do you get rid of a mattress that can't be donated?

Your choices are city pickup, a transfer station, or a crew. Cuyahoga Recycles says it plainly: “There are no local recycling options for mattresses,” and that includes box springs. The Mattress Recycling Council, which runs state mattress recycling programs, lists California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island on its site. Ohio isn’t one of them (checked October 2026).

Cleveland residents can drop bulky waste at the Ridge Road Transfer Station at no charge, four times a year, up to four cubic yards a visit. Trailers can be no bigger than 4 by 8 feet, so a mattress that won’t ride in the car means a truck, a trailer, and a helper who owes you a favor. That’s why a mattress so often turns into a “do I rent a truck for this?” decision.

If you’d rather skip the favor, our mattress removal service carries the mattress and box spring out and hauls them away. We quote it first, from a photo if you like.

What if you're buying a new mattress?

Ask the store about haul-away before you order. Cuyahoga Recycles notes that if a new mattress is being delivered, you can pay the mattress removal fee so the old one is hauled away. It’s the easiest option when the timing works, because the old one leaves the day the new one arrives.

One comes in, one goes out, and nobody has to lift anything but a pen. It’s the only mattress plan that works like a relay race.

What we see in the field

The mattress is rarely alone. It comes with a box spring, a frame, and a room that’s about to be somebody else’s. One customer wrote that we “removed my ridiculously heavy adjustable king size mattress and bed frame” (Karen C., November 2025). Another got an appointment the next day and said we were “in and out in 10 minutes” (Austin O., April 2022).

The hard part is almost never the mattress. It’s the staircase, the corner at the landing, and the bedroom two floors up from the truck. The mattress is cooperative. The stairwell is not. If yours is on a high floor, tell us when you book. A photo of the stairs saves everybody a surprise. Curious how we price? Our junk removal cost guide lays it out.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get rid of an old mattress at no cost?

Donate it if it’s clean and undamaged, or use your city’s bulk pickup. In Cleveland, wrap it in plastic and set it out during the first full week of the month, up to three bulk items per home.

Can you throw a mattress in the trash in Cleveland?

Not in your regular bin. Cleveland treats mattresses as bulk waste, collected the first full week of the month, wrapped in plastic. Check your own city’s rules if you live elsewhere.

Can you recycle a mattress in Cuyahoga County?

Cuyahoga Recycles says there are no local recycling options for mattresses, box springs included. Your options are donation, bulk pickup, a transfer station, or a hauling crew.

Where can I take an old mattress in Cleveland?

Cleveland residents can drop off bulky waste at the Ridge Road Transfer Station at no charge, four times a year, up to four cubic yards a visit. Good, clean mattresses can go to donation programs.

Do you take box springs and bed frames too?

Yes. Tell us what’s in the room when you book, and we’ll take the whole bed.

Want it out of the bedroom this week?

See how our mattress removal works, or look at furniture removal if the bed isn’t the only thing going. When you’re ready, schedule a pickup and get your upfront quote, or call (216) 471-0116.