Of all the single items we get called about, mattresses are the most common. Not because they are the heaviest — they are not — but because they defeat every easy option.
You cannot fold one into a car. Charities will not take it. Curbside rules make it awkward. And it takes up a genuinely absurd amount of space leaning against a wall while you work out what to do.
Why charities say no
People are often surprised, and occasionally offended, by this. It is not about your mattress specifically.
Most charitable organisations will not accept used mattresses at all, for hygiene reasons and because of bed bug risk. One infested donation can contaminate a warehouse and cost an organisation far more than the donation was worth. It is a sensible policy even though it is frustrating.
Some specialist programmes accept them under narrow conditions. In practice, for a typical used mattress in Broward County, donation is not an available route.
Why recycling is limited
A mattress is genuinely recyclable in principle. Steel springs, foam, fibre and timber can all be separated and recovered, and in some states dedicated mattress recycling facilities exist funded by a recycling fee at purchase.
Florida does not currently have that infrastructure at scale. Facilities exist in some regions but coverage is patchy, and for most Broward County households a mattress ends up being disposed of rather than dismantled.
We would rather tell you that plainly than imply otherwise. Where a route exists we use it; where it does not, the mattress goes to disposal.
The curbside route
Municipal bulk collection will often take a mattress, with conditions that vary by city, and there are usually rules about wrapping and how it is presented.
Practical problems with this route:
- You still have to get it to the curb — a king mattress plus box spring is genuinely difficult for two people down a flight of stairs
- It sits at the curb until collection day, which in an HOA community may earn you a letter
- South Florida rain. A soaked mattress is far heavier and may then be refused
If you can carry it out, your collection is soon and rain is not forecast, this is a perfectly good free option and you should use it.
What we actually do
Mattress removal is one of our most common single-item calls, and it sits inside the $99 minimum load — a mattress and box spring together usually still fall within it.
What you are paying for is not disposal. It is:
- Getting it down from wherever it is, including upstairs, with no stairs fee
- Not having it at your curb for a week
- Not doing it on the collection schedule
- Not hurting your back on something awkward rather than heavy
That last point is worth a sentence. Mattresses are not heavy in absolute terms, but they are floppy, oversized and impossible to grip, which is exactly the combination that causes injuries on staircases.
A note on bed bugs
If you are disposing of a mattress because of an infestation, say so when you call. It is not embarrassing and we are not going to refuse the job — but it changes how we bag and handle it, and it matters for not moving the problem elsewhere.
Wrapping it in plastic before removal is good practice generally and essential in that case.
Timing it with a delivery
Like appliances: most mattress retailers will remove the old one on delivery, often for a small fee. If you are buying new, ask.
The catch is the same. It only works on delivery day, and the crew may decline if the old mattress is not stripped and accessible. Plenty of people miss that window, which is when we get the call.
Booking it
Call (954) 536-8189. Tell us the size and what floor it is on. Single item, $99 range, same day if you catch us before noon.
If you have several — a guest room and a kids' room clear-out at once — it is still one small load and priced accordingly.
Need this done rather than read about?
Free quote, firm price given on site before anything moves, and same-day service across Coral Springs and all of Broward County. Licensed and insured — and we do every bit of the lifting.
