Who picks up old appliances in Cincinnati?

The short answer

Inside the City of Cincinnati, the City's appointment-only claw truck picks up refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters from the curb. In Newport and other Rumpke areas, Rumpke picks them up by call, with a Freon sticker required on refrigerant appliances. In Lawrenceburg, the City Garage does it free on Mondays and Fridays. JunkRabbit picks up from inside the house: dryer $128, washer $133, fridge $164.

The City of Cincinnati

For a house inside city limits, the City's bulk item program is the first answer. It is appointment only, scheduled online or through 311, and a claw truck collects from the curb. Accepted appliances include refrigerators and freezers, stoves, washers and dryers and water heaters. Each appointment covers up to five items, set out the night before and reachable by the claw. That means the City will not come into your kitchen or your basement; the appliance has to be at the curb when the truck arrives. It also does not take gas-powered tools, lawnmowers, propane or batteries. Note that this only covers the City itself. Norwood, St. Bernard and Cheviot are separate cities with their own trash service.

Rumpke

Rumpke is the region's dominant trash company and the city hauler for Newport. In Newport, you arrange bulky items by calling Rumpke at least 24 hours before your trash day, and Freon appliances must have their refrigerant removed by a certified technician with a sticker attached. Rumpke's broader residential bulk rules require a certified refrigerant statement on Freon appliances. Rumpke also sells dumpster rentals and runs its own junk-removal service, called Haul-it-Away, for people who want more than curbside. Its pricing for that is not published, so ask directly. If you subscribe to Rumpke in a township or a suburb, check what your contract covers for bulky items.

Lawrenceburg City Garage

On the Indiana side, Lawrenceburg's City Garage collects trash free inside city limits and picks up items too big for the 95-gallon toter on Mondays and Fridays at no charge. You call the garage to request it, and same-day requests have to come in before 10 a.m. Freon items like refrigerators and freezers must be tagged by a company confirming the refrigerant was removed. The garage is no longer a public dump, so you cannot drop appliances off. Aurora, Greendale and the rest of Dearborn County are not covered by this program.

Retailers and scrap buyers

When you buy a new appliance, the store or delivery service may offer to haul the old one away. Ask what it costs and what the conditions are, because many require the old unit to be disconnected, emptied and sitting right where the new one goes. Some only take the same type of appliance. Scrap metal buyers take washers, dryers and stoves for the metal, though you usually have to deliver them. Refrigerators and freezers have refrigerant rules, so ask what a scrap yard requires before you bring one. Working appliances also sell or give away easily, especially to landlords and student renters.

JunkRabbit

Vetted, insured local haulers carry the appliance out from wherever it is, including basements, with no stairs fee. Book online with a photo, see the price before you book, and pick a two-hour arrival window. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM. We recycle whatever we can.

Which one to call

The City is best when the appliance is easy to get to the curb, you live inside city limits and you can wait for an appointment. Rumpke is best in Newport or a subscription area when the appliance has no Freon, or when you have already had it tagged. Lawrenceburg's City Garage is hard to beat for city residents there who can get the item out. A retailer is best when you are buying new and the old unit is in the way. A carry-out pickup is best when the appliance is in a basement, a narrow kitchen or an upstairs laundry, when it has refrigerant and you do not want to arrange a technician, or when you are clearing several appliances at once. For example, a kitchen remodel with a gas range, a dishwasher and a fridge comes to $137 + $109 + $164 = $410.

Avoid these mistakes

Do not leave an appliance at the curb without an appointment or a call to your hauler; it will sit there. Do not leave a fridge or freezer outside with the doors on, even for a night. Do not cut refrigerant lines to avoid the sticker rule. Do not try to move a water heater that has not been drained. Do not carry a washer down icy front steps in January when a morning pickup could do it. And do not assume Cincinnati's rules apply in Covington, Norwood or the townships. A two-minute check of who your hauler is will save you a wasted Saturday.

Frequently asked questions