As you clean out your closets, storage rooms or garage, plan for Spring Clean-Up events in Waukee. Find more details on these events at Waukee.org/SpringCleanUp.

1. Give unwanted items a new life.

For items in good condition, consider donating to a local organization or putting it up for free on a community swap group on Facebook. Have a lot of items? Host a garage/yard sales for Citywide Garage Sale Day on Saturday, April 25. This is not a City of Waukee-sponsored event, but it is a designated day for residents to join many others in hosting garage sales at their Waukee homes. There is no facilitated flyer or website to track garage sales; however, some residents promote their sales on Facebook Marketplace or community group pages.

2. Put it out for curbside Spring Clean-Up, April 27-May 1, 2026.

During the free, curbside portion of Spring Clean-Up Week, City garbage customers can place large items on the curb for disposal on their normal garbage collection day, Monday through Friday. Put bulky items, such as furniture, oversized electronics and other large items up to five feet in length, on the curb no later than 7 a.m. on your garbage pick-up day. Smaller items should be bagged or boxed. Residents in apartments, townhomes and Midwest Country Estates may have private garbage collection and are not eligible for curbside pick-up during Spring Clean-Up week. Please refer to the property manager for guidance on disposing of large or bulky items.

Items NOT accepted on the curb:

• Appliances - bring these to drop off day on Saturday, May 2 at the Public Works building
• Broken-up concrete, asphalt, demolition materials, loose shingles and lumber
• Anything longer than five feet
• Household hazardous materials - bring these to drop off day on Saturday, May 2 at the Public Works building
• Paint; latex paint can be dried out and placed in garbage bins, but all other paint can be dropped off at the free disposal day
• Propane tanks
• Fully assembled basketball hoops, but you can dismantle them into small pieces for curbside collection
• Tires - bring these to drop off day on Saturday, May 2 at the Public Works building

3. Safely dispose of household hazardous waste, appliances, tires or electronics on Saturday, May 2, 8 a.m. to noon at Waukee Public Works.

Hazardous waste, appliances and tires will not be collected from curbs, but you can take them to the designated drop-off site for free disposal. Once again, all drop sites will be at Waukee Public Works, 805 University Avenue. This building is just west of 6th Street behind the transportation depot for the Waukee Community School District. Signs will mark the entrance and exit for the loop on drop-off day.

Household Hazardous Waste 

Many common home, garden, and automotive products contain chemicals that can be harmful to people, pets, wildlife, and the environment. If a product label includes words such as “danger,” “poison,” “warning,” or “caution,” it may be hazardous. Household products should also be considered hazardous if they have one or more of these characteristics:

• Toxic: May cause harm if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin
• Corrosive: Can cause deterioration or irreversible damage to body tissues or materials
• Flammable: Can ignite or explode under normal conditions
• Reactive: Can explode when exposed to heat, sudden shock, pressure, or incompatible substances

Examples of these items include acid, rechargeable batteries, oil, antifreeze, lawn fertilizer, pesticides, pool chemicals, oil-based paints or aerosols. You can safely get rid of them for free at our drop-off day. Latex paint will not be accepted; however, dried latex paint can be placed in regular trash bins year-round. 

The following items will not be accepted at drop-off day:

• Ammunition and explosives
• Asbestos
• Dry cement mix
• Fire extinguishers
• Joint compound
• Latex paint (can be dried out and placed in regular garbage bins)
• Medications
• Propane tanks or cylinders
• Radioactive materials

Appliances

Appliances must be cleared of food, household hazardous waste and garbage prior to drop-off. Accepted items include washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, furnaces, water heaters, stoves, etc.

Tires

Up to five car tires may be dropped off free of charge. The drop-off fee for each additional car tire will cost $1, and semi-truck and tractor tire drop-offs will cost $5 a piece. Cash only. Rims will not be accepted.

Electronics Recycling

The City is partnering with Electronic Asset Security to help you keep your electronics waste out of the landfill. Drop laptops, TVs, keyboards, speakers, printers, routers, phones, e-readers, CRTs, TVs and more for free. All data-containing devices will have data cleared. Alternatively, electronics are accepted in the weekly garbage collections or on the curb during clean-up week. Your data will not be wiped from devices left on the curb. Learn more about EAS recycling practices here.

If your computer, tablet or smart phone is still in good condition, consider donating it to the Best Buddies program instead. The devices are distributed to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Find the details on what's accepted at ElectronicAssetSecurity.com/Our-Community. Be sure to remove your Microsoft, Google or Apple accounts and anything else tied to your device before donating it. Drop it off during regular business hours at the EAS office in Urbandale and tell them it's for the Best Buddies program.

Find more details about spring clean-up and regular trash or recycling collection at Waukee.org/CleanUp.