3
bulk items per home, first full week of each month, requested through 311
4
passenger tires without rims per week by 311 request
4 free
Ridge Road Transfer Station drop-offs a year, 4 cubic yards each
Every route for a mattress in Cleveland, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Cleveland guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Cleveland, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Cleveland monthly bulk collection: mattresses
Free, with a step firstMattresses are listed bulk items but must be wrapped in plastic. Request through 311 and set out by 6 a.m. in bulk week.
Who qualifies: Single-family and multi-family homes up to 4 units with City of Cleveland collection.
How to schedule: Up to 3 bulk items per home are collected on your regular day during the first full week of each month. Request the pickup through Cleveland 311 at least 24 to 48 hours before your collection day. Tires are a separate 311 request, up to 4 passenger tires without rims, on your regular day.
Limits: 3 bulk items per home per month. 4 tires per week by request. Residents also get 4 free drop-offs a year at the Ridge Road Transfer Station, 4 cubic yards each.
Set-out: Curbside by 6 a.m. on your collection day in bulk week, not leaning on or blocking the carts. Mattresses and cloth furniture must be wrapped in plastic. Appliances drained of coolant and fluids.
Donation pickup in Cleveland (usable mattresses)
FreeCleveland’s donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
Items typically not accepted: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don’t work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call before scheduling if you’re unsure, pickups that find unacceptable items will leave them behind.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Cleveland: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering mattresses, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Cleveland: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Cleveland’s waste system has an unusual structure: trash collection is weekly, but bulk pickup is only the first full week of each month, and recycling is opt-in. This page walks through every option in order from free to paid, with the specific Cleveland rules.
The Cleveland rule for mattresses: Mattresses are listed bulk items but must be wrapped in plastic. Request through 311 and set out by 6 a.m. in bulk week.
Program basics: 3 bulk items per home per month. 4 tires per week by request. Residents also get 4 free drop-offs a year at the Ridge Road Transfer Station, 4 cubic yards each. Curbside by 6 a.m. on your collection day in bulk week, not leaning on or blocking the carts. Mattresses and cloth furniture must be wrapped in plastic. Appliances drained of coolant and fluids.
What the city will not take: Plant material, hazardous waste, and anything that fits in the cart. Construction debris is not bulk waste.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Cleveland Public Works: Waste Collection (bulk guidelines), Cleveland 311: Schedule Bulk Pickup and Tire Pickup, City of Cleveland: Division of Waste Collection set-out guidelines. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why mattresses are different from ordinary bulk. Mattresses contain springs, foam, fabric, and wood, all recyclable individually but bonded together in a way that makes them hard to process. They’re also a notorious vector for bedbugs, which has led several cities to require plastic-wrapping before curbside pickup (NYC and Cleveland have explicit rules).
Three mistakes that get mattresses left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit your timeline or volume:
LoadUp paid mattress pickup
$80+For households who need same-week service, have construction debris not accepted by the city, or want a single professional pickup with loading included, LoadUp offers professional removal in Cleveland with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your mattress. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book mattress pickup in Cleveland with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Cleveland proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Cleveland junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national mattress disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Cleveland: couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Cleveland pick up mattresses for free?
Yes, wrapped in plastic, after a 311 request, in bulk week.
Where can I donate a mattress in Cleveland?
Cleveland’s donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
How much does paid mattress removal cost in Cleveland?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single mattress pickup in Cleveland starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-week service, have construction debris not accepted by the city, or want a single professional pickup with loading included, LoadUp offers professional removal in Cleveland with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
Can I just put a mattress in my regular trash?
No. Mattresses are too big for residential trash bins and are explicitly banned from regular trash collection in most U.S. cities. Connecticut, Rhode Island, California, and Oregon ban mattresses from landfills entirely under state law. Use one of the free or paid options above instead.
How much do paid mattress pickups cost?
Single mattress pickups typically range $80 to $200 depending on the service and your city. National services (LoadUp, 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks) cluster in the $80 to $130 range for one mattress. Local independent haulers can be cheaper ($50 to $100). Booking 2 mattresses together is often only marginally more expensive than booking 1, ask about bundled pricing.
What about box springs, are they treated the same?
Yes, box springs follow the same rules as mattresses in nearly every city, same pickup eligibility, same disposal channels, same bedbug-wrap requirements. State recycling programs (CT, RI, CA, OR) accept both. Most retailers haul both away together with new mattress delivery. King and queen splits typically count as 2 separate items, while single-piece box springs count as 1.
My mattress has bedbugs, what should I do?
Plastic-wrap the mattress fully before moving it (heavy-duty mattress disposal bags are sold at hardware stores for $5 to $15). Many cities require plastic-wrapping for ANY mattress disposal to prevent spreading bedbugs to other households along the route. Donation programs CANNOT accept mattresses with bedbug history. Use city bulk pickup (with proper plastic-wrapping) or paid hauler. Tell the hauler in advance, some services charge extra or refuse, while others handle bedbug mattresses routinely.
Is this Cleveland page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Cleveland guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
