Q: My fiancée and I are moving in together, and she’s gently but firmly told me that my old La-Z-Boy has got to go. Charities say it’s too far gone, but I know the Department of Sanitation is picky about big stuff. Rules, please?
A: Fortunately for your relationship, sending that recliner to the great beyond won’t take much effort. The Department of Sanitation will happily (if noisily) remove up to six bulk items from one address on a regular garbage day, so long as they’re placed on the curb between 6 p.m. and midnight the night before. (“Bulk” items can include microwaves, TVs, sofas, mattresses, and, of course, easy chairs that have seen better decades.) Metal bulk—like dead washers and dryers—is also okay, but you have to set it out the night before your regular recycling day. Fridges and air-conditioners, however, require a special appointment, since their freon needs to be drained. For further details, go to the DOS’s remarkably thorough Website at www.nyc.gov/html/dos/home.html.