Almost every house in Milwaukee County has a corner where old technology goes to retire. It might be a closet full of laptops and chargers, a basement shelf of VCRs and stereo receivers, or a garage stack of printers that stopped working. Many household electronics are not allowed in regular trash in Wisconsin, so they tend to pile up. Milwaukee County Junk Removal collects that equipment from suburban homes and sends what can be recycled down that path.
Televisions have their own page, TV removal, because of their size and weight. If electronics are just one part of clearing a whole house, see estate cleanouts. The rest of our services are on the Milwaukee County services page.
Equipment we collect
Desktop towers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, and mice are the usual starting point. We also take printers, scanners, fax machines, routers and modems, game consoles, DVD and Blu-ray players, stereo components, speakers, home theater receivers, small kitchen electronics like microwaves, and boxes of cords and cables nobody can identify. Office equipment from a home business is fine as well.
Before we arrive, please remove any personal files you want to keep and take care of data on computers and phones. We do not offer a data wiping service, so clearing or removing drives is up to you.
How to request a quote
Gather everything in one spot if you can, or photograph each area where it is stored. Send the pictures to 414-301-1028 with your suburb and a note about stairs or narrow halls. Someone answers 24/7.
We send a free quote after reviewing the photos. Nothing is put on the calendar until you approve the price. The crew carries everything out and loads it, and payment is cash or credit once the pickup is complete. Electronics that can be recycled are sent that way.
Where electronics hide in suburban homes
In the ranch houses and Cape Cods of Greenfield, Greendale, Hales Corners, and Cudahy, old electronics usually live in the basement next to the furnace or on metal shelving along a wall. A photo of the basement stairs helps us plan, especially for heavier pieces like old tube monitors or console stereos.
Homes in Oak Creek and Franklin often have a home office or a bonus room over the garage where outdated computers and printers collect. In Glendale, Fox Point, Bayside, and River Hills, we often see home theater gear and built in speakers being replaced. If anything is mounted to a wall or ceiling, mention it so the crew knows what to expect.
St. Francis, South Milwaukee, and West Milwaukee have plenty of smaller homes with limited storage, so electronics end up in a garage. That is usually the simplest pickup of all.
Downsizing and moving
Many electronics calls come from people downsizing or helping a parent move. A lifetime of gadgets adds up. If you are clearing a whole house, it is often easiest to quote electronics along with furniture and boxes in the same visit.
Sorting before the crew comes
You do not have to sort anything, but a few minutes of prep can help. Pull out any device you plan to keep, like a backup drive or a camera you still use, and set it aside where the crew will not see it as part of the load. Tape loose batteries at the terminals or put them in a separate bag. If you have a laptop or phone with a swollen battery, mention it in your text so it can be handled carefully.
Boxes of mixed cords, remotes, and chargers are fine to leave as they are. There is no need to untangle them.
Electronics recycling questions
Should I erase my computer first?
Yes. Remove or wipe anything personal before pickup. We do not provide data destruction.
Can you take a whole home office at once?
Yes. Send photos of the desk, the equipment, and any filing cabinets, and we will quote it together.
Do broken electronics count?
Yes. Working or not, they can go. Note any cracked screens or leaking batteries.
Can a TV or mattress go in the same trip?
Yes. Add them to your photos and they will be part of one quote.
Text photos of your old electronics to Milwaukee County Junk Removal at 414-301-1028 for a free quote. Approve the price before anything is booked, reach us 24/7, and pay by cash or credit at the end.
Related pages: TV removal, garage cleanouts, estate cleanouts, and all county services.