Question 1

How much does it cost to get rid of a mattress?

Accepted Answer

Dropcurb picks up a mattress for $99, and a box spring added to the same pickup is just $29 more — $128 for the full set. Free routes exist through city bulk trash or the Bye Bye Mattress recycling program in four states, but both involve waiting and prep rules. Truck-crew services cost more because you're paying for an in-home crew.

Question 2

Can I get a mattress picked up same-day?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Book by 2 PM and it's typically gone within about 3 hours of being at the curb. Book after 2 PM and it's picked up by 8 AM the next morning. Weekend pickups are available too.

Question 3

Do I need to be home for the pickup?

Accepted Answer

No. Set the mattress at the curb, driveway, or alley and go about your day. You get a photo confirmation text the moment it's picked up.

Question 4

Will you take a stained or worn-out mattress?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Condition doesn't matter for pickup — stained, sagging, torn, decades old, all fine. That's the big difference from donation, where crews refuse anything with visible wear.

Question 5

What about a mattress that had bed bugs?

Accepted Answer

It's fine as long as you seal it in a mattress bag before setting it out — inexpensive at any hardware store. New York City requires the sealed bag for any curbside mattress regardless of bed bugs, with fines up to $300, so it's a good habit wherever you live.

Question 6

Do I have to wrap the mattress in plastic?

Accepted Answer

Not for Dropcurb, unless bed bugs are involved. Plastic-wrapping rules apply to some cities' curbside programs — New York requires every mattress and box spring sealed in a bag and fines up to $300 for skipping it — which is one of the hidden hassles of the free route.

Question 7

What happens to my mattress after pickup?

Accepted Answer

Where mattress recycling facilities exist, the steel springs, foam, and wood get separated — up to 75% of a mattress by weight can be recycled, per the Mattress Recycling Council, whose programs have processed more than 12 million mattresses since 2015. Otherwise it's disposed of responsibly, never dumped.

Question 8

Can I recycle a mattress for free?

Accepted Answer

In California, Connecticut, Oregon, and Rhode Island, the Bye Bye Mattress program funds free recycling drop-off, paid for by the recycling fee ($16–$22.50 depending on state) collected when you bought the mattress. California retailers must also offer free take-back of your old mattress or box spring whenever they deliver a new one.

Question 9

What does 1-800-GOT-JUNK charge for a mattress?

Accepted Answer

1-800-GOT-JUNK doesn't publish prices online — quotes are based on how much truck space your items fill. Reported single-item minimums run about $130–$200 depending on market, and cost-tracking sites put mattress removal at $130–$250. Dropcurb's curbside price is a flat $99.

Option	Timeline	Cost	The catch
Dropcurb curbside pickup	Same-day (book by 2 PM)	$99	You set it at the curb, driveway, or alley — that's the whole job. Skipping the in-home crew is why it costs about half of truck-crew services.
Charity donation pickup	1–2 weeks	Free	Goodwill and Habitat ReStores don't accept used mattresses at all — health regulations bar resale — and most Salvation Army locations decline them too. Call before you load the car.
City bulk trash pickup	Days to 8 weeks (city-dependent)	Free	Rules vary sharply: NYC requires a sealed plastic bag with fines up to $300, Phoenix allows only 4 appointment-based pickups per year, and Houston collects bulky junk just every other month.
Retailer haul-away	With new mattress delivery only	Free–$100	California law requires free take-back when a new mattress is delivered; elsewhere most retailers charge a haul-away fee, remove items one-for-one, and refuse soiled or infested units.
Sell or give away online	Days to weeks	Free	Used mattresses barely move on marketplaces — most buyers won't take used bedding, and no-shows are the norm.

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