Winter is fast approaching. During this season, it becomes harder to move around or work with objects that have been buried in the snow.
Using and maintaining your dumpster rental during this time may require more energy to do than in other seasons. You will be dealing with multiple elements from the environment that you usually don’t encounter during the different seasons of the year.
Winter brings about snowfall, cold winds, the formation of icicles, and blizzards. These make conditions outdoors uncomfortable and sometimes even unsafe for people.
What about your dumpster rentals? These will be exposed outdoors during the whole season. You may encounter problems with your dumpster rental company should anything happen to your rented unit.
Having to work around snow when you want to be disposing of your garbage is taxing but not impossible. There are many ways you can make waste disposal easier and safer for you and for your dumpster rental company as well.
Read on to find out how to avoid ruining your dumpster rental, tips on handling and using it, and the best ways to keep it in tip-top shape during the winter season.
Winter means the air gets colder, the holidays get nearer, and people start looking forward to a new year. It also means staying indoors a lot because it’s chilly out, the snow prohibits you from traveling, and it’s generally unsafe since roads and paths may become slippery and cause accidents.
Your dumpster rental will, regrettably, also be affected by this weather. In freezing temperatures, your waste may get stuck in your dumpster. When trash becomes frozen, it will be challenging to make space for other waste materials you may want to dispose of. Frozen garbage will take some time to clean out, and sometimes you will even have a hard time opening your dumpster rental due to frozen hinges.
Another thing that will affect your capacity to open your dumpster is the accumulation of heavy snow or snowpacks. In addition to that problem, it becomes worse once everything melts because the trash within your dumpster can be soaked. When your dumpster’s content becomes water-logged, the weight of that water may be a cause for overweight fees.
Dumpster rental delivery and pick-up can also be affected by the snow. Roads can become icy and, therefore, very risky to navigate. Understandably, your dumpster rental company may delay service because of dangerous circumstances.
Despite all these seemingly negative effects of the wintertime on your dumpster rentals, one upside is that dumpsters are usually easier to rent at this time. Dumpster rentals are more readily available during winter because people rent out dumpsters to do projects during the summertime more often.
The instances mentioned above are unavoidable (after all, you really can’t do anything to stop snowfall), but there are a few things you can do to secure your dumpster and still utilize it efficiently.
It is also essential to think about your safety and security during this time. Snow can cause the ground to become icy and slippery, making it dangerous, and pathways and roads are prone to accidents. This may be a problem on the end of your dumpster rental company, too, since they will be traveling to pick up your dumpster and deliver it to the dumpsites, landfills, or recycling plants.
Here are some tips you can take note of to lessen the hassle that winter brings in dealing with your waste disposal and dumpster rental units.
Before you do anything in the snowy weather, you must dress accordingly. Bundle up in your warmest clothing or dress in layers to protect yourself from the cold winds.
Wear thick socks and boots to avoid getting your feet soaked from melted snow. Also, wear gloves, a scarf, and a hat if you want to complete the whole gear.
Once you’re protected against the cold and snow, you’re good to go.
Plowing is the act of digging up soil, or in this case, snow. You will have to be extra responsible and make some time to clear out the snow surrounding your dumpster unit.
Plowing the area in the vicinity of your dumpster prevents snow piles that cause issues when you want to throw something in it. This also decreases the accumulation of snow, which may possibly turn into a snowpack (compressed layers of snow) if not plowed away as soon as possible. Snowpacks are less than ideal as they are harder to get rid of.
It will be easier if you begin the plowing before the snow gets thick. Having a plowed-out area will promote efficiency as well with regards to dumping trash and having your dumpster rental provider deliver or pick up your unit.
A great practice after plowing the vicinity of your dumpster is to throw rock salt on the ground. The rock salt will help in defrosting or thawing the ice that has formed, thus avoiding accidents due to slipping or sliding on the frozen flooring.
Throwing rock salt on the ground is beneficial, especially if you make numerous trips to your dumpster. Even if you rarely go out to your dumpster, you wouldn’t want to fall in the snow and be cold or soaking wet.
Remember this preventive tip to prolong the absence of snow and ice near your dumpster, making all your hard work in plowing worth it.
Some dumpster rentals don’t come with lids. These types will work best for a one-day project or projects that won’t be exposed to natural elements such as rain and snow.
If you rent a dumpster with no lid during the wintertime, you may consider covering it up with a lid, tarp, or something else with a water-resistant surface. Covering your dumpster is essential during snowfall and winter in general.
Coverings avoid snow accumulation inside your dumpster and prevent your garbage from getting heavier. Having a lid over your dumpster rental unit also prevents animals from seeking refuge from the cold. Animals like raccoons can scavenge in your open dumpster or hibernate inside it. Covering your dumpster not only keeps your trash safe from the weather but also keeps other animals from being trapped in there once the dumpster rental company comes around to pick it up.
If you’re renting a dumpster throughout the winter, you will undoubtedly accumulate snow on, around, or even inside your dumpster rental unit. Some rentals don’t have a lid, so snow can get in, leading to problems like water-logged garbage, which adds to your overall dumpster weight limit as mentioned above.
Accessing your dumpster, either by yourself or by the dumpster company during pickup, becomes risky and complicated if you let snow gather all around it. Make sure to clear a path that can accommodate the dumpster company’s truck so that they have no problems during the pickup and dropoff schedules.
Clearing a path toward your dumpster rental unit also allows you to access it quickly and avoid accidents during your trips there. Make sure you are in a good, healthy condition before you do strenuous activities such as this.
Watching your dumpster weight limit over the winter time is crucial—snow inside your dumpster, especially when it has melted or if water inside has frozen, can cause an increase in your dumpster’s overall weight. Here are additional tips on what you can do to prevent this from happening.
Place your dumpster in an area where water and other elements can’t reach it. It will be best if the chosen location is warm or heated, but your dumpster doesn’t have to be placed there for the entirety of your rental period. You can move your dumpster to a warm area at least a day before its pickup is scheduled so that it has time to thaw any snow or ice and avoid accumulating any more.
An alternative is, instead of moving your dumpster, you can keep your trash bins and cans somewhere dry and warm before your scheduled dumpster pickup so that the garbage isn’t frozen when you throw out its contents.
To reiterate the importance of dumpster lids and coverings, you can keep your dumpster free from water or snow accumulation when you put a lid on it. If your rented dumpster did not come with a cover, you could purchase one at a local hardware store. Purchasing a lid also comes in handy when your current lid is old and rickety or already has cracks and holes.
Damage like cracks and holes in your dumpster and the lack of coverings can cause problems during wintertime. Water may drain out of your dumpster unit, but usually, this also freezes and causes your garbage to get stuck inside.
Ensuring your dumpster rental unit is damage-free will help you avoid encountering issues during the winter. If you do notice any damage to your dumpster rental unit, you can report this to your chosen dumpster rental supplier so they can provide a newer unit as soon as possible.
Although water accumulation has been mentioned multiple times now, we must note that you should also avoid dumping liquids inside your dumpster. Sometimes, people may think throwing away bottles, cans, or jugs with liquid is safe enough to do, but this isn’t the case. The container still filled with even a little bit of liquid can break and cause the liquid to leak.
You may opt to throw the liquids down the drain or on some soil. If you can’t avoid throwing out bottles or other containers with liquids, you can at least place them inside a trash bag to prevent leaks and freezing of other trash inside your dumpster.
Lastly, here is a little tip for when you plow or shovel up snow—you can use some non-stick spray! Spraying non-stick spray on your shovel can prevent snow from piling up, making it easier to get it off your shovel and allowing you to load up and plow more snow with it.
You can use this technique for your dumpster unit, too. Use non-stick spray along the inside of your dumpster rental unit to prevent water or snow from freezing there. The non-stick spray, being oil-based, repels water inside your dumpster, therefore preventing your garbage from becoming frozen during the cold season.
If you’re looking to rent a dumpster in the wintertime, don’t let the cold weather get in your way and it won’t. In fact, it is actually easier to rent a dumpster during the winter time as people don’t have much use for it, compared to summer when many are doing projects such as home renovations.
In terms of maintaining your dumpster rental unit during this season, you shouldn’t have any problems as long as you take note of the following tips: Bundle up, clear a pathway, plow the vicinity, use rock salt to defrost it, and use coverings.
Remember to layer your clothing before working on maintenance for your dumpster rental and its surrounding areas. This is an essential step to protect yourself from the cold and snow, avoid illness, and prevent accidents.
Clear a pathway leading up to your dumpster for easy access when you need to throw something in. Clearing a path to your dumpster area also makes it more efficient for the dumpster rental company team, who will come to deliver or pick up your unit. Even though they are professionals and are capable of navigating through the snow, having a clear path still creates a better, safer experience for everyone.
To make a pathway in the snow, people usually plow the snow to a side. Plowing is also an essential step in maintaining your dumpster. When your dumpster’s vicinity is clear of snow piles, there is less chance of corrosion or rusting (for a metal dumpster).
Once you’ve plowed away the snow in the surrounding area, throwing some rock salt on the ground where you don’t want snow and ice to build up is effective in thawing the remaining snow. Rock salt also prevents the buildup of snow. This helps you so that you don’t need to plow or de-ice so often.
If you have a dumpster with no covering, get a lid! You can also use a tarp or other waterproof or water-resistant light materials to cover your open dumpster. Covering prevents your waste from being water-logged, thus avoiding hefty fines for going over your dumpster’s weight limit.
Ensuring that you have chosen a qualified dumpster rental company for your dumpster needs will also make a difference during this season. Check out The Woodlands Dumpster Rental for quotations on dumpster rentals, packages, and other dumpster concerns.
