Getting Your Scrap Ready for Sale

Selling your unused metal and appliances is a terrific way to make a few extra dollars. Before you load up the truck and head out, give your scrap another peek. Dirt, residue and build-up can add extra weight to your items. The extra pounds can make your items less desirable. Be sure you know the rules of your local scrap yard. Some require you to clean your scrap before you bring it in and they might even refuse to accept it if it isn’t so. There are a few ways to get your scrap ready to sell.

The easiest thing to do here is wash your scrap. You can either use mild dish soap or degreaser. If you have access to a pressure washer, use it to spray the metal clean afterward. It’s ok if you can’t use a pressure washer. A water hose will work as well. Just be sure to let your metal fully dry. Many scrap yards want pieces that can be put directly into the furnace.

Any non-metal debris, such as rubber and plastic, needs to be removed from your metal. Check your pieces well. Some bigger metal objects can have very small pieces needing to be removed in small openings and crevices. When you are done cleaning, your piece should be free of non-metallic parts. The cleaner the metal, the fewer contaminants they will have to deal with. This can fetch you a higher pay day.

Be sure to separate your ferrous and non-ferrous when getting your scrap metal ready to sell. If you are trying to figure out which is which, grab a magnet! Ferrous metals are magnetic. Any electrical wire should be in its own pile too. Make sure your metal is clean and easily identified. You don’t want your whole load to be paid out for the lower priced metal because that is all that can be seen.

Do some research before you go and find out what the going scrap rates are. This gives you an opportunity to wait until you can get the highest payout. Prices change often, so keep checking back. Contact us with any scrap related questions. We will be happy to help you along your way.

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