Opening the Cottage in Grey Bruce & Georgian Bay: The Ultimate Spring Cleanup Checklist
There's a specific kind of magic to that first weekend back at the cottage.
The bay is still cold, the dock needs work, and there's a faint mystery smell coming from somewhere in the kitchen but you're back.
Winter is… finally over.
And then reality sets in: a winter's worth of debris, a couple of soggy surprises, and a to-do list that somehow got longer since last September.
If you're heading up to the cottage in the next few weeks, here's the checklist we wish every cottage owner had before opening weekend.
Start outside (before you even unlock the door)
Walk the property first. It's easier to spot winter damage with fresh eyes, and you'll know what tools and bins you'll need before you start dragging things out of the garage.
Look for:
Fallen branches and storm debris in the yard and on the roof
Dock damage: loose boards, missing hardware, ice-shifted cribs
Shifted or sunken patio stones from the freeze-thaw cycle
Damaged or rotted deck boards
Yard waste piles that built up before you closed last fall
Tip: yard waste, dock debris, and old patio furniture are some of the easiest things to load into a bin first. Knock them out early and you free up space in your garage for everything else.
Open the cottage in this order
Air it out. Open every window before you do anything else. Cottages that have been closed up since October need to breathe.
Check for water damage. Look under sinks, behind toilets, around windows, and in the basement or crawlspace. Mice love an empty cottage, and so does moisture.
Test the systems. Water, propane, septic, electrical. If something's off, you want to know on Friday afternoon… not Sunday night.
Open the kitchen last. This is where you'll find the mystery smell. Empty the fridge and freezer of anything that didn't survive (and there's always something).
The "finally dealing with it" pile
This is where most of the bin volume comes from. Things you've been meaning to get rid of for years but never had the right moment.
Typical cottage cleanout items:
That mattress in the guest room from 1998
Broken patio furniture and rusted BBQs
Old appliances (mini fridge in the boathouse, anyone?)
Saggy couches and chairs the mice got to
Boxes of stuff from the last renovation
Children's toys, bikes, and gear from kids who are now in their thirties
If you're opening a cottage you inherited or recently bought, this list usually doubles. A 14 or 20 yard bin handles most cottage cleanouts comfortably and we'd rather you go one size up than run out of room halfway through.
What about hazardous stuff?
Paint cans, propane tanks, old tires, motor oil, and chemicals can't go in the bin. Most municipalities in Grey Bruce run household hazardous waste days through the spring and summer. Check your local township website for dates and drop-off locations.
A few cottage-country specific tips
Book early. Reserve your bin a week or two ahead if you can.
Mind the driveway. Long, gravel cottage driveways are no problem for us, just let us know the layout when you book so we can plan the drop.
Pace yourself. Most people overestimate what they can do on a weekend. We offer flexible rental periods so you can fill the bin over a few weekends if you need to.
You don't have to do it all at once
The cottage will still be there next weekend. The point isn't to power through every project on day one. It's to get the place open, safe, and ready for a great summer.
When you're ready for the cleanup part, we're here. Same-day and next-day bin delivery across Grey Bruce and Georgian Bay, five sizes to fit any project, and a local team that actually knows the back roads.
Get a quote anytime at by submitting to Request a Quote or give us a call at (705) 241-1033.
