It’s that time of year in the city of Weirton, when residents have an opportunity to dispose of many of those household items which may no longer be functional or have just been taking up too much space.

Weirton’s Fall Clean Up will be held Oct. 6-10, with a metal items collection set for Oct. 2-3.

The main clean up collection is limited to household items, with crews not picking up materials such as construction-related items, vehicle tires or parts, tree trimmings, brush, propane tanks, air conditioners, lawnmowers, paint, oil, antifreeze, or hazardous materials.

The metal item collections will be focused on things such as stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, hot water tanks, old railings, bicycle frames and metal shelving.

We’re glad to see the City of Weirton continue to provide this service to its sanitation customers, but it hasn’t taken place without a few issues.

For better or worse, many look forward to this time of year and, while city officials note that items are to be placed on the curb by 7 a.m. the day of their scheduled collection, some residents, apparently, have gotten a head start and have placed old furniture, mattresses, and other items out by the street almost two weeks before.

While it may be seen by some as being efficient, there also is the matter of public safety, as these items create hazards to those walking through neighborhoods. There also is the matter of cleanliness as such piles of items can attract rodents and other pests.

We understand the desire to be ready when it comes to getting rid of these unwanted materials, but there also comes with it a responsibility to being a good neighbor.