For the eighth year, Southeast Como residents are cleaning house.

The 8th Annual Como Community Garage Sales is organized by the Southeast Como Improvement Association and runs Sept. 13 through Sept. 16.

Eighteen area residences are listed as event participants this year, with offerings including books, clothes, furniture, toys, kitchenware, tools and other items.

Specific locations, dates, times and items for sale are listed on SECIA’s Web site. All the garage sales are in the Southeast Como neighborhood.

James De Sota, the neighborhood coordinator who works with SECIA, said garage sales are good for the community, and students are welcome to come.

“That’s one of the reasons why we delay it until the start of the semester, is to encourage students to participate,” he said. “Hopefully it allows people to have some sense of community, especially if they don’t know their neighbors that well or they are a new resident.”

De Sota also said there are fewer sellers this year.

“We are down to 18 registered this year. In previous years we’ve had as many as 30 or 40. It’s a pretty big drop,” he said. “But then again, if you’ve done it for eight years in a row, you start running out of stuff.”

Gladys Chelte, a Southeast Como resident, is hosting a garage sale at her home as part of this event for the second time. She said these garage sales are not as eventful as they were a few years ago.

“Maybe it would be better when students are moving in. Of course, that’s Labor Day weekend. When the kids moved in, there was a lot more traffic around here,” she said.

University sophomore Ed Bump said he’s interested in stopping by the sales.

“I need some more furniture for my place. I’m going to check it out,” he said.

De Sota said apart from advertising on its Web site, SECIA has also placed advertisements in a local newspaper.

The garage sale isn’t the only event being planned to bring the Como neighborhood together. On Saturday, SECIA will continue its community outreach with a cookout in Van Cleve Park.

The 5th Annual Como Cookout will go from 4 to 7 p.m., and it is free and open to the public. There will be hot dogs, chips, corn on the cob, brownies and beverages served.