One of the most common places that can become cluttered in your home is the basement. So, as part of our junk removal month, we thought we’d give you some simple tips for decluttering your basement.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 1 – Do It 15 Minutes at a Time
It can be overwhelming to declutter a basement if it’s done at once. It’s better to do it in 15-minute chunks. This can make it a lot smoother and not as intimidating. Otherwise, you may get too overwhelmed and ditch the whole thing.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 2 – Have a Place to Start & a Plan
Just like it’s not a good idea to tackle the basement without breaks, not going in with a plan before beginning can also cause you a lot of stress. Deal with your clutter systematically as it’s found. Work through your basement from that beginning point and go from the left to the right.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 3 – Have a Spot Specifically for Sorting
If you are having trouble with figuring out the way to organize items when you’re in the middle of them, have an area in the house for doing your sorting. Grab a bag or box, take that to your staging area, and completely deal with that before going to your next one. Once you’ve created an area for staging the clutter, it’s going to be a lot easier.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 4 – Designate Seasonal Zones
A really easy way that you can keep the basement organized is to divide the space into specific seasons. When you have specific zones, it’s going to help with keeping the chaos and clutter under control. It’s also going to help with making it a lot easier to find the stored items when they’re needed.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 5 – Use Containers that are Airtight
If it’s important that items that you are storing remain in really good condition, be sure that you are putting them in airtight containers. These are going to help with keeping critters like crickets, silverfish, and other pests from getting into them. Placing desiccant packets into the containers also will help with limiting moisture.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 6 – Label everything.
Simply because all of the items have been organized into containers, it doesn’t mean that the basement makeover is over. A lot of people will forget what’s in the basement because they’re not there too often. Make sure that you are adding clearly marked, large labels to your containers so know what is in them. You can also put signs up to designate the different areas of the basement if they’re sorted into seasons.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 7 – Go Vertical
Keep the stored items easy to access without cluttering your basement by using vertical space. Vertical shelves and ceiling and wall hooks are a great way to make sure that you are using every space area that you can use without cluttering up your floor.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 8 – Sort Them by How Often You Use Them
The last thing that you want to do is to spend time searching for the thing that you use on a regular basis. So make sure that you are keeping things that you don’t use as often in the back and putting the things that you use on a regular basis closer to the front.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 9 – Let Go of Items You Have for ‘Maybe I’ll Need Them Someday’
One of the most common things that people do when they aren’t sure if they’re going to need something is to banish it to the basement. But one of the things that you need to do when you are decluttering your basement is to triple check if you really want or need the items that are stored there. If it’s been down there a while and you haven’t used it, then it’s time to let it go.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 10 – Get a Dehumidifier
There’s a good chance that you don’t know how damp your basement is. That moisture can damage your items with mildew and mold quickly. If you are organizing your items and it’s important to keep them usable., you want to get a dehumidifier.
Decluttering a Basement Tip 11 – Periodically Reassess Your Storage Solutions
Wait a few minutes after you finished decluttering. Then reassess the way that it’s helped you. If it was inconvenient that you have to go to your basement anytime something is needed, then maybe it’s time to find a home for it in a more convenient spot.
These are 11 tips that you can use for decluttering a basement. Again, if you need junk removal, then we can offer you a quote. Contact us today or connect with us on Facebook.
