Clearing out the basement. A dreaded job, really. Many basements have a neat row of boxes stored on shelves on one wall; the other wall often has a big area of clutter with tons of stuff piled high. No shelves, boxes, no sense of order. In short, chaos. We are all guilty of leaving things in our basements for years, untouched and unused.
To tackle this kind of job requires lots of lighting, strong arms and gentle care. The basement is often treated like a “free for all” clutter area. We bring into the basement a mix of valuable and not so valuable items. It’s good to be careful as you sort through these items, there may be fragile items in the pile that are improperly wrapped up and unprotected.
If there is no rhyme or reason to the storage then everything is susceptible to damage, mold, or deterioration and more importantly, lack of use. If you live in a humid area, there is always a chance that something could get moldy. It’s helpful to put a de-humidifier in the basement.
Let’s start:
Good lighting is imperative. Open the access doors to the outside and bring in some light. Set up lamps if there is not enough light in the basement.
Set up three areas:
- Keep
- Give Away
- Trash
Keep in mind your current needs: Do these items fit in to what those needs are? It is always my desire to help people get rid of things they do not need or want or use. The basement is an excellent place to start learning these techniques. Partly because we have stuff stored there for a long time and are not currently using those items. Also, we are often trying to make sense of the basement as a possible good storage space or a great place to set up a work area.
Whatever your needs or desire for the basement, keeping it clear of excess stuff and unused items will give you a good foundation for the rest of your home.
Setting Up Proper Storage in the Basement
If there is no system set up to keep everything in order, devise a plan.
Here’s a list of common basement storage categories:
- Gardening
- Tools
- Household items
- Storage for someone else
- Snow Removal
Whatever you need to store, here’s how I recommend it be stored:
- Keep heavy and frequently used items near the door for handy access
- Store occasionally used items together in the same area
- Keep like items together, i.e. garden hose with gardening tools
- Clear storage boxes make it easier to see what is stored
- Label each area
So many of us would love to tackle the mess of a cluttered room, but we hesitate.
Why? For many, it’s because of the emotional attachment to these items. Even from afar and from a distance of time, we can tell where our thoughts will go when we open up that “can of worms” clutter area.
Clutter clearing brings up lots of emotions. This can be very difficult whether you are sorting through your own things or the things that were bestowed upon you from a relative or friend and especially items that come to you at the time of someone’s death.
Some times these items come too late. You wanted them when you were starting out in a new home, or moving to a bigger house. Be aware of what works for you now. Notice the things that no longer work for you. Sometimes you receive an item you wish you had received when you once loved it and now longer have a use for it.
How do we deal with these items? I deal with them one at a time. I take the item into my hands and see if it resonates with me at this time of my life. It may be that the item means more to me now than ever. In other cases, it is just no longer useful to me. In many cases, if the item has been stored away for some time, it no longer carries an attachment or emotional charge for us. This is good. This is an item that can be given away or sold. This you can place in the “Give Away” pile.
A sensitive tip for some of our older subscribers:
Some of the items you are now holding onto for your children may not be the items they can appreciate later on in time. If you are no longer in need of the item, consider giving it to them now. Timing is everything. Let them enjoy the item now if you are done with it. This opens your life up for new things to come your way. Think about what you are keeping in your home or storage unit that you could give away or sell. Why pay storage fees when you can gift out the items or make a few extra dollars with them.
Maybe it’s a bike, a desk, a pie chest, a pair of shoes, a car. What can you give away?
Here’s a website that helps people give things away: http://www.altruists.org/projects/ga/
A nice warm day is a perfect time to tackle the messy garage and it’s really fun and gratifying to watch the area transform into an organized, handy to use, clean storage space.
Things to Keep In Mind:
- Decide what you want to store in the garage and plan accordingly. If it’s a car, then it must take priority in space organizing.
- It probably took a whole winter or more to create the current situation, it may be more than a one-day job cleaning it up.
- It has become the catch all for clutter that just does not fit in the house. It has to fit somewhere or go away.
- Most people do not look forward to clearing out or cleaning up the garage, so make it easier by asking for help.
- If there is stuff belonging to other family members in there, ask for their assistance or find out what they want to keep or toss out.
- It’s especially helpful to throw items straight into a truck that’s designated for a dump run. Why pick it up twice before throwing it out.
Sorting It All Out:
- Creat “throw out” pile.
- Create “keep” pile. Check to see if items are in good shape to keep.
- Take all the stuff out of the garage and place in appropriate pile.
- Clean the garage.
- If the item is a keeper, clean the item and place back in garage.
Organize:
- Put frequently used items near the door along with large heavy items (unless they are considered long term storage).
- Trash cans that go out to the curb for pick up should be in a very handy, close to door location. Some industrial supply stores offer trash cans that can be hung on a wall out of the way.
- Anything that could get damaged from a damp floor and is not too heavy, hang up on the wall.
- It’s helpful to store small items such as nuts and bolts in a well-lit area making them easier to find and be put to use.
- Put like items together, i.e. beach chairs, beach umbrella, portable cooler etc.
- Create easy access to everything.
When you finish, take a good look at your fine work. Celebrate and treat yourself for accomplishing a difficult task.
Clearing out the basement. A dreaded job, really. Many basements have a neat row of boxes stored on shelves on one wall; the other wall often has a big area of clutter with tons of stuff piled high. No shelves, boxes, no sense of order. In short, chaos. We are all guilty of leaving things in our basements for years, untouched and unused.
