Declutter your Basement

When it comes to getting rid of clutter, let’s not forget about the basement.  This is where we usually put all the furniture, the mounds of household items we no longer use, the abandoned toys, clothes, etc.    The main reason we treat our basement differently is because it is usually dark, damp and has unfinished spaces.  The great news is that even if our basement is unfinished it can still be used as living space rather than just as a storage room.

The first step when trying to declutter the basement is to turn on every light on, if it still looks dark and gloomy bring in some lamps or plug in the lamps that are already down there and turn them on.  Once the basement is nice and bright you’ve already taken that first step in realizing that this can be used as living space.  Take a stroll around the basement and determine what how you can divide the room into zones, i.e., craft center corner, sewing center corner, kids play area, television/game area, storage area, etc. 

It is important that you create a path so that you can freely roam around the basement to determine what items are causing the clutter and are no longer necessary. When trying to make a classification between needed and un-needed items, decide which ones are useful and which ones can still be worth storing and be recycled in the near future. After taking all your possessions from the basement and classifying them the next step would be to get rid of the stuff you no longer need.  Again we go back to the zones of  keep, sell, donate and trash.  This will give you more working space in the basement.

After you have done this, sweep the floor clean to give it a more a tidy and free space.  Look for any water or moisture stains on the floor and clean out the dust and damp areas in the basement.  You may also want to have your basement checked for pests and insects. It is also important to have your basement tested for RADON, a gasless odor radioactive element that is prevalent in Northern American States and is very harmful to one’s health.

Now we’re ready to start planning out how we want to divide the areas in the basement.  Then we must determine which items will go into which area how to place them in there respective areas. 

As every homeowner knows, we all need a storage area in the home.  Choose an area in the basement that can be separated by hanging a curtain from the ceiling or you can use a room dividing screen to hide it from the rest of the room.  Using shelving and storage bins is an easy way to keep this area clutter free and organized.  The easier things are to find the better.

When creating a craft or sewing center area, there are many organizational tools available today.  There are shelving solutions, storage boxes, storage drawers, wall units, etc.  The possibilities are endless for organizing everything we need and keeping things at our fingertips.  When we have this area done, we can actually enjoy doing the things that we loved again.

For television/game areas defining the space can be achieved by wall units, area rugs, etc.  Keep the children’s toys in boxes or bins, you can even use a wall drawer/cubby hole unit for these.  Bookcases and entertainment center units are also great for this area.  If you have old mattresses, recover them and use them as seating for the kids in this area.  A great solution which provides 2 uses, spare beds and seating!

Best of all, always stay on track in decluttering your basement. List all your improvements in keeping your basement neat and clean.  Repeat the process again in the next six months or so. As we said this is the area where most of the clutter from the home ends up.  Most of all, by keeping harmony and organization in your basement it will keep you calm and worry free at all times.