It's Time to Organize
Clean out and organize a garage, basement or room in your home to free up valuable space and keep everything neat and tidy. The tips for decluttering below will help you get started.
1. Clearing the Clutter
Before you begin cleaning out the house and organizing, come up with a plan for tackling clutter. Sort the contents of the room or closet into three piles: throw away, donate and sell.
2. Cleaning
Sweep floors and vacuum out cabinets and drawers. If you have appliances in the room, it's time to clean them. Make sure they're dry. Leave washer and dryer doors slightly ajar to allow air circulation and prevent mildew.
If the appliances are in a basement or garage, remove all appliance handles to ensure children can’t shut themselves inside accidentally.
3. Odor and Humidity Control
If you're cleaning out a basement or garage, air it out every few months to avoid any musty smells. Use a dehumidifier whenever possible to help control odors and prevent moisture from damaging your valuables.
4. Shelving Units
If you need additional storage for a mudroom, laundry room or closet, install wire shelving or floating shelves.
In garages or basements, install shelving units that are either plastic or wire with rubber bottoms. Avoid wood shelving because moisture in the floor will wick upward, potentially damaging your shelving and its contents.
5. Storage Totes and Storage Drawers
Use clear plastic totes to store items so that you can easily identify the contents. Group like items (holiday storage, toys, sports equipment) and label the outside of each tote. To avoid injury, place the heaviest items on the bottom.
Storage drawers are great for keeping like items, such as craft and art supplies, separated but together. Choose from multi-drawer units or stackable options for a more customizable storage solution, and opt for see-through compartments to easily note what’s inside. Look for options with casters for convenient rolling storage.
6. Furniture Protection
If you're storing furniture in a basement or garage, it'll need to be protected. Drape unbleached drop cloths or blankets over the pieces and keep them at least 3 inches from the wall to prevent moisture damage. To prevent floor dampness from ruining your furniture, store it on a platform, using aluminum pallets, elevated bricks or blocks.
7. Tool Storage
If you're cleaning up a basement or garage and need to store tools, apply a light coat of machine oil to stow tools and other iron or steel items. Hang them from hooks or place on shelves to prevent rusting.
8. Labeling
Whether you're dealing with a closet, attic, garage or office, labeling your totes or shelves is the best way to keep things organized and easy to find.
Label makers are also useful to mark shut-off valves as well as the switches on a fuse or breaker box. Hang a flashlight next to the breaker box so you're not searching in the dark for the correct switch.
9. The Forgotten Space
Utilize space that's often forgotten. Add plastic totes underneath basement stairs or rolling bins underneath beds. Remember to take advantage of ceiling space in a garage or basement for clutter storage as well. Overhead racks get bulky items, like artificial Christmas trees or bikes, out of the way. Depending on the unit, they can accommodate up to 250 pounds.
In a garage or basement, don’t set anything on the floor that could be ruined by water. If there are books, magazines, photographs, clothing, rugs, draperies or plush toys, make sure they're in plastic totes on shelving.