Another guest post on the topic of organization and cleanliness. Readers, enjoy! =0)

Photo Credit to Valerie Everett

A basement can easily become overcrowded and messy with time. It doesn’t get to be cleaned as often as the other rooms; it is used as storage space and therefore loads of items are sent there constantly. If you don’t know where to store an object, you usually place in the basement; anything from garden tools to kitchen supplies goes there. This is why it is no surprise that basements are quite busy and often times not as clean as you wish. But don’t let them fall victim to clutter. Use the following tips to organize them better.

Don’t Let Your Basement Fall Victim to Clutter

Remove Out-of-place Things

Dedicate some time to scrutinize your stuff. Before you start organizing, you need to make sure you get rid of the things you don’t need. Take a good look at all the items. Determine whether you have used them for the past few months. Are there things you will not use in the future? Is there stuff that is damaged, things you stored there thinking you will fix them later but you didn’t? They serve no purpose other than to take up space and you need to get rid of them now.

If your basement is out of control, you will need to spend a good hour to access your items, get rid of the unnecessary ones, and sort out the rest. Read on to see how you can organize your stuff better.

Divide Your Basement into Zones

When you have determined which items will need to go, it is time to break down your basement into areas.

Storage area: as it name implies, this area will serve to store your household items. Take a look at your basement and decide how much space will constitute the storage area. Things you will store in that zone: holiday decorations and items, garden stuff, tools, camping equipment, sports equipment, bikes and other like items, furniture, etc..

Utility zone: in this part of the basement you can store all those utility things such as sump pump, circuit breaker box, water heater, water shut off valves. You can keep some of the items collected in containers and boxes. Additionally, use metal shelves to keep all the like items in place. Metal shelves are portable and easy to maintain, which makes them a perfect storage area for your basement.

Living area: this zone is intended for all your family activities that cannot take place in the house. For example, you can play ping pong or workout. What is more, you can transform your basement into a workshop, which can take up the space of your living area zone. Additionally, if you don’t have a playroom, your living area zone in the basement can serve the purpose.

Organize Your Stuff

When it comes to organizing, it is best to store like with like. If you have items that are difficult to identify by looking at them, use labels. There are several storage tricks recommended by builders in Notting Hill you can use.

Accessibility: do not underestimate accessibility. It is the first thing to consider when organizing your basement. No matter in which corner of the room your stuff is placed, it has to be accessible. If you place boxes high, make sure to provide a ladder in order to reach all the items whenever you please. Also, think about how often you use various things. The ones you use more frequently will be placed in the most obvious places within easy reach. Respectively, all the items that you rarely come to use will be stored on higher shelves.

Wall storage: if your basement is small, you are probably short on storage space. The best way to save space is to use all available areas, including your walls. There are dozens of wall storage organizers that will make things as easy as pie.

Stairs: many homeowners under-use the area beneath the stairs. It can create lots of additional space where you can keep different things. Provide built-in cabinetry or shelves to make the most of your basement storage space.

Cabinets: use cabinets or shelving that go to the ceiling so that you can make the most of your storage space.

After you remove all the clutter and divide your basement into zones, you will be able to keep it more organized and clean.