The following contribution is from another author.
Your basement is a great place to stow away items you don’t need often, but it can be difficult to keep it in good order. Adding some organizational features will help you keep those out of season items, extra clothes, and keepsake items safe and neat. Here are four things you can do to make it easier to keep your basement tidy and well-organized.
1. Add Lots of Shelves
Make sure that you have sufficient shelving to contain the majority of your items. The shelves should be heavy-duty and able to withstand the cool, damp basement area. A coated metal frame with sturdy wooden shelves will hold up well in your basement’s climate. If your space is limited, you can add some locking casters to the bottom of your shelving to allow you to rearrange the shelves easily as items go in and out of season.
2. Label Your Items
You should use airtight totes to store all of your smaller belongings, with a specific label for each one. Taking the time to mark each tote with its contents will be a huge relief when you need to locate that set of Christmas lights or a specific pair of shoes. You can invest in a label maker, type up labels on your computer, or just stick a piece of masking tape to each tote and write the contents with a marker. Whichever way you choose, creating a labeling system is key to keeping everything in its designated place.
3. Create Zones
Keep like items together in one spot to make it easier to locate them later. You can create different zones for different types of belongings so that you will know just where to go when you’re in search of something. Seasonal decorations should be organized by holiday and all stored in the same area. You can also have a zone for out-of-season clothes, one for sports equipment, and one for extra paint and cleaning supplies.
4. Purge Regularly
The real key to staying organized is making sure you are regularly getting rid of items you don’t need anymore. If you set aside time once or twice a year to get rid of things that are broken or unwanted, you’ll be able to stay on top of keeping everything in its place. You’ll also ensure that you are not overloading your basement, which could make organization much more difficult.
Keeping your basement under control doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. Following these simple tips will help you stay on top of it.
