Does the clutter in your basement leave you feeling stressed out and overwhelmed? The key to maintaining an organized and decluttered basement is having the right storage solutions in place.
Keep reading for safe storage ideas and organizing tips that will help you make the most of your basement, while clearing up some space in the rest of your home!
How to safely store items in a basement
The first step to optimize your basement storage is evaluating the environment. If your basement is completely finished and has no moisture issues, you can treat it like any other room in the house. However, if your basement is unfinished, the moisture levels can be quite high since it’s partially underground, which can lead to mold. Due to this, there are some do’s and don’ts.
- If your basement is prone to moisture, a good rule of thumb is to avoid anything that can warp, such as cardboard boxes, photos, and important documents, or anything that can easily mold.
- If you find your basement keeps letting in moisture, consider repainting it with a mold-resistant, waterproof primer and installing a dehumidifier.
- If you notice an influx of water in your basement, locate where it’s coming from and address it at the source.
- In case of a flood or leak, never store anything directly on the ground. By installing basement shelving storage, you can bring items up off the ground.
Basement organization ideas
Not sure how to make the most of your basement? Check out our eight basement organization and storage ideas that will help you declutter your basement!
1. Install shelving or cabinets
If you don’t know how to organize your basement, cabinets and shelving units are a great place to start. A dedicated storage area allows you to take advantage of the wall space in your basement, which will in turn open up some floor space.
2. Use clear airtight storage bins
Airtight containers are a key part of unfinished basement organization. They protect your items by keeping the moisture out! Even if your basement is finished, you should still be using plastic bins to sort and store items to keep clutter at bay. Bonus: If the container is clear, you can easily find what you are looking for!
3. Group items by seasonality
You don’t want to rummage through boxes and boxes just to look for your kids’ DIY tree ornaments. Instead of playing a game of hide and seek, group items by seasonality or occasion. Holiday, Halloween, and birthday decorations should be grouped accordingly, along with summer and winter items. This way, you know that you’re not missing any boxes when it comes time to decorate your home for the upcoming holiday. You can also use the space for basement clothes storage to keep your closets uncluttered from season to season.
4. Store non-perishable food items
Is your kitchen pantry overflowing? Clear up some space by moving non-perishable food items into the basement. A great basement food storage idea is to designate a shelving unit for extra canned goods or dry items. This is also a great place to store emergency items such as bottled water.
5. Optimize your under-the-stairs space
The space under the stairs is a tricky area to use due to its shape and size, but instead of just letting it be wasted space, use it! Whether you completely transform it into a powder room or install shelving, you can benefit greatly from optimizing this area. Not to mention, you’ll visually improve the awkward space!
6. Expand your laundry room
If your washer and dryer are in the basement, build the area out into a fully functioning laundry room. An easy way to do this is with wall-mounted floating shelves, baskets, and counter surfaces. If you have old cabinets from a kitchen renovation, they can also be repurposed and installed in the basement. This should keep all laundry-related items together and give you ample space to sort and fold.
7. Install a workspace with tool storage
Instead of leaving tools in random places in your basement, consolidate them in one area to create a basement tool room. Invest in a work bench from your local hardware store so you have space to start projects, and use a pegboard or a tool box to keep all your tools organized.
8. Create a secondary living space
If you feel a little cramped for space in your upstairs area, consider converting your basement into another living space. First, you need to make sure your basement has safe living conditions and install the required items, such as drywall and flooring. Next you can bring down furniture and transform the space into a playroom, homeschool classroom, living room, or movie theater - the options are endless! With this added space, you can clear out some clutter from upstairs and create storage solutions for them in the basement.
For even more storage solutions for other rooms, check out these 40 genius home storage ideas. If you find that even with these storage solutions in place you have too much clutter, check out how to clear out a cluttered basement.
If you’re ready for a thorough basement cleaning, let your local 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise help. We take all sorts of junk that might be in your basement, safely and responsibly. We’ll recycle what we can and dispose of the rest.
