How to Clean Out and Organize a Basement

Tips on getting rid of junk in your basement

Many homes in Cleveland and Akron Ohio have basements. In the spring, Northeast Ohio often experiences heavy rains. As a result, basements can often flood. When that happens, you may have junk and items you need removed from your basement. Furthermore, Clevelanders often dump items they don’t want in their basement. Although a basement clean out may seem daunting, here are some tips on how to clean up and organize a basement.

Step 1: Donate or dispose of any items you don’t want or need:

It can be hard to part with items you have owned for a very long time. However, if items are just collecting dust in the basement, it is likely time to let them go. Some items that commonly collect dust in basements are toys, old mattresses, old clothing, unused patio and outdoor furniture, old sports equipment, old treadmills, exercise bikes, weight racks, old furniture, broken electronics and e-waste.

A great technique to use when cleaning out a basement is to create four piles of items: Keep, store, donate, throw away.

The keep pile will include items that you or others use frequently. Additionally, the keep pile will include sentimental items such as old photographs or family keepsakes.

The store pile will include items that are not frequently used but you are not willing to get rid of. Clear, plastic boxes or cardboard boxes can be used for these items. Be sure to label boxes to record what is inside the box.

Step 2: Organize your basement into zones:

It is a good idea to categorize and group items together. For example, if you purchase extra paper towel and Kleenex, these items can be stored together. Board games and puzzles can be stored together. You get the idea, but categorizing items will help create a logical flow to the arrangement of items in your basement. It may seem time consuming to sort items this way, but doing so will make it quicker to find items in the future.

After you are finished organizing your basement, give Black Diamond Junk Removal a call. Black Diamond is one Cleveland’s best junk removal services. We have friendly, uniformed junk removal staff that will arrive on time and provide excellent customer service. Our trucks are clean and shiny.