Reorganizing a Basement

Review the basement and plan to work on one area at a time, such as the furnace area, the laundry area, the storage area and the family room or play room area. Clear a staging area to place items for sorting through during cleaning.

Remove all items from the area you are working on and place them in the staging area neatly. Sort through them and separate them into categories: trash, items to donate, and items to keep. If you plan to have a yard sale or garage sale, you might want an “items to sell” category as well.

Bag up trash and take it to the garbage. Box up items to donate in cardboard boxes and take them to your car to deliver. Put items to keep in plastic storage bins if they are to be stored, and keep the items to be used in the organized area in the staging area until after cleaning is done. Remove any chemicals and store them in an outside shed or enclosed cabinet in the garage.

Thoroughly clean the area that you’ve emptied. Start with the floors and sweep or vacuum dirt, dust and cobwebs, then do the same with walls, windowsills and ceilings. Clean tile or cement floors with warm soapy water and a scrub brush or mop. Inspect all floors, walls and ceilings for cracks, mold and mildew and insect infestations, calling in professionals if necessary. Replace broken outlets and burned-out light bulbs and fill minor scratches or holes in walls. Clean and change the filters on clothes dryers and furnaces in those areas. Check electrical connections and outlets and test light fixtures. Add more lighting if necessary.

Bring items back into the cleaned and cleared areas, storing them off the floor on shelves if packed for storage. Don’t stack anything on floors or on furniture. Label plastic bins with the contents, and neatly set up items to be used regularly, such as books, toys, and hobby and exercise equipment.