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*Great organizing list resource from 2015.
In yesterdays post, “Clutter Is Alive and Well and Hiding In Your Home,” I took you on a personal tour of some of the clutter catchers in my basement. It’s so much easier to show you the things we all may have issues with than to show you a perfectly clean and organized basement that already has the work done. It’s nice to bounce ideas off of each other and also to see that most of us are in the same boat with our day to day battle with clutter.
In today’s post I’m going to finish up with the basement by letting you know what you should and should not store down there. This will help you clear out some of the clutter that you may have in your closets, cabinets, and main living spaces.
DIY Organizer Series: Basement Storage
This list is referring to a finished basement with climate controlled storage. At then end I will address an unfinished basement with no climate control.
Yes You Can Store
1.) Seasonal Decor, Holiday decorations, yard ornaments, Patio furniture
2.) Touch Up Paint and Project Paint (not near a hear source).
3.) Party Supplies~plates, napkins, plastic ware, decorations etc.
4.) Kitchen Supplies~pots and pans, serving dishes and plates, seasonal dishes, etc.
5.) Luggage
6.) Hiking gear, camping gear, skiing gear, extra backpacks, sporting gear and hunting gear.
7.) Extra coats and winter gear (seasonal clothing)
8.) Extra cords, electronic supplies
9.) Board Games, Craft Items
10.) Product Boxes you may need for exchange
11.) Properly stowed or archived photos and memorabilia
12.) Rugs (covered)
13.) Mattress (covered)
14 .) Stuffed animals in plastic bins
15.) Important but not vital paperwork. Important can be considered tax filings, bank statements, etc. Vital documents should be kept in a file or safe and easily removable in case of fire.
16.) Candles, but they should be individually wrapped.
No You Can’t Store
NEVER store the following items in an unfinished non climate controlled basement:
1.) Delicate fabrics~ due to water, mice, insect damage, and moth infestation.
2.) Rugs, mattresses, stuffed animals, natural wood products.
3.) Papers, newspapers, books, bills, vital documents or important papers
4.) Candles
5.) Electronics
6.) Photos, Photo albums, scrapbooks and memorabilia
7.) Some dolls especially the ones that have gel in them or that are soft.
8.) Paint
9.) Musical instruments
10.) Cardboard boxes of anything
11.) Natural wood items
12.) Metal
13.) Seasonal clothes, coats, linens, etc.
14.) Party supplies and decor
15.) Luggage
16.) Artwork or home decor
**Nothing should be kept on the floor and everything should be in airtight containers. If the basement is at all damp even things that are tightly sealed can mildew over time. Nothing flammables should be stored near a heat source. Basically store nothing that could get moldy, mildew, or melt.
If you are doing a complete overhaul of your basement here is a great post you can follow by Home Storage Solutions I love the way they discuss organizing your basement in zones which is exactly what I do. This will help you know what you have and what condition it’s in.
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The list of things to store in the basement, are an almost exact copy of what we have in ours. LOL I do keep everything in plastic storage containers incase of possible water damage.
Do you have the possibility of flooding where you live Jill?
Autumn Leopold recently posted…The
We actually live on a hill so not much chance from flooding after a storm, but when we moved in we found a crack in the foundation that leaked into our basement, and we live on a street of older homes with old sewer pipes, and a few people have had sewer back ups into the basement. I like to err or the side of caution.
Jill Robson recently posted…3 Ways to find Inspiration
Terrific list… and hooray for “up off the floor”. Even in plastic bins, this is a must!
Seana Turner recently posted…Before It Gets In
I recently had a lid off of an empty bin and came down to the basement to find it had about two inches of water. There was no water anywhere else so I looked up. It had to be condensation from the vent somehow. So weird but glad nothing was in the bin. So don’t forget water can come from vents too! lol
Autumn Leopold recently posted…The
I love this list. I must show it to a certain someone (hint: I am married to him) who is keeping lots of books that are slowly, slowly becoming moldy because of the slight dampness in our unfinished basement. However, I can also point the finger at myself–I have a few things down there I shouldn’t, too.
And a great point about water coming from above. Glad nothing got ruined.
Having grown up in a country without basements or attics it took me a long time to learn what to store here. I was lucky that as a military family our belongings didn’t stay put for too long to get damaged! Great list, Autumn!
Helena Alkhas recently posted…Madame Chic and organizing your closet
Helena I can relate because we didn’t have a basement when I was a kid and we didn’t use the attic due to brown recluse spiders and it simply was too hot up there to store anything. I did use our attic at our previous house and I much prefer a basement!
Autumn Leopold recently posted…Want To Learn Why Your Space Looks The Way It Does?
Great advice for what you should and shouldn’t be storing in your basement. You definitely want to avoid anything that could attract moths or other pests so thank for the tips!
Drew recently posted…How to prevent a Meal Moth problem?
Thanks Drew! We had a moth problem in our pantry in Memphis, TN and it was crazy to get rid of those little devils. I didn’t know it but they were sneaking into our dog food treats and feeding there. They were even laying eggs in the pantry! Took a long time to get rid of them entirely. We don’t seem to have them in Colorado. Different climate I guess.
Autumn Leopold recently posted…To Wallpaper or Not to Wallpaper?…. That is the Question
I have literally NEVER seen storage that is this organized and well-arranged before! Whoever took the time to have all their things sorted out this way really ought to get a medak for what they’ve done! Truly amazing stuff!!!
David Laniado recently posted…griffen self storage blog post