Admit it: right now, both your garage and your basement are cluttered-up messes. That’s the case, at least, if you’re like the vast majority of homeowners. It just seems to be a natural trend over time for those two places to gradually and inevitably become ever more cluttered and junky.
But that doesn’t mean, of course, that they have to stay that way. After all, anyplace that gets messed-up can also be cleaned-up. And that’s certainly true of both basements and garages.
In fact, you can make the job of cleaning-up your garage and/or basement go faster and smoother by following this 4-step process:
#1: Start with Stairs and Doors
Makes sense, doesn’t it? Clearing the clutter from stairways and entryways will certainly make the rest of the cleanup job easier. And importantly, it will also make the job safer.
That’s why clearing away debris and clutter from your garage or basement entryways should be the very first step of your cleanup process.
#2: Let There Be Light!
Both garages and basements tend to be murky, poorly lit places. And it’s certainly difficult to clean what you can’t see.
And let’s just be honest: When you’re cleaning a long-neglected basement or garage, you REALLY want to be able to see what you’re doing. It’s not just a matter of safety. It’s also a matter of avoiding some very nasty surprises.
Because it’s quite likely that there’s some creepy critters lurking in your garage or basement if it has long been neglected!
The best way to temporarily increase the lighting is just to grab a couple of long extension cords and plug them into a couple of portable lamps. You can move the lamps as you work in different locations, assuring that you always have a clear view of where you’re working – and of what might be coming at you!
#3: Survey the Job
Now that you have accessibility and light, take some time to survey the project before you launch into it. Scope out special problems that might require special attention – areas that are or have been flooded, for example. Or places where rodents have run wild, requiring some very special cleanup attention (yuck!).
Also be on the lookout for areas of mold or mildew. These can pose risks to your health, so you’ll need to take appropriate cautions while cleaning these areas.
Get a good feel for what you’re facing, and any special problems you’ll need to deal with, before getting into the middle of it. That way you’ll have a game plan for helping the project go smoothly.
#4: Sort and Store
This step will probably be difficult. But it’s likely you’re not going to be able to keep everything you have stored in your garage or basement. Some of it is going to have to go if you’re truly going to clean the place up.
So determine what you’ll keep and what you’ll discard. Start by evaluating the storage capacity in your basement or garage, estimating how much you can store on walls, in closets, or in purpose-built storage areas.
Then rate all your ‘stuff’ from low to high; the lowest rating means you don’t really need it, the highest rating means you can’t stand to throw it away. That will help you to determine what goes into your limited storage areas.
The 1-Step Approach
Following the 4-step approach will help to ease the burden of cleaning out your garage and basement. But don’t forget: there’s a far easier method of cleaning out and reorganizing your basement and garage. It’s called the 1-step TLC approach.
Here’s how it works:
- You call us and schedule the job with Linda or Carolyn at 410-721-2342 today!
- That’s it! We’ll take it from there.
That’s the one-step approach to garage and basement cleanup. And that’s truly the best way to handle a garage or basement cleanup, don’t you think?
CLICK HERE TO GET A FREE GARAGE MAKEOVER/ORGANIZATION ESTIMATE!