Fully Clean Your Basement With This Guide

It’s officially spring cleaning season, and if you’ve been meaning to get to your basement for a couple of spring seasons now, this year is the year to finally tackle it! We know that it can be hard to fit in de-cluttering and deep-cleaning your home with your busy schedule, but it’s important to make the time for these tasks as often as possible. Dust build up can irritate asthma and negatively affect the air quality of your home; plus, hoarding too much junk isn’t good for anyone.

But, there’s no doubt about it—cleaning up your basement is a huge job. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry: Sponge Outlet has created a basement cleaning guide for you.

Follow these steps, and you’ll have an organized, clean basement in just a couple of days.

De-Clutter and De-Junk Your Basement

The most logical place to start cleaning a basement is by getting rid of your junk. It’s also probably the most difficult item on the list, so getting it out of the way first will make the rest of the process much easier to handle.

• You might want to recruit a few friends or family members to help you with this step since de-cluttering your basement is no joke.

Most people use their basement as a storage space, and if you’ve lived in your home for a while, chances are there are tons of random items piled up down there. Take your time and sort through all of your belongings. Open every box and bin, and make sure you take a good inventory of what you have.

• Then, start sorting things into piles: if you’re not sure where to start, use categories like these—summer sporting goods, winter sporting goods, off-season clothing, important paperwork, miscellaneous items, and more. Depending on what’s in your basement, your piles will differ.

Once you have everything allocated to a pile, think about how you want to re-organize your basement. It’s important to put everything back in a very organized manner—otherwise, the deep clean will be for naught! You might want to take a quick trip to the hardware store or home goods store to pick up some fresh containers and a few label makers. Start putting things away in a way that makes sense to you, and make sure you clearly label all your boxes.

• As you go, toss items that are broken and beyond repair, and make a donate pile of things you no longer need. If you haven’t used the item in the past two years, you’ll probably never need it again. If you can afford to part with it, do it! Local charities will be happy to sort through your belongings and make sure it all goes to a home that could use it.

Dust & Vacuum Your Basement

Before you start re-stacking the shelves, grab the vacuum cleaner and clean out the hard-to-reach crevices behind your shelving. If you can move furniture, do so and do a thorough vacuum of the carpet. You can’t do such a deep clean every year, but it’s important to do so occasionally.

• For those of you with concrete surfaces in your basement, use warm water and detergent with a nylon brush to clean the floors. When you’re finished, use a soft mop to rinse the floors with warm water.

Get Rid of the Musty Smell in Your Basement

If your basement tends to have a musty smell, it probably needs some fresh air, a few fans, and a de-humidifier. Talk to your local hardware store about the best way to get some air flowing in your basement.

• A few days of fresh air and a new set of fans, combined with a strategically placed de-humidifier, will have your basement smelling fresh in no time.

If you notice mold as you deep-clean your basement, call in the professionals. Chances are that it’s just a harmless household mold, but it could still be dangerous to you and your family. Keep your respiratory systems safe and have an expert mold removal team stop by your basement.

Prep Your Cleaning Toolbox for Your Basement

As you clean, it’s important to have a few key tools handy at all times. Start with a regular sponge to clean up messes, as well as an eraser sponge to tackle tough grease or stains. You’ll also need white vinegar, a soft cloth, dish-washing liquid, a bucket, ammonia for tough messes, a dustpan and broom, vacuum cleaner, baking soda, and kitty litter to mop up any moisture.

Don’t forget to order everything you need for the basement job right here at Sponge Outlet.