Many people store their laundry machines in their basements along with other storage items, such as winter clothes, summer clothes, hardware supplies, appliances and whatever else they might deem valuable, yet not usable on a daily basis. Here are some tips to help you organize your basement and laundry storage, no matter what kind of space you have to work with.
1. throw away all items that you have not used in the past 18 months. Ask no questions and do not even think twice. By throwing away unused items, you will free up innumerable space in your home. These items, if they are not thrown away, can easily go to charity, which will help another family furnish their home or clothe themselves.
If you have sentimental items, it may be difficult to dispose of them. For this reason, it is important that you make a commitment from the onset to dispose of any items that do not relate directly to your regular use, even if you were at one point connected with them. Feng Shui experts will tell you that hanging onto old items, even ones of great sentimental value, is harmful to your health. Ultimately, they reason, the clutter is more unhealthy than the emotional attachment to the items. Rid your space of those items that are not healthy for you if you want to maintain a working home.
2. establish a shelving system. A shelving system is important for helping you stack and store all items that you may need access to. You can purchase a variety of shelving options, from shelves that reach the ceiling to deep shelves that can house every item you could ever imagine.
Before purchasing your shelving unit, it is important to have a storage plan laid out. The storage plan will include items that need to be stored in the location, such as laundry detergent or bleach. It will also include items that you need easy access to on a frequent basis to, such as the iron or cooking items. You will have items that you only need to access once or twice a season included in your space. These items might be off-season clothes or family heirlooms that you may need to hold onto. Having a system already in place is important before you go shopping for items, as the system will help you determine what kind of shelving unit you need.
3. Store items in bins. Storing items in big plastic bins will help to protect them, prolonging their life and ensuring that they stay neatly organized in your space. You can purchase bins in just about any size from your local home discount store, or you can order them online from specialty container stores.
4. Finally, for your laundry area, it is particularly important that you have a laundry system method worked out that includes separated piles for your different colors of clothes and a hanging system for those items that you need to iron. Having a system helps to keep you organized and helps to ensure that you are efficient as possible when working through home tasks.