Address the Mess II

Going down to the dreaded basement. The messy playroom, the dreary laundry room and worse…the ‘way too small’ storage room.

Sometimes just the thought of that descent can bring a tear to the eye. 

Fear not. There is light at the back of the storage room, and Brenda Borenstein, our featured organizing guru from the Organized Zone, is here again to help us find it.

Once you clean up, de-clutter and organize your basement with Brenda’s recommendations, you might just find that trip downstairs a bit less traumatic.

Get started with some key organizing must-haves: plastic stacking shelves (Brenda uses them on all her jobs, they stack easily just like Lego, about $29 at Home Depot), clear bins, labels, Sharpies, and your favourite music to keep you going.

Storage Room: Only store your treasures, not your garbage

• Optimize your space by installing Brenda’s stacking shelves
• Sort like items with like, and stow treasures in labeled clear bins, baskets or bankers’ boxes
• Place labeled storage containers on the shelves according to category (e.g. Boys Clothes 18-24 months, Love Letters and Souvenirs from Your Youth, etc.)
• Hang hooks for bulky items such as life jackets, sports bags or hats

Playroom: Never use a large bin to store toys (Ever noticed that big pile of toys dumped on the floor in the fruitless search to find a missing Polly Pocket shoe?)

• Use lidless small bins for toys and follow the same ‘like items’ rule (Barbie doesn’t like Bob the Builder anyway!)
• Install the same plastic shelves at a low height for easy access to toys and to avoid climbing disasters
• Place a photo outside the bin to represent the contents—kids can help clean up now by playing a matching game
• Hang hooks on the wall for dress up clothes

Laundry: The cleaner, the fresher, the better (…the less depressing)

• Start with a good cleaning of the room—frame and hang kids’ art on walls to clear out some of the craft area and brighten up the space
• Mount a shelf above the washer and the dryer for ready access to soap, stain remover and fabric softener—invaluable!
• Find a place to fold (shelf or nook) and a place to hang (wall-mounted or folding hanging rack)
• Consider foam floor tiles (nothing to cut, nail or measure) or an attractive, thick floor mat and your legs will thank you when you’re folding that fourth load of the day

There now, don’t you feel better?

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