Storage Cleaning

Somewhere in the home, almost all of us have an area designated for storage. This place is where boxes, seasonal items, and other things go to get them out of the way when needed. By having a storage area, you can avoid cluttering up other parts of the house, and using this space allows you not keep things without them creating clutter in other rooms of your house.

Your storage area's specifications will vary depending on your needs. You may use a closet, a section of the garage, or even a whole room to dedicate to storage. Wherever you keep your things, however, you might want to keep in mind that the more clean and organized this area is, the easier it will be to find items later on. Simply stacking things in one room or closet in a random fashion won't do you any good when you go looking for a specific box or item.

Because of this, it is important to take organization and cleanliness into account in storage areas. Even though you might not consider it a high priority to keep this area clean, putting a little effort into it now will save you time and frustration later.

As you go about cleaning and organizing your storage, remember these ideas and tips to help you get the job done successfully:

• If you are working with a somewhat small space, remove all items and boxes from the storage area. This will give you a clean slate to start with, and will give you a chance for organization.
• Group your boxes and items into categories. For example, holiday decorations and other related things could go in one pile, while old photo albums and pictures could go in another. By grouping similar items together, you will be able to find them later on with little trouble.
• With all storage items removed, you can clean out the storage area to get rid of dirt, dust, cobwebs, or other messes before putting everything back in place.
• Add extra shelving to your storage area if needed. If you find that you have stacks of boxes and piles of items in your storage space, it would be beneficial to add shelves to help you keep things better organized.
• Put your boxes and items away in the storage space on shelves according to category. It can help to also write information on boxes to let you know what is inside them so you won't have to go rummaging through them in search of something later.

Although you may not think too often about keeping your storage areas clean, it is vital if you want to be able to easily find things in the future. Take a few minutes to clean and organize storage boxes and items.