Is your basement a bit messy? Prepare yourself and get ready for a quick clean. Just think how much space will be available after the clean. Here are the best tips for cleaning your basement brought to you by TLC Carpet Cleaning.
Clean the Floor
According to me, floors are the first area to be cleaned in every room, or at least what is I usually do. Is your basement floor unsealed concrete? If not, you should consider sealing it. It will be a lot easier for you to sweep or vacuum it. I recommend you look for non-toxic sealant. A good option might be a silicone-based sealant. Another good alternatives are water glass and sodium silicate.
Moreover, these can be used on walls, preventing mildew spreading. If you find it difficult to seal the floor by yourself, you can order professional services to get the floor perfectly sealed. Just remember to schedule expert cleaning services after the builders. Be sure to sweep or vacuum your concrete floor regularly. I usually bring the vacuum cleaner once each month. Actually, the cleaning routine depends on the traffic in the basement, so try to figure which is the best time for you to clean the storage.
De-clutter
Make sure you de-clutter your basement regularly. Remember that your basement is a common place for pests. Always check for cracks and holes which may be potential entrances for unwanted guests. Another useful tip is to organize your stuff. Take some big boxes. Now take a pen and a paper and draw a simple table. Put all the needed stuff under it’s category. If you are wondering where a certain item should be placed, just discard it. This trick often does wonders de-cluttering your basement.
Label each box with a certain category from the list. Now place all the items from a category. My advise is to check your boxes monthly. This takes no longer than several minutes. If you think you doesn’t need a thing any more, or you simply haven’t used it in the past year, you need to get rid of it as soon as possible. Another good tip is to consider donating these items to a foster home, for example. I know several friends who organize garage sales every year with the stuff from their basements.
Get Rid of Moisture
Moisture is always a concern in the basement. Note that mould and mildew love most. Moreover, it helps spreading them. A common mistake is to leave a liquid spill to dry on it’s own. Just don’t do that. Try to blot it as soon you have noticed the spot. Wiping your walls with distilled vinegar will greatly help you in your fight against mould. Moisture often makes your basement smell awful. In this case you need to place several open boxes of baking soda. The bad odours will be soon eliminated.
I hope your basement now looks a lot better. Just stick to the tips above and it will be clean for a longer period. Hungry for more awesome articles? Be sure to check out these:
http://momof6.com/mom-organization/declutter-your-life-the-big-basement-challenge-and-reveal/
http://www.curbly.com/users/bruno/posts/13411-how-to-clean-up-your-basement-or-die-trying
http://www.howcast.com/videos/165383-how-to-clean-your-basement/
http://www.rd.com/home/cleaning-organizing/6-ways-to-get-your-dirty-basement-floor-sparkling-clean/