Don't Go In The Basement Clutter

by Marjorie Dorfman | More from this Blogger

29 Jan 2007 09:07 AM

Surely the horror movie made about twenty years ago with the same title cannot compete with the creeping menace that lives in the basements of the best of us. There it lurks, thinks bad things and worst of all, gathers dust. What is a person to do with all this stuff that is broken, has no purpose in life other than to irk us and seems to reproduce in the dark corners of the basement whenever we are asleep? Read on for some scary tips albeit, you aren't the neatest person in the world.

Fight With Your Basement Make your basement respect you by treating each day as a boxing day in which you are the winner! Keep good strong boxes on hand and as you find things lying around that you are not using that often, throw them in the box. Identify each box with a number and write down in a master book the rough contents of each box.

Auction Day and Yard Sales Once a year, go through all of the stuff you have stored away in the boxes and make some executive decisions. Keep anything you are really hesitant about and put everything else up for sale on Internet auction sites. Or if you prefer, hold a yard sale and whatever doesn't sell, either give away to charity or (be really strong here) throw it out!

Saving Space When storing bulky items like blankets or pillows, use a plastic bag and stuff it as full as possible. Then hold the open end of the bag tightly around the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner. Turn it on and stand back as the air is sucked out of the filled bag, shrinking it to about ¼ of its original size. Spin the bag to prevent air from escaping (You want no witnesses to tell the tale) and then fold the now twisted top of the bag over. Secure with a strong rubber band. Do YOU have any basement clutter tips to add? Please share.

Related Reading:

"Kid's Clutter: Any Hope At All?"

"Cleaning Leather And Other Diversions"

"Clutter: Attack and Destroy"

Learn more about Marjorie Dorfman

Marjorie Dorfman is a freelance writer and former teacher originally from Brooklyn, New York.

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