If your attic is a mess and you are looking for a way to organize it and make it look spotless, then you might need a little help. The job can feel overwhelming, especially when you look at the disorder of the space and think about all the work you have to do.
We have some help for you though, and there are a number of smart moves you can make to get your attic under control. We will break this down for you and make the process simple and easy to get started.
Clear Out and Clean Up
Let’s start off with a kind of big task that makes a huge difference. We begin by pulling things out of the attic that will be in the way for cleaning. Before we sort through everything and decide what stays and what goes, we need to do some cleaning up.
The bigger, heavier stuff will get in the way of the cleaning, and the attic probably needs to be cleaned if you are thinking about organizing it. You have to understand that it will be tough and probably unhealthy to work in a space that is dusty and dirty. So, cleaning is a big priority, and it is important that you take your time to do it properly.
Get everything out of the attic that you can, simply moving it somewhere else so that the cleaning can be done quickly and effectively. You can bring in Seattle, Washington professional cleaners if you want for this work, or skilled cleaners for wherever you may be, and just have them deal with the attic cleaning. That can be a tough job that you might not be prepared for, especially if you have allergies and your attic is really dusty.
As you clean the attic, be sure to give yourself plenty of ventilation, opening doors and windows and setting up fans as necessary to ensure great airflow. Also wear protective equipment if necessary, like gloves, a cleaning apron, and a face mask to protect yourself from dust and other irritants.
As you clear items out of the attic, just wipe them down and clean them off so that they are safe to work with. If you simply decide to put them back in the attic once the space is clean, at least these items will be clean as well then.
Discard as Needed
Next, you should sort through all those items you pulled out of the attic. The bags, boxes, furniture, and other stuff may not need to go back into the same space. Some of that could be thrown out, especially if it is damaged or unusable. Some of it can be given to a charity or passed off to a family member or friend. Think about each item before you put it back in the attic. Ask yourself if you still have a use for it or if you may not use it again.
You should also consider which items you would like to store elsewhere. Maybe the attic is not the best place for something that you want to start using again or that you might use often. The more stuff you can get rid of either by tossing it away or giving it away, the less you will have to pack back.
You should also consider holding a sale and putting up some of your valuable items or unwanted items to make a little cash. This can be a great way to clear out your attic and boost your bank balance at the same time.
Restock with Purpose
As you prepare to put back into the attic the remaining items that you pulled out, be thoughtful with your placement. If you will not be using an item for months or even years, then put it toward the back of the attic. However, you should label any boxes or bags clearly so that it is easy to tell what is in them. It can be time consuming and frustrating trying to get a bunch of black garbage bags open in the attic as you try to figure out what is in each one. Labelling fixes that problem for you.
The items that you might be using soon should be placed near the front where they are easy to access. Put them on top of everything else and close to the door so that you don’t have you move a bunch of stuff to get to them.
Store Accessibly
A lot of attics look like piles of stuff that are frustrating to sort through. They contain boxes and boxes that are stacked on one another or piles of bags that no one wants to dig through to find the one thing they need.
We recommend a setup that is different and more user friendly. That is to store items in such a way so that you can get to each item on its own without having to move anything else. How do you do that when you have lots of bags or boxes?
The simple and elegant solutions to install or build shelves in your attic. You can use any kind of bookcase-like structure that helps you divide items into layers or levels.
Think about how easy it is to pull out the one book you want from a bookcase. If your attic was packed that way, you could save time and energy and be able to pull the one item you need quickly. Install shelving or even use a bookcase to store items on multiple levels in the same space. This is more elegant than stacking items and makes it easy to find everything. Be sure to label each item so that you can find what you are looking for faster.
If you use this method, then put heavy items on the bottom and put like items together. This makes things easier on you and makes it easy to find stuff when you forget where you put each item.
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