Tidy up messy basement? Here's how to get started!

A basement is often where everything ends up that you don’t have room for right now: old furniture, boxes from your last move, paint cans, broken appliances. Until you can’t find anything there anymore. Good news: with a clear plan, you can clean out a cluttered basement in a weekend.

In this guide, you'll learn how to get started, what to do with all that stuff, and when it's smarter to to have your basement cleaned out.

1. Start with a plan

Cleaning out a basement goes faster if you decide on a few things beforehand:

• Objective: What do you plan to do with your basement? Storage, laundry room, workshop, or hobby room? That will determine what can stay.
• Time: Plan a full day or a weekend, and ask friends or family to help.
• Supplies: sturdy trash bags, boxes, work gloves, a dust mask, labels, and a marker.
• Drain: Plan ahead for how you'll dispose of the trash: take it to the recycling center yourself, have bulky items picked up, or hire a cleanup company.

2. Take everything out and sort it into four piles

Clear out your basement corner by corner and sort as you go. Create four distinct piles:

• Keep: what you actually use or want to keep.
• Sales: quality items through a secondhand marketplace.
• Giving: usable items to the Thrift Store, neighbors, or an organization.
• Throw away: anything that is broken or unusable.

Are you unsure about something? Ask yourself if you've used it in the past year. If not, you can usually get rid of it.

What do you do with bulky waste?

• Electrical appliances: back to the store or to the recycling center, via Recupel.
• Paint, oil, aerosol cans, and chemical products: That is small hazardous waste. Take it separately to the recycling center.
• Wood, metal, and bulky waste: Take it to the recycling center, or have it picked up.
• Old corrugated sheets, pipes, or floor tiles: They may contain asbestos. Do not break them; read this first. what the rules are.

Don't leave anything on the sidewalk "just for a moment": that counts as illegal dumping. Read why in Putting Bulky Trash on the Sidewalk: Harmless or a Costly GAS Fine?

3. Watch out for moisture, mold, and pests

An empty basement is the perfect time to go through everything:

• Damp spots or a musty odor? Have the cause checked before you put your things back.
• Mold? You can remove small spots yourself. Read How to Safely Treat Mold.
• Mouse droppings or gnaw marks? Get rid of the mice first before you restock the basement.
• Relief: Keep ventilation grilles and basement windows clear.

4. Clean the basement

Sweep or vacuum the floor, dust the shelves and walls, and then mop. Let everything dry thoroughly before putting your things back.

5. Organizing and Setting Up Your Basement the Smart Way

• Place items on shelves or pallets; never place them directly on the floor or against a damp wall.
• Use sealed, clear plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes. Cardboard attracts moisture and pests.
• Stick a label on each container indicating its contents.
• Organize by zones: seasonal items, tools, supplies.
• Put heavy items at the bottom and things you use often at the front.
• Keep the walkway clear.

After that, plan a quick cleanup every year. That way, it'll never pile up like that again.

6. A basement storage room in an apartment

Do you live in an apartment? If so, keep a few extra things in mind:

• Communal basement: Don't leave anything in the hallways. Check the condominium rules to see what's allowed, or ask the property manager.
• Narrow staircases and dim lighting: Work in pairs and make sure you have a good light.
• Elevator: Ask if you can use it for bulky trash, and make sure to protect it.

7. Having Your Basement Cleared Out: When and How?

Sometimes, cleaning up on your own isn't an option. For example:

• The basement is packed to the brim;
• There is heavy furniture;
• You don't have time;
• The home needs to be vacated quickly following a move, sale, or death.

In that case, you'd better have your basement cleared out. Here's how it works at JunkBrothers:

• You send photos via WhatsApp and usually receive a fixed price within 2 hours.
• We carry everything upstairs, even up narrow basement stairs.
• We'll set aside whatever you want to keep.
• Reusable items are sent for reuse; the rest goes to certified processors.
• We'll leave the basement spotless.

Check out our Basement Cleanout in Antwerp and our prices. Do you need to clear out the garage or the rest of the house as well? Read more about garage clearance and house clearance.