The Do’s and Don’ts of Organizing Your Basement

It's June! The summer sunshine is calling and all you want is to be outside! But hear me out — June is the best time to tackle that basement organizing project that you’ve been putting off.

Why? Well, first of all, you’ll be organizing in the cool comfort of a space that’s out of the summer heat. Secondly, the basement is where you store a lot of your summer entertaining and outdoor gear, so you’ll want to get it ready to use. Lastly, now’s the time to set up your dehumidifier to make sure your stuff stays fresh.

So, trot down those steps and see what you’ve been stashing away! To make the most of your efforts, pay attention to my Do’s and Don’ts of basement organizing.

​DON'T keep it all. DO weed out the excess.

If yours is the typical basement, you probably have stuff down there that’s been stashed and forgotten. Get it all out and go through it. Can you let go of the too-small bike helmet, the mismatched plastic cups, and the broken Christmas ornaments?

Donate what you can, but be realistic about the condition of your items. Things that have been down in the basement for a while might not be in donatable condition. Sadly, you’ll just have to make peace with throwing them out.

Use sturdy contractor bags to contain your donations. If you have a lot of stuff to trash/donate, consider hiring a junk hauler to do the heavy lifting. They donate what they can and dump what they can’t.


DON’T just put it all back where it was. DO create zones.

​It’s temptingly easy to put all the stuff right back into the bins and spaces where you had it. But taking a few minutes to create zones in your storage area will make it so much easier to access things in the future

Think about the different categories of things that you store. Here are some zones I typically create in basements:

• Kitchen Extras  — Backstock of dry and canned goods, seasonal/holiday pots and pans, paper towels, food wrap
• File Archives — Old taxes and other records
• Mementos — Each family member needs a memento bin, plus bins for other sentimental items
• Sporting Goods — Beach towels, ski gear, sand toys, balls
• Holiday Decorations — Group these in one area so they’re easy to get out and put away.
• Cleaning — Mops, cleaning solutions, rags
• Tools and Utility — Tools, hardware, repair kits, light bulbs, batteries
• Laundry — If your washer and dryer are in the basement

Decide where to locate each zone based on the amount of stuff and where the stuff is used. The kitchen zone should be near the stairs so it’s closer to the kitchen. The sporting goods zone should be near the bulkhead door so you can get the stuff out easily. Holiday decorations can be in a slightly less accessible area, but somewhere that can hold all the decorations together in one spot.


DON’T use bad bins and uneven shelves. DO splurge on new bins and shelves.

In many parts of the house, I recommend working with the storage containers you already have. But in the basement, treating yourself to new bins and sturdy, functional shelves is well worth it.

Get rid of the old, rusted, bowed shelving and the oddly-sized, cracked bins with mismatched or missing lids. While you’re at it, ditch the opaque bins that don’t let you see what’s in them and the oversized bins that are too heavy to move.

The best shelves for your hard-working basement are chrome wire shelves, also called baker’s racks. They’re sturdy, easy to assemble, and don’t rust or warp.

Get the 5-shelf unit that’s 36” wide by 18” deep by 72” high. It’s just the right size to fit 12 of my favorite bins, the clear Sterilite 64-quart latching bin (23 3/4" x 16" x 13 1/2").

Why are these bins my favorites?

1. Two fit perfectly on each shelf.
2. They’re clear so you can see what you’re storing.
3. The lids latch securely.
4. They’re sturdy.
5. They’re just the right size to hold a lot without getting too heavy.

If you need extra-large bins for long items, store them on the bottom shelf so you don’t have to lift an unwieldy bin off a high shelf.

Depending on the layout of your basement, you can set up shelves all around the perimeter, against one long wall, or in aisles like library stacks. Just be sure not to create blind corners so you can easily get to each shelf.


DON’T think your basement isn’t musty. DO set up a dehumidifier.

Even if yours doesn’t leak, all basements get a little damp, especially in the summer. And here’s something you might not know: mildew is a form of mold. That’s definitely something you want to avoid!

Skip the little desiccant packets — they just don’t hold enough water — and buy yourself a really big dehumidifier.

If you can, install the dehumidifier so it bypasses the holding tank and drains directly into a sink or a drain hole in the floor. Now you’ll never have to empty the unit! In my basement, I have a large utility sink with a built-in drying area, so the dehumidifier sits next to the sink and runs continuously.

If necessary, put up a shelf near your utility sink to hold the dehumidifier. If you don’t have a basement sink or drain, you might be able to drain it out of a basement window.

If there’s no way to drain the dehumidifier, set recurring reminders on your phone to go downstairs daily to empty the tank.

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DON’T put things in the basement never to be seen again. DO use your basement to support your life.

Good for you for sorting out the excess, storing everything in zones that make sense and containers that are easy to manage, and making sure it’ll all stay dry and fresh!

Now go ahead and USE your basement storage. Get things out to use and put them away when you’re through. Refine your zones and storage systems to make sure they’re easy to use. Go through things on a regular basis and continue to donate things you’re not using.

Just because your basement is a storage area, doesn’t mean it’s where things go never to be seen again. Your basement should be a hardworking space that supports your active life!