How To Clean and Organize Loft Storage

How do you clean and organize loft storage? Some people call it a loft, others call it an attic, and sometimes it’s a space in your garage or basement. Either way, we’re talking about the same thing! A loft or attic space is a great place for extra storage. Although this may be a convenient place to store items you don’t use very often it may be a relatively small space with low ceilings, which makes it imperative that you have well organized storage. Today I will share the best way to take advantage of this valuable space.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Click here for my disclosure policy

Any storage space can get really messy from time to time. Most people use their lofts for storage, meaning you have decades’ worth of things stuffed away up there. At some point, you’ll need to clear out your attic storage space for one reason or another. So, here’s a short guide to help you tackle this task:

Light up your loft

As soon as you go into your loft you’ll notice one problem; the lack of light. This is especially true if it’s an unfinished attic. It’s very dark up there, making it hard to see everything. As such, you have no idea how bad things are or how dirty your loft is. So, start by illuminating your surroundings. Bring some lamps or stationary lights up there to have a look around. Right away, you’ll notice how bad things are!

Don’t be surprised if you suddenly notice signs of animals in your loft space. You may see bird droppings and feathers on the floor, and possibly signs of a nest. Don’t worry, you can call a pest bird control service to deal with this as part of your loft clean-out process. It’s important to be aware of how hard the task will be before you begin – that’s why you need to light up the loft!

Declutter

At this point, you should start decluttering your loft. Take all of the storage containers and look inside each of them. Now, you will have to decide what can stay and what can go. It sounds easy, but I know lots of you will struggle to cull your old belongings.

If something has sentimental or financial value, keep it. Likewise, if you still use something now and then – like Christmas decorations – keep it. For anything else, get rid of it! Think about it, it’s been in your loft for years and you’ve never had to use it. Just get rid of it, and you’ll slowly start to clean your attic.

Organize the rest

I think it’s a good idea to take all of the boxes out of your loft as you declutter. This may be a challenge if you have a narrow loft ladder, but it makes it easier to sort as you’re not stuck up there with no windows or space. Also, it lets you go up and sweep the floor and give the loft a general tidy-up.

Now, if you’re moving and that’s the reason you’re cleaning the loft, your job is done. But, for those of you, that just want to clean out the loft, you have one task left. Move all the items you’re keeping back into the attic, but make sure they’re organized. Fit all the boxes neatly together and create a system, so you know where everything is. This does two things: it creates more space in the loft and allows easy access to items when you need them.

The following are some loft storage ideas:

use plastic storage boxes
if you have a garage loft use garage storage cabinets that can stand up to the heat or cold
build a custom wall storage unit or use pre-assembled freestanding shelving or storage units
if all else fails you can use cardboard boxes, but these will not be impervious to critters

And that’s all, folks! Follow these simple steps to clean your loft and help you make the most of the available space.