Let’s admit it. As Indians, we love collecting things. Some things because we got them on sale. Some because they have been passed on to us by our older generations. And some because you might need them someday in the future or the extended future. Result! A full and cluttered storage room. Of course, you have read all the self-help books on organising the storeroom and stacked stuff using baskets and boxes.
But the thing is regardless of how organised the room looks, every store room needs an occasional cleaning to ensure the stored materials are not eroded or damaged due to moisture. Cleaning helps fight dust and mold build up in the storeroom and make room for new items as well.
As a part of our March cleaning series, we present you few simple yet effective tips to help you clean the storeroom.
Empty and clean
The best way to clean a storeroom is to remove everything from the room and clean it thoroughly. Cleaning while all your stuff is still inside might not give you the cleaning result you wish for. And a dirty surface will just become a breeding ground for dust and molds.
Clean one area at a time
If your store room is big and there is way too much things to deal with, it is a good idea to clean one area at a time. Start with the corner that needs the maximum amount of work. Otherwise, you will wear yourself out dealing with minuscule thing only to realise a week later that the major work is still pending. Setting a fixed number of hours every weekend is a good way to go about it.
Ask for help if needed
If there are too many heavy items in the storeroom, you might not be able to handle it all alone. Therefore, it is a good idea to ask for some help. You might work together as a family or may call for professional help. Either way, it will reduce the burden and ensure you don’t hurt yourself trying to push the heavy wooden chest.
Spider webs and dust composites
Spider webs and dust composites are very common in the storeroom walls. Use a broom to take out any webs from around the ceiling and dust composites around the room. If you see molds in the room, you can scrub it by using a mixture of one part bleach and three-part water. Once done, spray a cockroach spray to ensure the room is insect-free.
Restore only things you need
One of the best things about cleaning the storeroom by emptying it first is that it will give you a chance to go through all the stuff in the room and decide what you really need and what can be cleared out. You can get rid of things by selling, trashing, or giving away things you no longer need.
You can also recycle some of the old items to make them usable in your day to day life. It is also a good idea to sort and arrange the items in categories. This will keep your storeroom organised and enables you to access the items in the store way easily.
Move shelves away from the walls
If your storeroom has a problem of damp walls, it may pass on the moisture to other things in the room resulting in molds and erosion. To deal with this, it is a good idea to make wooden shelves that are not leaning with the wall. Leave a minimum distance of 10 inches from the wall. If the moisture is coming from the floor as well, then it is recommended to get the floor covered with tiles.
If your budget is low, you may cover the walls and floor using a flex sheet which will keep the moisture locked underneath.
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