Do you know what are the items you should never keep in the basement?
To someone who doesn’t have enough storage space in their beautiful home, having a basement seems like a luxury. I know I felt this way when I first moved into a house with a basement. I had tons of ideas of what I wanted to transform the additional room into a karaoke and entertaining space, a home gym, a guest bedroom, an extra living room, a playroom for children, and so many other things.
A basement is fantastic because it can give much-needed space for items you don’t use every day, like bags or specialized serveware, but it shouldn’t be used as a catch-all for everything. Unfortunately, carelessly throwing things downstairs might result in an untidy mess, but it can also break them beyond repair.
Basements can be extremely dangerous due to the varying temperature and humidity, pest activity, and possibility of flooding. To help you safeguard your belongings, your room, and your sanity, here is a list of items you should never keep in the basement, along with some storage alternatives.
I made these mistakes at first, and let me tell you that many tears were shed during the process. But you don’t have to repeat these things, especially since you have this article as your trusted guide. Without further ado, here are 8 items you should never keep in the basement!
1. Pet supplies
If you have a pet at home and you get their food in bulk, make sure you have a safe place to store it. Just like human food, pet food is one of the items you should never keep in the basement because pests can get in the packages and turn them into their homes.
And if you need to buy kitty litter regularly, it might be best to store it somewhere else, along with pet food, because the excess moisture can make it clumpy. You can keep pet supplies in a temperature-controlled area, like a laundry room that is upstairs, a mudroom, in the kitchen, or even in the pantry.
2. Home decor and furniture
Do you have any extra furniture and home decor items? These are some of the items you should never keep in the basement because high humidity won’t do them any good but will only cause them to warp or split.
This is very important, especially if you have heirlooms or antique items that require a temporary home. Like all materials, rugs are more likely to deteriorate from excess moisture, and while it might make the area cuter, it’s best to save them for other rooms in the house.
3. Electronics
Even if you haven’t used your dear electronics in a lifetime, they’re some of the items you should never keep in the basement. You might think that the day to use them will come again, but is that true?
Leaving your electronics in a humid place where the temperature fluctuates can easily damage your belongings and make them impossible and unsafe to use in the future.
Instead of keeping your beloved items in the basement, it’s best to have a spacious closet, coffee table, or TV console to store all the electronics in there.
Make sure you keep them organized and clean so that they’re good to use when needed. And if your electronics are no longer functioning, don’t keep them at home, waiting to gather dust, but find a local electronics recycling center to take them off your hands.
4. Firewood
Did you know that firewood is one of the items you should never keep in the basement? The smartest option here is to make space for your much-needed firewood outside in the shed or the living room because your basement has high levels of moisture, which can make the wood rot and spoil. I don’t think you want that to happen, especially since firewood isn’t exactly one of the cheapest things.
The list of items you should never keep in the basement is quite big, so keep reading for more!
5. Flammable or dangerous chemicals
Do you want a disaster to happen? Then don’t forget that flammable or dangerous chemicals are part of the items you should never keep in the basement.
It’s a typical practice to store half-empty primer cans or large cleaning supplies in the basement until you need them again. That is something you might want to reconsider, especially if you also have a heating source down there.
Paint and propane are combustible materials that should be kept well away from furnaces, water heaters, and even dryers if your basement also serves as a laundry room.
Just like batteries, chemicals that aren’t properly stored in a well-ventilated environment might end up leaking and creating dangerous fumes, and combustible liquids or gases can even explode if the container overheats.
However, you can store paint in the basement, but make sure it’s done correctly and kept out of direct sunlight and heat. If your basement has year-round lower temperatures and humidity, you can do the same with cleaning supplies.
Experts say that an easy thing you could do is switch to non-toxic cleansers and ditch the commercial ones, or you can store what you already have in an upstairs cleaning closet. Don’t forget to store your pool chemicals, gas cans, fertilizers, and insecticides on a high shelf in the garage or shed.
Keep reading to discover other items you should never keep in the basement!
6. Perishable food
Your perishable food is another one of these important items you should never keep in the basement, especially if you have a strong aversion to pests. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but insects or even rodents can get inside thin plastic or paper containers.
Moreover, your food might degrade quicker in uncontrolled environments, so it’s best to keep it in sealed, closed containers and store it in the pantry.
Do you know any other items you should never keep in the basement? Let me know in the comments!
7. Fragile fabrics
Children’s clothes, plush animals, wedding gowns, and goods made of fur, leather, or suede are items you should never keep in the basement, especially since they’re more likely to develop mold and mildew.
You can keep your off-season clothing items downstairs, but make sure the material is safe for humid conditions. Seal them in containers so they’re protected, and place them on shelves that are a few feet off the ground. This keeps them safe from dust mites and moths and protects them in case a flooding disaster occurs.
8. Bedding
You probably have extra bedding, but these are also items you should never keep in the basement, especially if there’s a lot of humidity in there. If you expose your comfy pillows, blankets, sheets, and even sleeping bags in a place where there are high moisture levels, they’re more likely to start to mildew.
The smartest thing you could do here is nicely fold your fresh extra bedding and put it in a linen closet, just like you would with clothes. This will keep them clean and fresh for longer, and they’ll help you have the nicest sleep ever.
And if you want your laundry to smell amazing for longer, here’s my favorite scent for the washer. It’s affordable, it does an amazing job, and it makes your belongings soft and cozy.
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