When it’s utilized correctly, the attic offers an enormous amount of additional storage space. Rather than tossing all of your unused furniture and boxes into the guest bedroom, you can store them in the attic where they are out of your way. Unfortunately, most homeowners allow their attic to succumb to an enormous amount of clutter, dust and debris, turning this area into a non-functional mess. With a little bit of work, however, you can regain control of your attic.
Tip #1) Remove Debris and Damaged Insulation
You can’t expect to maintain a clean attic if it’s riddled with debris. If you haven’t done so already, go through your attic and start pulling out any debris and trash that you come across. This may include damaged insulation, wet cardboard boxes, pine straw, etc. It’s not a bad idea to bring a trash bag up to the attic so you don’t have to worry about dropping any debris on your home’s flooring.
Tip #2) Consolidate Boxes
Assuming there are boxes stored in your attic, you should go ahead and consolidate them into a more organized pile. Perhaps you could take the contents of two boxes and consolidate them into one to save space, or maybe you can rearrange them into a more orderly fashion. Going through all of the boxes in your attic might seem might a monotonous task (which it is), but you might be surprised to see just how much space you save by doing so.
Tip #3) Dusting
Do you remember the last time you dusted your attic? Whether it’s been a month, a year or never, you should go back through your attic to give it a good dusting. Don’t worry about hand-wiping each and every exposed surface in your attic, but instead use a pole-attached dusting device to perform a quick dusting. Removing the dust and cobwebs will not only make your attic look clean, but it will also discourage spiders from living here.
Tip #4) Look For Moisture
When you’re cleaning your attic, look around to see if you notice any areas of free-standing water. Allowing your attic to suffer from excessive moisture — whether it’s from high humidity or a leaking roof — can essentially damage any boxes or items stored here. The bottom line is that you must identify and eliminate sources of water to create a safe, clean attic.
