Has it been years since you have been up to your attic? It’s that part of your house that you store items when you need to free up some space.
Since the attic is at the top of the house and has the least amount of traffic, it gets overlooked when it comes to cleaning. If you have been up there lately, did you get the impression that it was time to declutter and dust?
At Red Bins, we help you clean your attic and free your home of excess items, as we provide year-round bin rental services in Toronto. The important part of cleaning your attic is to prepare it for bin pick-up. By following this 10-step guide for easy attic cleaning, it will make this daunting task a chore you can efficiently manage.
Before you bring out the brooms, dusters, and cleaning agents, remove all the items from your attic and place them in a space that will be easy to sort and closeby in case you decide to put some stuff back in.
An empty room is the easiest to clean, as you will be able to reach all creaks and corners. After removing all the items, you can inspect every inch of the room that needs the most cleaning.
If it has been months and even years since you have cleaned your attic, you can expect to see a considerable amount of dust. Be sure to wear a non-medical mask to prevent the inhalation of dust.
Take a duster and clean every inch of the room. Start with the window frames, baseboards, walls, wooden beams, and behind the door. Don’t forget to dust any light fixtures and fans on the ceiling.
Once the dust and debris have fallen on the floor, save a lot of time by vacuuming it first. Sweep and throw away any large debris that a vacuum can’t suction.
The best type of vacuum for dust are models with a high-efficiency canister with a filter. High-efficiency vacuums are ideal for this particular cleaning job as they pick up dust mites and clear away allergens that have settled in attics.
For those hard-to-reach corners, use vacuum extensions such as a hose. Once you are done vacuuming, follow up with a broom and dustpan and give the room one big sweep. If you want to deep clean the floors, use a damp mop or Swiffer to remove further dirt and dust.
Once the attic is clear of dust and debris, check your insulation. If it looks like it has fallen under the floor joists, you will need to replenish it and add more insulation. A sign of healthy insulation that doesn’t need any upgrading is when you can’t see the floor joists above the insulation. That means the insulation is still snug.
It is essential to check for mould and moisture in the insulation as it can spread and cause sickness, especially if your family members have allergies or asthma. If you leave the mould untreated on damp insulation, it can ruin the air quality throughout your whole house. It is thus essential to replace it and get rid of all traces of mould and moisture.
After inspecting your attic for mould and moisture, check every nook and cranny on the attic windows and doors. Since the attic is at the top of the house, a cold draft could zip through the window when high winds come around. This can increase your heating bill in the winter. Seal any cracks on windows and door sills to prevent a cold draft from coming through.
Once you have finished inspecting the attic, go through each item and sort them into two categories: “Storing” and “Throwing Out.” Place all the items you are going to keep in one corner close to the attic for easy storage.
Instead of creating another pile, start placing your prized possessions in plastic storage boxes, as they will protect them from the elements and are easy to pile up, thus optimizing space in your home.
Moving on to the “Throwing Out” category, sort through this pile again and pick out the items that you can donate to a second-hand store, like Value Village or to a registered charity in Canada.
If you choose to donate your items, remember to ask for an official receipt from the charity, as your donation is tax-deductible. To find the closest charity in your area, check out a list of Canada’s best charities in 2020 by clicking here.
Now for the next to last step in cleaning your attic: reorganizing the items you want to keep from your “Storing” category. Keep in mind to be strategic as you store your newly organized items back into the attic. For example, with items that you plan to use frequently, place them in a space in the attic that will be easy to access for the whole family.
The most challenging aspect of attic cleaning is getting rid of any junk that can’t be donated or thrown out. Where do you put it? Call us!
Here at Red Bins, we can handle your junk removal, as we offer bin rental services to help you minimize pile-ups in your attic. If you would like to set up a no-obligation estimate on bin rental in Toronto and the GTA, call us at 416-733-2467 or contact us here. We will get back to you within 24–48 hours to arrange an estimate.
