How to clean out your attic before moving

Everyone’s attic gets cluttered and messy, it’s normal. Even so, attics are not meant to be junk heaps. For many people, attics hold a collection of nostalgic memories. From their childhood toys to other mementos like your son’s first pair of basketball shoes, or your daughter’s old Bratz doll. Here’s some motivation for cleaning — all of your precious memories and mementos are sitting there in a room full of dust and perhaps even mold, and they have been for years. So, what are you waiting for? Get some moving boxes Ottawa, and start packing. It’s time to clean out your attic before moving.

A Guide on How to Clean Out Your Attic Before Moving

Before you start cleaning, you should try and empty out the room. First of all, an empty room is easier to clean, and it also ensures that nothing falls between the cracks. Cleaning out attics is a tough business. So, try to get some help from your family or friends when undertaking this task, or at least hire the best furniture movers Ottawa. However, if no one can help you, there is another way.

A good “technique” for cleaning attics is to move everything to one side of the room. That leaves half of the room completely empty and allows you to clean half a room at a time.

Remove Dust, Cobwebs, and Other Creepy-Crawlies

An old and dusty attic can be a source of many allergic reactions, and it will affect other areas of your home. It’s no wonder attics are the set pieces of many horror films, if left unattended they will accumulate thick layers of heavy dust, cobwebs, and even spider nests.

In general, you should work your way down from the ceiling. That is the only way to avoid doubling your work. When you clean cobwebs, make sure you get the spiders, otherwise cobwebs will reform some enough. Always make sure to clean the vents and windows as well, to ensure a good thorough clean.

Clean The Floor

You won’t just find thick dust on the floor. Roof debris, wood, and various random objects will be there as well. Make sure to pick those up by hand before vacuuming, as it can damage your appliances.

After that, vacuum the floor before you sweep it with a broom. Switch vacuum heads as your needs dictate and make sure you get all of the corners, narrow spaces, and other nooks and crannies. Afterward, it’s fairly simple, sweep and mop, and you’re done.

Check For Damage

Before Professional Movers Ottawa arrive at your home, you need to make sure everything is ready for the move. Cleaning the attic is the first step you should take. If you don’t visit that part of your home often, and most people don’t, there’s a very good chance that some issues have arisen with it. Insulation, wall congruity, beams, floor panels, ventilation, all of these things can break down in time, and if not taken care of properly can cause much costlier problems further down the line.

Most of the time, you can identify and deal with those problems yourself. However, sometimes professional assistance is required to safely deal with those issues. In any case, cleaning out your attic will make it easier for you to check for damage.

Moisture and Mold

These two are a dastardly pair, and most often go together. When you clean out your attic before moving, always check for the presence of moisture. A moist attic is a perfect place for mold to form, and it can form in both visible and concealed spaces, so be thorough when you check. Furthermore, mold, if left unattended, can cause a plethora of breathing problems, even if you’re not in the room.

Moisture can occur due to many reasons. Temperature changes, bad or dirty ventilation, roof leaks, leaky pipes, or even water in the foundation. If you can’t pinpoint moisture by just looking around. You should call in some professionals to inspect your attic. In addition, cleaning mold can be tough for an amateur, because mold can easily grow back (often even stronger), if not fully and properly removed.

Get Rid of All That Junk

Don’t hoard, there’s really no need to keep that old torn chair that you didn’t like anyways stored in your attic. Purge what you don’t need. Perhaps the best way to go about doing that is item by item, and taking the time to organize them in plastic or cardboard boxes. We get it, everyone has a lot of stuff, and often storing them in your attic is a convenient solution. However, you should probably consider renting some storage facilities Ottawa. Getting rid of old stuff is very important if you want to clean out your attic before moving.

After you’ve decided what to keep and what to get rid of, you need to decide on how to actually get rid of those items. Usually, the best thing to do is give away to charity what you can, and what is still usable, while throwing away or recycling what isn’t.

Sometimes you might have some really heavy items like pianos up there. Moving those is pretty tough, and needs skilled and strong movers, so you shouldn’t really attempt to move those types of items. Instead, just call piano movers Ottawa, and they’ll help you relocate those items safely.

Wanting to hold on to possession from the past is quite a normal hang-up, but be realistic and blunt about it. If you don’t need it, just get rid of it.

Reorganize to Make It Easier For Your Future Self

Now that you’ve cleaned your attic, reorganizing it to be more efficient can help you when you move. Easier access to the various items in the attic will cut down the time movers need to transport them. Take your time to organize it as best as you can, because simply put — the faster movers load up all the items and start transporting them to your new home, the less money will be spent, and less stress will be endured.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve cleaned your attic and gotten rid of all your junk, it will be much easier for your relocation. After all, if you clean out your attic before moving, it cuts down on the stress and time needed to relocate.