Tag: SpaceLift

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You may not think of it this way. But one of the best ways to do a thorough spring cleaning is to start in your attic. Spring cleaning includes refreshing your living space. Moving items into storage opens up more living space. It can remove clutter and help you better organize. For most homeowners that means trips to the attic or basement. And that’s why first addressing your storage space is the secret to successful spring cleaning for your living space.

A clean attic lets you to put your great attic storage ideas into action. The attic is the perfect space for seasonal storage of items like holiday decorations and summer sports equipment. It’s great for long-term storage for little used but important items like tax records, family memorabilia and future hand-me-downs like baby clothes. Convenient access is key to making storage work.

In addition to making room for more storage, clean attics equal healthy homes. Consider that attic allergens and irritants seep into your living area through ceiling hatches, doors, recessed lights, heating and cooling systems. Irritants such as dust, dander and mold can wreak havoc for allergy sufferers. They could irritate your family’s lungs. From the time of its invention, spring cleaning includes thorough dusting and sweeping.

1. Remove all items

Take all boxes, furniture and other items out of the attic before starting to clean. If some items are too difficult to move out of the attic, pile them in one corner. Cover them while you clean the remaining space. Spring cleaning is a once-a-year opportunity cleaning areas rarely reached by your vacuum. Same as in your living space.

Having an attic lift makes the physical labor of moving items in and out of the attic much easier. Our lift is one of the best, SpaceLift™ attic lift. An attic lift is like a mini freight elevator. It transports items so you don’t have to lug them up and down the attic stairs or ladder. It’s like a dumbwaiter for your storage items. Storage lifts are popular moving items between home living and storage spaces. They work for attics and basements.

2. Spring cleaning tips

The following spring cleaning tips apply equally well for attics, basements and living spaces. Before beginning the process of cleaning or moving items consider a dust mask. It’s especially important if you are allergic. Where possible open a window or vent to circulate air. Replacing that stuffy winter air with outdoors fresh air is always welcome. And it is a big reason spring cleaning waits for warmer days.

San Francisco Gate published an article “How to Clean an Attic Space”. You find it full of tips and ideas to keep in mind when tackling the task of cleaning your attic. The article suggests dusting with an electrostatically charged feather duster. Wipe wooden beams, walls, baseboards and window frames to collect dust and dirt. After dusting, sweep the floors, corners, cracks and crevices with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming rids your space of dead insects, dust mites, dander and potential allergens.

3. De-clutter your space

While you are moving items during cleaning. Now is a good time to assess what you put into storage over the last year or years. Do you still have use for it? Did you forget about it entirely? Would someone else be able to make better use of it? Evaluate whether to throw away, donate or keep items. Do this before reorganizing your storage space. You’ll have less to organize. Clutter is not limited to trash and useless items. Clutter can be anything.

Home Storage Solutions suggests a list of five guidelines to use in determining if items are clutter. Get ready to make difficult decisions you may have been putting off for a while. Not wanting to make the decision could be why you stashed these items away in your attic to begin with. At SpaceLift we are all in favor of you keeping the stuff you want. Even so, those “wants” are worth reevaluating from time to time. Spring cleaning makes the perfect excuse.

4. Categorize storage items

Once you’ve gotten rid of clutter, the next step is to clean items going back into storage. Dust all furnishings, containers and boxes. Clean the corner where they were temporarily placed. Finally, reorganize remaining items. Retrieving items in the future is far easier from an organized storage space. “Categorize all the items you wish to store in your attic and divide them into groups. For example, holiday decorations, family heirlooms, out of season clothes, old baby clothes, etc.,” said Jane Blanchard in an article on Modernize.com.

Place items you will not frequently need toward the back of the attic. Organize stuff you might need more often near the door for easy access. If you have miscellaneous loose items, use a clear storage bin to keep them together and create more room. As you categorize, keep in mind new items you may want to move into storage. Chances are you’ll uncover more storage needs during your downstairs spring cleaning.

label storage bins for attic storage

You don’t think you’ll forget, but you will. Label boxes, storage bins and containers as part of your storage organization ritual. This is good for spring cleaning and any other time!

5. Storage Ideas

For larger attics, it’s a good idea to invest in such storage solutions as shelving and large clear plastic bins. This article explores what storage containers are best for attic storage. The website, Do It Yourself, offers three tips for storage solutions. Work with what’s already in your attic. Use exposed wood frames to support shelves made from wood. It’s your attic. So any wood will do, even cheap plywood. Freestanding shelves can be made out of any cheap, strong wood and L-brackets. Alternately, just purchase utility shelving. Stackable containers are perhaps the easiest way to add space. Clear bins allow you to view what’s inside without moving them to open. Before buying plastic storage containers, check out the list compiled by The Spruce of the six best to buy in 2021.

Start the process of claiming more living space in your home this spring by cleaning and reorganizing storage items. A SpaceLift™ attic lift makes this tedious task less labor intensive. It makes attic storage enjoyable for the whole family, and for years to come. SpaceLift lifts feature computerized smart controls with built-in safety features. It has no restriction on how high you can stack items. Its low profile base makes loading and unloading easy. The lift carries up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of cargo per trip. Transferring items to the attic and back down takes the push of a button. Travel time is three inches per second. It installs between attic floor joists. Installation is easy requiring basic carpentry skills. Many SpaceLift attic lifts are installed as DIY, do-it-yourself, projects. We can also recommend local installers if you want to go that route. Just contact us!

https://cleancrawls.com/clean-declutter-attic-7-simple-steps/

https://www.doityourself.com/stry/3-storage-shelf-ideas-for-your-attic

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/clean-attic-space-25834.html

https://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/clutter-buster.html

https://modernize.com/homeowner-resources/other/attic-storage-101

https://www.thespruce.com/best-plastic-storage-bins-4154995

A Spring Cleaning Checklist to Increase Your Overall Productivity
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Bust clutter. Getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home. It can reduce asthma and allergy triggers, according to The American Cleaning Institute. “For many people the conundrum is: do they have too much stuff or not enough space?” said Dave Berliner, inventor of the SpaceLift attic lift. His invention solves the problem of using your attic for storage by creating easier and safer access. Even the famed clutter buster Marie Kondo says, “The aim of storage is to give every item a home – a designated spot for it to rest and recharge when not in use.”

“Many organization gurus tell you to purge, get rid of your stuff. I disagree. It’s your stuff. There’s likely a good reason you kept it in the first place. Busting clutter may simply be a matter of moving some of your stuff out of your living space and into a convenient storage space,” Berliner said, “This is especially true for seasonal items like decorations, patio furniture, tools and toys. These items ‘spark joy’ in their season. Meanwhile, you protect your investment by keeping them safely stored. Storing them in the attic, not your living space, makes more room for you. It helps you get, and stay, organized.”

Place for Stuff

WebMD suggests 8 common clutter “hot spots” you should address.

  • 1 = There’s the entry hall dump. (Here in New England we have mud porches.)
  • 2 = Next is the overstuffed pantry. Better organization helps. Install a back-of-the-door rack.
  • 3 = Then there’s that mail pile. Usually in a public place. You plan to handle that paper. But don’t. And the paper pile seems to grow all on its own. A basket helps keep mail neat. Maybe try paperless bill pay?
  • 4 = Refrigerator door clutter? Not sure we agree with this one WebMD. It’s is your personal choice. One person’s cluttered refrigerator door is another’s treasured collection.
  • 5 = Certainly on the list is the bathroom counter. All those potions and lotions tend to spread. The Container Store has a variety of clever solutions. Organizers help you go from “sloppy to serene,” the article says.
  • 6 = Garage clutter. Did you know one-in-four homeowners say they can’t fit their car in their own garage? If you have an attic, SpaceLift attic storage lifts offer an elegant solution. A beautiful garage starts with a good storage system.
  • 7 = Junk drawer. Admittedly, some of us love our junk drawers. But it can take forever to find an AAA battery that you just know is in there! There are many excellent drawer organizers. The Spruce rates the 9 best ones.
  • 8 = Kid clutter can be a challenge. Toy boxes help. But only if you use them. This is a great opportunity to teach your children clutter busting.

Bust Clutter with Storage

“Lack of space” was cited as the biggest challenge to improving organization by 32.9 percent of consumers surveyed by NPD Group for HomeWorld Forecast Consumer Survey. “Yet most homes have lots of available storage space in attics above the house and garage. Access is generally the limiting factor,” Berliner said. “Attic ladders or pull-down stairs can be tough to negotiate. They are downright dangerous when carrying storage bins, boxes or other items. There is a risk of falling, or hurting your back, or damaging your items,” he added, “Easy attic access is the key to attic storage solutions.” (Read our blog about Ladder Safety at Home.)

Control Clutter with a SpaceLift Attic Storage Lift

Berliner’s answer was to invent an attic lift. “It is like having your own mini freight elevator to carry storage into your attic in just minutes. It’s a dumbwaiter for your stuff,” he explained.

Designed to fit between attic floor joists, installation is easy requiring basic carpentry and electrical skills. Many are installed as do-it-yourself projects, Berliner said, or the company can help with local installers. It sells directly on its website, www.SpaceLiftProducts.com. A short video on the website shows how the lift works. Prices start at $1,895 with free shipping and a two-year factory warranty. SpaceLift™ Products are assembled in the USA, in Stratford, Conn., by Redco Home, a division of Redco Audio, a family-owned company.

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Get organized month makes sense for January. It’s a month of resolutions and renewal. There are lots of reasons why you should get better organized. Ever wonder how much time you lose trying to find misplaced possessions? Tired of navigating through canyons of storage bins? Is your car stuck outside because there’s just too much stuff in your garage? January is national “get organized month,” as declared by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

The average American spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items, according to U.S. News and World Report. A Newsweek article stated the average American wastes 55 minutes a day (roughly 12 days a year) looking for things they own but can’t find. This article estimates the cost to U.S. households is $2.7 billion annually.

Getting better organized is a New Year’s resolution many of us deem worthy. But like most changes in behavior, keeping the process simple is critical to year-long success. We all know resolutions stick easier when they’re easy to implement.

Finding more space is key.

Lack of space was cited as the biggest challenge to improving organization. So say 32.9 percent of consumers surveyed by NPD Group for HomeWorld Forecast Consumer Survey. That may be why the self-storage industry is booming. It is expected top $39.5 billion in revenue in 2021. That’s up from $36 billion in 2016, according to IBISworld. The U.S. Census Bureau records a spike in self-storage construction spending. See chart.

get organized month has multiple options for success, this chart shows growth of self-store units construction

But self-store units are a hassle. You have to load up your car or SUV and drive your stuff to a rental storage unit. Then when you want an item, you have to drive back over and load up the car again to bring it home. Plus you pay monthly storage fees. Check out our blog post, “Have You Done the Self-storage Math?“

Where to put all our stuff? Half of homeowners rate their garage as the most disorganized place in the house, according to NAPO. A U.S. Department of Energy poll found 25 percent of homeowners with two-car garages have so much stuff stored there they can’t fit even one car inside. Yet above most garages is a spacious attic. Read our blog “Benefits of Parking Your Car Inside.”

get organized month should include your garage shows car covered in deep snow parked outside garage
Don’t treat your car as a second-class citizen. Use your garage attic and a SpaceLIft attic storage lift to free up enough space. January is a tough month for cars. It is also get organized month.

Easy access is the secret to storage success.

Going up and down those pull-down attic stairs or ladders is pretty dicey. It is especially scary when carrying storage containers and boxes of stuff. It’s nearly impossible with bulky items. Imagine storing four snow tires in your attic. How about patio furniture? Attic storage is perfect for large, but infrequently needed tools.

There’s also the risk of falling or hurting your back carrying on the ladder. Ladders take a lot of time too. Even if items are small, you are very limited how much you can carry per trip. (Check out our blog on ladder safety.)

A SpaceLift™ attic lift offers easy and fast access to your own home and garage attic space for safe and convenient storage. It is a motorized platform lift system capable of transporting up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of cargo per trip from your living space to your attic. It moves at three inches per second. All with the push of a button. It is like having your own mini freight elevator to carry storage into your attic in just minutes. It’s a dumbwaiter for your stuff.

Manufacturer Redco Home invested seven years of engineering development and more than $250,000. The result is our patent-protected lift. It offers superior capability. It incorporates critical safety features not found in other lifts.

SpaceLift attic storage safe and simple

One key benefit is no limitation on vertical stacking. The computer-controlled lift pulls evenly at each of the platform’s four corners. This leaves open all the space above. It also stops automatically for obstructions. It will not lift if cargo weight exceeds 200 pounds. Low profile design makes it easy to load and unload. Slide your best storage containers, boxes, heavy items and more off of the platform and onto attic flooring systems with ease. Protected by two U.S. Patents. Our storage lift launched in 2009. It is now installed in hundreds of homes and garages nationwide. (Plus, we shipped a few internationally.)

Designed to fit between attic floor joists, installation is easy requiring basic carpentry and electrical skills. Many are installed as do-it-yourself projects. Redco Home can also help with local installers. It sells directly on its website, www.SpaceLiftProducts.com and through a network of 30 nationwide vendors. A short video on the website shows how the lift works. Detailed installation instructions and videos are also on the website and available for download. Also available is a siting guide. We even offer CAD files.

There are two models, different in their width, selling for $1,895 and $1,995. This includes free shipping. A two-year factory warranty is standard. SpaceLift™ Products are assembled in the USA. They are manufactured in Monroe, CT, by Redco Home, a division of Redco Audio, a family-owned company. A lift is installed at the Redco facility and you are invited to stop by to see it.

Get Organized Month every month?

To be sure, January is fine. But every month should be get organized month. Why wait? Resolve to get organized, reduce clutter, claim more living space and get your cars back in the garage. A SpaceLift™ attic lift will help you claim more storage space in your own home.