Open metal shelving is perfect for lining up home-canned jars or store-bought canned food. Use plastic or wood crates to hold smaller items, such as spice containers and packets of freeze-dried food. Transparent plastic containers help you to see what’s inside, but solid ones keep you from adding to the basement’s visual clutter. 

An old fashioned root cellar can extend the life of potatoes, onions, pumpkins, apples, and other durable fruits and vegetables. This type of storage area must be cool—ideally, between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Ventilation is a must in a root cellar basement storage room, as the ethylene gas from certain produce can cause other fruits and vegetables to spoil. 

Ideally, a root cellar should be a dark space, separated from any other basement food storage unit. Even hardy produce needs humidity to stay fresh, but the levels required could rust cans and jar lids. Wood shelving won’t rust, but a plastic shelving unit will work for food storage, too.

2. Sports and Recreation Equipment Storage

Many families need basement storage ideas for sports and recreation equipment. It can be surprising how much gear children need when they participate in multiple activities. Basement storage is good for this kind of equipment, since most of it is already temperature and moisture resistant. For convenience, store this season’s gear in the garage, and keep off-season items in the basement. 

Source: @oboingo13 via Instagram

Source: @everyday_order via Instagram

Sports equipment storage is ideal for making use of extra space on your basement walls. Hang a row of hooks at the bottom of your basement stairs, where it’s easy to send kids down to grab a backpack, bike helmet, or tennis racquet. Make use of floor space beneath the hooks by placing a storage bench in this space. It can double as seating for putting on shoes and also hold baskets full of balls and other sports equipment.