Your Basement
To clean your basement, remove all paint, varnish, thinners,
brush cleaners, and related supplies. Remove all cleaners such
as carpet cleaner, leather cleaner, rust remover. Remove all
chemicals that are in cans, bottles or buckets.
You may keep your laundry supplies: borax, washing soda,
white distilled vinegar, bleach and homemade soap. You may
keep canned goods, tools, items that are not chemicals. You may
move your chemicals into your garage. Also move any car tires
and automotive supplies like waxes, oil, transmission fluid, and
the spare gas can (even if it is empty) into your garage or discard
them.
Seal cracks in the basement and around pipes where they
come through the wall with black plastic roofing cement. In a few
days it will be hard enough to caulk with a prettier color. Spread
a sheet of plastic over the sewer or sump pump.