It can be a huge and tricky task to organize your garage. Most people use their garages as storage for large items or other belongings that don’t fit anywhere else in their home, like tools, patio furniture, sporting equipment, old toys, and old furniture, among other junk that is waiting to be donated, sold, or thrown away. Plus, some like to keep their cars in their garages to help them stay cleaner and avoid the elements. How do you manage to keep all those different objects organised in one space?
If your garage is looking a bit like the aftermath of a hurricane, it’s probably time to set aside some time to clean it up. It can seem like a daunting task, but remember that you don’t have to get it all done in one go. Allow yourself the time to properly plan it out and don’t give up on it if you haven’t finished it in one weekend – it’s most likely a huge job to tackle.
Here are some tips on how to clean up and organize your garage:
Table of Contents
De-Clutter
This can be a family affair if there are a lot of items in there that aren’t just yours, and it will help the job get done faster. You’ll want to sort everything into three piles: keep, donate or sell, and throw away. Then, go through absolutely everything, including boxes you may not have even unpacked after moving in. Once you’ve pared down what you’re keeping, you’ll most likely have more room to work with when it comes time to storing and organizing. Just make sure anything you’re donating, selling or throwing away gets moved out of there as soon as possible so you don’t fall into the same issue soon after cleaning up.
Move Items out of the Garage
There are some items that people sometimes store in their garages that should be moved elsewhere. This will also help free up some space. These items include:
- Paint cans
- Propane tanks
- Paper goods
- Refrigerator
- Pet food
Draft a Floor Plan
Before you start adding some garage shelving units, map out how you want to store everything first. Write down the dimensions of your garage and include spaces where there are windows, switches, or how much space your car takes up, then start planning out where you’ll keep everything else. Group items you’ll use together, like lawn and gardening tools. Keep any frequently used items near the garage door for easy access, and put seasonal or items you rarely use in spots that are out of the way and hardest to get to. Anything that’s bulky should be kept in corners or away from your car.
Utilise Vertical Space
When it comes time to finally start putting things away in their new places, get creative with your vertical space. Try your best to keep everything off the floor – that way, you’ll end up with more room and will avoid throwing everything into sloppy piles. Build wall shelving, hang hooks for your bikes and other sports equipment, and attach baskets on the walls for smaller items like bike helmets and gardening tools. Build cabinets as well for neater storage of tools and other miscellaneous items, but be wary of making them ‘junk cabinets’ – you may want to opt for open shelving for this reason.
Featured Image Source: Pixino
