When it comes to cleaning up your garage space, a few small changes can make a big difference and you may turn that one car garage back into the two car garage you actually have. To get you started on decluttering and organizing your garage, here are our top five tips:
- Clear Out the Clutter – Start by eliminating all of the items that you no longer need, use or love. You don’t have to get rid of everything, just focus on the items that are taking up unnecessary space and can be donated or recycled. My rule is: Unless it's tools, and you have not used it in the last two to three years you probably don't need it. Start by tossing out the obvious trash. Grab a Lawn and Leaf bag. Go big baby! 39 gal. capacity of get rid of the obvious junk and clear trash and cardboard quickly. Sometimes that immediate purge is just what prompts the cleaning frenzy. You may have two partial bottles of washer fluid. Top off the reservoirs in your cars. If there is any remaining consolidate it into one jug and toss the other. If you have items that you keep saying, "I might fix that" and it has been months or (gasp) years, you know you are not going to make that repair, so toss it. I generally hit the garage every spring and whip it back into shape and I even mop the floor. Oh, yes I do! All that winter road salt and other gunk tracks from the garage, up my stairs and into the living spaces. If you have carpeting you don't notice it. I have hardwood floors, so I have forensic evidence of who did not wipe their feet at the bottom of the stairs.
- Sort Your Items – Once you’ve cleared out the clutter, it’s time to start sorting your remaining items into categories and assigning them a designated space in the garage. This will help you keep track of items and make them easier to find when needed.
- Create Storage Solutions – When it comes to organizing your garage, storage solutions are your best friend! Investing in a few sturdy shelving units can go a long way in helping you maximize your vertical storage space and keep everything off the floor. Remember, you don't want items on the floor that could be damaged if something leaks or is spilled. Cardboard boxes dry but, when dried become compromised in strength integrity. You may feel confident looking at the box only to lift it and the contents fall through the bottom and on to your foot. What falls and breaks might be irreplaceable, or it may be your foot or one of your little piggies. If you have money to invest, why not purchase storage cabinets with shelves and doors? You can keep all those newly organized items behind closed doors. Not only does the garage look so much more modern and updated, it also keeps the creepy crawlies and dust off your newly organized items.
- Label Everything – Labeling can help you and your family members easily find what they need in the garage. You can use simple labels like tape or adhesive paper for smaller items, but if you have large boxes or containers, consider using a label maker to make labeling and storage easier. Again, if it is in your budget, there are clear/opaque plastic storage boxes where you can see your stored content. They come in a variety of sizes so you should be able to find one suitable to your cleanup. Give each family member a storage tote specifically for their smaller items in the garage. This helps them determine just how important or unnecessary their well worn items are and if they need stored, or tossed. Perhaps you are using the garage as a staging area if you are in the process of moving. I personally box all wall items from each room and label the box according to content: Wall items-Livingroom. This makes unpacking quick. I always start hanging the wall items first if I can. It's easier to do without furniture in the way and you probably already have an idea where you want to re-hang the items. But, let's get back to decluttering the garage for now!
- Take Stock of What You Have – After you’ve sorted, labeled and stored away your items, take stock of what you have. This will help you save time and money in the future by preventing duplicate purchases or forgetting about an item that could be used for a new project. I'm a notorious re-purchaser. If I'm in the hardware store and the project calls for caulk, chances are I will buy caulk and a caulk gun. I now have two. The latest orange caulk gun purchased is an upgrade from Old Blue!
One of the biggest inspirations I have is watching episodes of Hoarders. Hoarders indeed! It's one of my motivators if I'm being a couch potato on the weekend. I am not a hoarder, but that show just might inspire you to purge stuff laying around. If you are "saving" items for a yard sale, make the sign and go post it. This gives you no option and you will forge ahead and be ready to make a few extra dollars in the process. Posting the sale a week before sets a firm time schedule to complete the purge.
I hope these five essential tips help you in getting your garage organized and decluttered. Have fun with it! Just one more thing: (Channeling my inner Columbo and yes, I am showing my age) Crank up some of your favorite tunes. I do. It can help make a huge task of cleaning into a fun productive day. If you get flustered, bust a move! Regroup and forge ahead!
Remember, the goal of cleaning up your garage is to make sure that all of your belongings have a specific home and don't take up too much space. With careful planning and organization, you can transform your cluttered garage into an efficient and usable space where you can easily get in and out of your car without bumping the door or tripping over roller skates.
Good luck!
Bonus Tip: Make Use of Your Walls
Think outside the box and use your walls to store items with wall-mounted organizers or pegboards. Not only can you hang tools, but you can also hang shelving units to store larger items such as bikes, tables, ladders, and camping gear.
That is another post for another time! And, lastly. "Can we organize the attic?"
