How To Organize Your Garage

Clutter is the curse of every garage. Often the first place that family members turn to when they need to store old toys, equipment, and accessories when you need to use that space you find that it has been filled up with old junk. As summer rolls around and you start thinking about getting out the bikes, dusting off the camping equipment and digging out the sporting equipment, you realize that all those essentials are spread out and scattered everywhere.

What you need to know is how to organize a garage so that you know where to find everything when you go looking for it. This article offers some helpful advice so that you can keep your garage spick and span all year round.

Plan Ahead

Organizing a garage takes time, so don’t expect it all to be done in five minutes. Set aside, at least, a whole weekend so that you have enough time to tackle the project thoroughly. There’s no point in doing a half-hearted job. Otherwise, you’ll just have to do it all again properly at a later date. Think about the time of year at which you are trying to get this job done and choose your clothing accordingly. If possible, try to choose a time of year when it isn’t too hot or cold as your garage is often particularly susceptible to the elements.

Think also about what you are going to wear to protect yourself from any possible injuries. Remember that a garage can be a dangerous place full of hazards such as power tools, so wearing closed toed shoes, long trousers, and full-length sleeves will offer the best protection. You should also ensure that you are comfortable and can move around freely as well as not being afraid to get dirty, as that is highly likely!

Prioritize

Before you even begin on moving the clutter out of your space, think first about what exactly you are trying to achieve. What do you want from your garage? Do you need to be able to store your car in it overnight? Would you prefer to use the space for a workshop? Perhaps you just want a sensible and accessible place to store all of your sporting equipment and seasonal items? Whatever your priorities, you need to establish those before you can make a coherent plan for your garage space. Knowing what you want to achieve will help you to know what needs to stay and what has to go.

Empty Your Garage

This is probably the bit that you’re dreading, but you know it’s got to happen – you have to clear the whole garage to start with a clean slate. Get out some large blankets or tarps and drape them in a convenient nearby location such as on your front lawn or your driveway. Now you’re ready to start emptying your space.

Clean Up

Once your garage is empty, this is the perfect time to get it clean. Sweep the floor, wash the surfaces and perhaps give the whole area a lick of paint so that it has a clean, fresh look.

Sort

Although this job may seem like a pointless you’ll be surprised at how useful it can be. Gather all of your similar items in piles together – for example, put all your sporting goods together, all of your tools in one pile, all of your gardening equipment in one area, etc. This will help you to see exactly what you’ve got. It also helps the organization process hugely when putting things back into your garage.

Get Rid Of The Junk

This is the step that matters. You need to get rid of anything that you don’t want or need so that your garage can remain clean and clutter-free. This is probably the hardest part of the garage organization process because it can be difficult to commit to throwing items away. Nevertheless, you need to be completely ruthless, getting rid of anything that no longer has a place in your garage. Remember that the more you purge now, the tidier your garage will be in the long run and the easier it will be to maintain.

Try getting rid of more than half of your rubbish by sorting your stuff into separate piles. Have one for keepsakes, one for trash/recycling, and one for charity. putting in the trash, donating to charity and recycling. Some items will be easier to get rid of than others. Anything broken or damaged should immediately be put in the trash, and any duplicate items can be donated or recycled. Any items that belong to a friend or neighbor can now be returned. And you can remove anything that you haven’t used in over a year. Be strict with yourself and think hard about whether you need each item before deciding to keep it.

Plan Your Space

Once you have completed your purge, it’s time to plan out your space. On a piece of paper, draw your garage map, outlining where each zone is going to be. Don’t forget to use space at all levels including your walls and ceiling. You may want to leave a space to clean your bike or clean other larger items you are storing. Buy boxes, shelving, and other storage units to store your remaining items. And plan where you are going to locate them in your garage. Don’t forget to consider the frequency of use, and keep the items you often use within easy reach.

Store Your Items

Once all of your planning is done, you are ready to start putting everything away. Stick to the plan and make sure that everything is put back in the correct zone. Use markers or pens to label boxes and crates. This will save you time in the future and will aid easy maintenance. If possible, label both the front and the sides of any boxes. Then you can see at a glance from any angle what it contains.