If your car doesn’t fit inside your garage anymore, and you (secretly) have been using that space as a dumping area, you might need to take care of that clutter. Clean and organize your garage with these quick and easy 5 steps.
1. Divide and Conquer.
Start by making four piles: sell, donate, pitch, and store. It makes sense to start with a garage sale and then move on to giving away stuff you no longer use (toys, exercise equipment). Once you got rid of the stuff you don’t need, start organizing items in relation to the space.
2. Group by Zones.
Organize items into groups: garden supplies, tools, camping supplies, sporting goods, seasonal items, etc. Keep the most useful items, like tools, in front. Be methodical, as the more things that you can place together in related groups, the easier it will be to see what you want to keep, what you have in duplicate, and what you no longer want or need.
Tip: it might be a good idea to get everything out of the garage, so you can clean the shelves, vacuum the floors, etc.
3. Use Your Wall Space
Shelves, cabinets, racks and hooks keep items off the floor and reduce clutter. Use the high shelves to store things that you only use once in a while (camping gear, seasonal decorations).
4. Use Your Ceiling Space.
Depending on the amount of space that you have, you may want to hang bikes from the ceiling with bike hooks. Shelves can also be built in the rafters and used for storing items that are used infrequently, such as seasonal decorations and travel luggage.
5. Box and Label.
Group and put in boxes smaller items. Put labels on the boxes and containers. It makes it much easier to find the items when you need them. Label the shelves and even areas of wall space within your garage. It will help everyone in your family to know where to return various items after use.