If you’re anything like me, your garage isn’t where your vehicle is stored. It’s the dumping ground and storage facility for anything you don’t want lying around your home. Over time, your garage can turn into a cluttered mess and become massively overwhelming to deal with. Not to worry though! We’ve highlighted some of the key tasks and tips that will turn your garage into a functional and organized space.
Step 1: To start, think to yourself: which items in the garage are used the most? Can you separate and categorize these items? For example, do you want easy access to your bikes and camping gear? What about your gardening supplies? Thinking with an end goal in mind is beneficial so the items you use most are easily accessible, while non-essential items can be stored away.
Step 2: Determine what to keep, donate, sell or throw away. Getting rid of clutter is the next step in tackling any room, including the garage. Try not to spend too long on this either; give yourself a set time limit (a whole weekend, for example) to go through everything. At the end of the weekend, you should have designated boxes/piles of items that need to go to the donation centre or be thrown out. If you plan on selling some items, take pictures and post them on a variety of buy and sell sites. The sooner someone snags some of your items up, the sooner your garage will be clutter free!
Step 3: Get what you can off the floor. Even if your garage isn’t fully clean yet, you’ll feel much better when you see how much floor space you’re slowly acquiring from your cleaning process. Shelving on walls is a great way to stay organized and make your garage a useable space. Whether you’re handy and want to try some DIY shelving, or you prefer to purchase (check out IKEA), shelving in your garage is going to make your life so much easier.
Tip: Tupperware containers are great because you can stack them and they’ll keep your belongings dry and protected. Put large labels on the outside of each container so you know exactly what is in each.
Step 4: Now that you have your items organized and off the floor, feel free to do standard cleaning duties: sweeping the floor, cleaning the walls, vacuuming up spider webs, etc. Keep in mind this is the garage; don’t feel bad if it isn’t sparkling after. Ultimately, the goal of a garage organization is to put your mind at ease while being able to find items in a timely manner.